NBA Trade Rumors: Insider predicts Damian Lillard to Heat gets done before training camp

NBA Trade Rumors: NBA insider Marc Spears predicts that a Damian Lillard trade to the Miami Heat will be completed before the start of NBA training camp. 

In a perfect world, the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat would meet in the middle, both would be happy, and Damian Lillard would be traded before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. Unfortunately for both the Blazers and Heat, and I suppose Lillard, the NBA doesn’t operate in a perfect world. Because of that, it’s easy to see why there has been little-to-no traction on a potential Lillard trade with the start of training camp just a month away.

From all indications, if the Blazers are going to pull the trigger on Lillard before the start of the season, they’re going to have to make up some ground quickly over the next few weeks. Considering that Lillard only wants to be traded to the Heat and that Miami remains one of the only teams truly motivated to negotiate for Lillard, the likelihood of a trade materializing over the next few weeks is growing less and less likely.

However, there’s at least one NBA insider who remains optimistic that a deal could be struck between the two teams soon. On the “Sports by Northwest” podcast, ESPN Marc Spears, the same reporter who had the sit-down interview with Damian Lillard last week, predicts that Lillard will be traded to the Heat before the start of training camp.

A deal between the Heat and Blazers would have to materialize soon

If this prediction is going to ring true for Spears, the Blazers and Heat need to hammer something out fairly soon. Training camps officially open for all NBA teams on October 3. Considering the Heat and Blazers haven’t even had serious trade conversations regarding Lillard, there isn’t much time left for the two sides to agree to a deal.

Maybe this is something that won’t take long. Maybe the Blazers know exactly what they want from the Heat and Miami already has several potential ways to meet those demands. Even though the two sides aren’t formally speaking, you’d have to imagine there’s at least some backchanneling taking place with Lillard’s camp/agent and Portland’s front office.

If this is something his camp is truly pushing for, there has to be some of that going on behind the scenes.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Lillard clearly wants to find his way to the Heat and it may just be a matter of time before that happens. Will it happen before camp?