Since early July, the Miami Heat have been the frontrunners to land Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard after he requested to be traded. And while they are still his preferred destination, the Blazers appear closer to trading him elsewhere.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Miami Heat haven’t been involved in recent trade talks with the Blazers, while other teams have seemingly been in discussion with Portland.
“Those talks have intensified this week with Damian Lillard, but still there’s no trade imminent… So far, the one element that has not been a part of these talks are the Miami Heat,” Wojnarowski was quoted as saying.
That is certain to make Lillard unhappy, and there are rumors that he wouldn’t report to training camp for any team other than the Blazers or the Heat for the upcoming season.
That might make those other teams in talks to acquire him nervous. Though, with four years remaining on his contract and the risk of discipline by the NBA, not to mention further damage to his reputation, other teams may not be as deterred as most might think.
Miami Heat: Would another team trade for Damian Lillard?
If the Toronto Raptors or Brooklyn Nets were to trade for him, Lillard declining to participate in training camp would only get him so far. Especially if those franchises make it clear that they aren’t willing to trade him again. That would put Miami in a bind since they spent all the off-season searching for another star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
In fact, they missed out on key free agents, all to secure a high-level difference-maker. If Dame is indeed traded to a conference rival, not only would it make Miami worse, but it would also make an immediate competitor better. Add in that the Heat will still have a relatively incomplete roster heading into training camp, and it would call into question the idea of pursuing him for so long.
They still have time to get a deal done. But, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, there don’t appear to have been any trade talks between the Heat and the Blazers since July.
That seems telling, with Portland apparently disinterested in dealing him to Miami just to appease their best player. From Portland’s perspective, good for them. Although Lillard has spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Portland, by agreeing to sign a massive contract extension in 2021, he forfeited the right to choose his next team. As a result, the Blazers could and should trade him to whatever team offers the best package.
With Woj and Windhorst reporting that Miami is getting colder and not warmer in regards to acquiring Lillard, the Heat may soon have to change course. There is still a chance that Miami could get a deal done, but these latest developments probably don’t instill hope for Heat fans.
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Author: Cal Durrett
September 25, 2023 | 12:30 pm
