Heat hit major roadblock in pursuit of Damian Lillard trade
After 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers, point guard Damian Lillard wants out of Portland. The seven-time All-Star recently requested a trade, with one destination on his mind. According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Lillard "specifically" wants to be dealt to the Miami Heat.
The problem is, the Blazers are "not impressed" with the Heat's offer. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (via Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports), Portland has no interest in taking on Tyler Herro and his $30M annual salary and would need "at a minimum" a third team to get involved for a trade to work.
Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes previously reported that Herro was at the center of the proposed package to Portland, as they prefer to omit Caleb Martin from any offers.
Herro serving as a sticking point for the Blazers isn't all that surprising. While the former Sixth Man of the Year is a young (23), electric scorer who has averaged 20-plus points in back-to-back seasons,
Portland already boasts an abundance of young talent in its backcourt.
The team used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft to select guard Scoot Henderson. Anfernee Simons, who is 24 years old, averaged a career-high 21.1 points per game in 2022-23, while the organization views 2022 first-round pick Shaedon Sharpe as a future All-Star, via HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
While the Heat remain the favorites to land Lillard, the Oakland native does not have a no-trade clause in his contract. Chances are the Blazers will attempt to do right by their longtime franchise cornerstone. However, when push comes to shove, the Blazers will do what is in their best interest — as they should.
Ultimately, the Heat have an aging roster that is limited in trade chips. They should be able to find a third team to take on Herro and help push the Lillard deal through. However, with everyone knowing the Heat are in need of assistance to facilitate a trade, don't be surprised if clubs are reluctant to play ball with Miami and instead focus their energy on comprising an offer to land Lillard themselves.
The Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves are all rumored to have inquired about Lillard. All three teams are young and deep enough to offer a better straight-up trade to Portland than the Heat can.
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