Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard requested a trade on July 1. Nearly three months later, it appears one of the biggest stars in the NBA is now getting closer to what he wanted.
Lillard stated in July that he only wanted to be traded to the Miami Heat, limiting Portland’s leverage in trade talks significantly. With Miami making offers that fell short of Portland’s asking price and other NBA teams taking a cautious approach due to the veteran’s insistence he’ll only play for Miami, the Trail Blazers broke off trade talks.
- Damian Lillard stats (2022-’23): 32.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.8 RPG 46.3% FG, .205 WS/48
Related: Damian Lillard trade talks heating up, Portland Trail Blazers’ latest asking price
However, with NBA training camp approaching, general managers have turned their focus back towards making moves. While it appears James Harden is stuck with the Philadelphia 76ers heading into camp, there appears to be a path that could get Lillard out of Portland in a matter of weeks.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Portland wants to have a deal in place for Lillard done by the start of training camp on Oct. 3.
Both Lillard and Trail Blazers officials have stated they are comfortable if this drags out into training camp. Portland’s All-Star point guard will report to practice and speak with reporters, while the organization continues to sort out its options on the trade front.
However, both sides want to avoid this process carrying over into training camp. Lillard wants to use that time to spend practicing with his eventual new team, ideally, the Miami Heat, preparing for the start of the regular season. As for Portland, trading Lillard sooner means Scoot Henderson and Shaeddon Sharpe can become the new faces of the team without there being any distractions.
- Damian Lillard contract: $45.64 million salary (2023-’24), $48.787 million salary (2024-’25), $58.545 million salary (2025-’26), $63.2 million player option (2026)
Related: Latest on trade talks between Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers
If a deal isn’t in place, Lillard would still have the option of making life more difficult for Portland’s front office. He can sit out of practices or spend most of his time voicing his frustrations to reporters, creating as big of a distraction as possible to force Portland’s hand.
It’s exactly what the Trail Blazers want to avoid, which is one of the primary reasons why the front office is ramping up trade talks right now. While other NBA teams are involved, Miami remains the favorite to acquire Lillard. If the Heat and Trail Blazers can find a third team to take on Tyler Herro, with Portland receiving draft picks, a deal could be reached by Oct. 3.