NBA Trade Rumors: According to a recent report, Damian Lillard wants to be traded specifically to the Miami Heat. Will it happen?
It’s going to be ‘Dame Time’ for a team not named the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time since he was drafted out of college and into the NBA. The question is, now that Lillard has officially demanded a trade away from the Blazers, what team will that be for? On the shortlist of teams, there’s an expectation that the likes of the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and LA Clippers, likely among others, that will be interested in pursuing a trade for Lillard.
Interestingly, according to Shams Charania, he has a much smaller list. In fact, a list with one team on it – the Miami Heat. Per Shams, the latest report on Dame is that he wants to be traded specifically to the Heat.
That begs the question, is this something the Blazers would be interested in and is this report accurate? If so, it looks like there’s a very good chance that Lillard could be joining the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat before the start of the 2023-24 season.
For a team that was one star short in the NBA Finals, Lillard demanding a trade to the Heat (again, assuming this report is accurate) would make a lot of sense.
What could a Damian Lillard trade look like?
Of course, at least for now, there’s no guarantee that Lillard will be traded to the Heat. Even if that is his preferred landing spot. However, if you were to start brainstorming what a potential deal between the two teams would look like, there are a few starting points.
It’s expected that the Blazers will want young players and draft compensation for any deal involving Lillard. That’s where it gets complicated for the Heat. At the moment, they have two tradable future first-round picks but could get to three if they amend pick protects with OKC on the 2024 first-round pick. Additionally, they could throw in three pick swaps too.
You would also have to assume both Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. would have to be involved, possibly even with Haywood Highsmith. After that, it’s just about matching salary – and maybe the Heat could get a third team to take on Tyler Herro in exchange for another pick going in Portland’s direction.
There is a pathway toward getting a deal done between the Heat and the Blazers. The question is, will it happen?