8× NBA All-Star Damian Lillard blasts Raiders' asking price for Davante Adams
NBA star Damian Lillard weighed in on the latest news surrounding Las Vegas Raiders' wide receiver Davante Adams after recent activity all indicated that the star is likely to be traded. It started with head coach Antonio Pierce liking a post discussing whether the franchise should move on from the former Green Bay Packers star. After that, NFL Insiders reported that Adams himself would like to be traded.
Since then it has emerged that the Raiders are willing to move on from the wide receiver if they receive a second-round pick and additional compensation from a willing trade partner. Damian Lillard thinks that is too low for a player of his caliber, and he posted on X/Twitter:
"If the Raiders trade Tae for a damn 2nd round pick I’m done."
Does Damian Lillard's valuation of Davante Adams make sense?
Reading into Damian Lillard's sentiment, it seems that he thinks the Raiders receiver is worth at least a first-rounder. That is not an unjustified sentiment since Davante Adams cost a first-round pick and a second-round pick when Las Vegas acquired him from Green Bay.
The wide receiver is also one of the best in his position in the league. He has six Pro Bowl selections and has been the NFL's receiving touchdown leader twice. He has accomplished both feats with the Packers and the Raiders, which shows that he can do so irrespective of which quarterback is throwing to him.
All of that supports Damian Lillard's statement. And some teams are expected to compete for the Super Bowl this year, like the Kansas City Chiefs, who desperately need a wide receiver.
But the wide receiver market has moved from where it was in 2022 when Davante Adams was traded. Tyreek Hill moved in that year and he went for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and multiple later-round picks.
This offseason, the biggest movement for a wide receiver was for Stefon Diggs, who moved from the Bills to the Texans. He was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his last four seasons and had numbers similar to what Adams had over the last couple of years in terms of receiving yards. Yet, he too went for just a second-round pick this year and Houston received the player plus a pick each in the sixth and fifth rounds in the 2024 and 2025 drafts, respectively.
Therefore, Damian Lillard might be shocked at the Raiders' asking price for Davante Adams, but that is not surprising in the current market.