US media revealed: Lillard s whereabouts have been decided! Durant recruited himself, and the Rockets abandoned Ethan!

Recently, the US media revealed a big news that was enough to shock the NBA league: free agent Lillard's next player has been basically confirmed, and he is very likely to join the Houston Rockets and join hands with Durant to strive for the championship. In order to win the All-Star point guard, the Rockets are even preparing to give up potential star Ethan. On July 1 this year, the Bucks made a surprising decision to cut Lillard through extended terms and extend his remaining $113 million in payment in five years in exchange for player Myers Turner. Lillard has been suffering from injuries in his two seasons for the Bucks. At the end of March this year, he suffered from a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. He finally returned in G2 in the first round of the playoffs against the Pacers, but unfortunately suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in G4, resulting in the end of the season early.

Lillard, who has recovered his freedom, instantly became the target of many championship teams. The Lakers, Golden State Warriors and others have all extended olive branches to him. But according to US media, the Houston Rockets stood out in this fierce battle and became Lillard's most likely next home. One of the key figures that led to Lillard joining the Rockets was Durant, the team's star. The two fought side by side at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and established a deep friendship. It is reported that Durant personally painted a beautiful blueprint for Lillard to join forces to compete for the championship, which made Lillard very moved. From the team's tactical perspective, the Rockets do need a ball-holding core like Lillard. Although Durant has strong ball-holding offense, he often needs to attack without the ball to maximize his power. Lillard's joining can effectively share organizational pressure and make the Rockets' offensive system more three-dimensional. In addition, Lillard's rich playoff experience (11 playoff appearances) is also a valuable asset for the Rockets, which are mainly young players.

However, the Rockets wanted to sign Lillard, but it was not smooth sailing. There are still two major obstacles to the negotiations: one is the contract amount, Lillard hopes to get a two-year contract, while the Rockets need to consider the pressure of luxury tax; the other is the starting position, Van Jordan's existence makes Lillard's positioning doubtful. It is reported that the Rockets management is actively negotiating with Lillard's team, and at the same time, they are preparing to trade Tari Ethan to make room for the purpose of signing Lillard!

And in order to get Lillard, the Rockets seem to be ready to abandon Ethan. Just recently, the Rockets and forward Jabbarry Smith Jr. completed a contract renewal, a five-year, $122 million contract. But Tari-Ethan, who is also qualified to renew his contract in advance, was not renewed. Last season, Ethan made an indelible contribution in the Rockets' journey into the playoffs. The "double ghost shot" combination formed by him and Amen Thompson gave the opponent a headache. Ethan is very suitable for head coach Uduka's defensive system and is a good 3D player. However, the Rockets did not choose to renew his contract in advance. On the one hand, Ethan's injury problem has caused the team to worry about; on the other hand, the team may be waiting for other teams to match the offer, and even intends to use him as a bargaining chip in exchange for Lillard to join.

If the Rockets and Lillard negotiate smoothly, the team will have a Big Three lineup of "Durant + Lillard + Capela" in the new season, which will undoubtedly make the Rockets become a strong contender for the championship. But there are still variables in all this, let's wait and see what the final result will be.