NBA Trade Rumors: Damian Lillard’s hypothetical preferred destination is Miami Heat

NBA Trade Rumors: In an interview, Damian Lillard said that his hypothetical preferred landing spot, if traded, would likely be the Miami Heat.

Entering the offseason, I still believe that it would be somewhat surprising if the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard. But he’s by far the one big superstar that could end up being moved this offseason. And that decision will likely fall squarely on the shoulders of the Blazers. The ball is in their court.

Lillard has said all the right things. He’s been loyal and hasn’t asked for a trade. He has even said that he wants to win in Portland. At the same time, he’s asking the Blazers to build a contender around him – one that could seemingly win the title this season. And that’s where the decisions falls. Will the Blazers trade nearly every asset that they have to try to give Lillard a shot to win a title? Or would they be better suited in pivoting toward a rebuild on the fly while trading Lillard for a godfather package this offseason?

It won’t be an easy decision for the Blazers to make, but we should have some clarity in the coming weeks.

If Lillard does become a trade chip this offseason, nearly every non-rebuilding team in the league would be interested. It could make for one of the bigger bidding wars on the open market in recent history.

Although, when asked where he would want to be traded if it did come to that this offseason, Lillard named the Miami Heat as an ideal landing spot. One of the bigger reasons why is that he’s really close with Bam Adebayo.

The Brooklyn Nets were also named as a potential preferred spot due to his relationship with Mikal Bridges.

Again, none of this really matters until we get to the point where Lillard is ready to ask for a trade out of Portland. And knowing what we know about Lillard and his level of loyalty, I don’t think that’s a foregone conclusion. However, I feel like we’re as close to a Lillard trade as we’ve ever been.

And if one does happen, it could very well happen this offseason.

The next few weeks in the NBA should be interesting. But as soon as the NBA Finals are finished, the start of what could end up being a chaotic offseason will be on deck. And the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard, are certainly something to keep an eye on.