After 11 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, one of the most loyal players of the modern NBA wants a trade. Damian Lillard’s trade request felt inevitable. The Miami Heat, searching for a point guard coming off an NBA Finals appearance, seem like a natural fit.
According to Chris Haynes, both the Heat and the Brooklyn Nets are two of Lillard’s top destinations. The NBA insider also added, of the two, the Heat are Lillard’s top choice.
While other teams have swung for the fences already this offseason, the Heat have been patiently waiting, planning to make a big offer for Lillard all along.
Haynes suggests the Heat are prepared to present an offer built around Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and multiple draft picks, hoping to keep Caleb Martin. He later added that a three-team deal would likely be the best solution.
If so, this would seem to suggest Herro could be headed elsewhere since the Blazers already have multiple young, talented shooting guards in Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe and may not have interest in adding a third who’s already well-paid.
If the Heat can find a third team while enticing the Blazers with a strong enough offer, it’s possible we’ve already seen Lillard’s time expire in Portland.
Having not topped 67 games played since 2019, the soon-to-be 33-year-old has seen first-hand how injuries can derail multiple seasons of an athlete’s career, and he’s still trying to get a championship ring on his finger.
Maybe that opportunity can finally come with the defending Eastern Conference champions, with Lillard eyeing a chance to pair up with his pal Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler on a very-well coached Erik Spoelstra-led team.