It still sounds like the Miami Heat are the preferred destination for Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. The NBA star requested a trade earlier this month and the initial reporting was he wanted to go to Miami, fresh off an NBA Finals appearance.
As for what the Blazers would want for Lillard, it sounds like it’s a big price tag. OregonLive’s Aaron Fentress said as much on the Blazers Focused podcast on Thursday.
Fentress discussed what Portland could look for in a Lillard trade package and said he’s hearing potential pieces Miami could offer. Among them is Tyler Herro, the former Kentucky star and 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year whose name has come up quite a bit in Lillard rumors early in the process. Draft capital will also be involved, and it might come down to simply making a deal work.
“If they can come out of this with four first-round picks, at least one — if not two — young talents and then salary filler, that should get it done,” Fentress said. “I’m told that right now, Miami has three firsts, Herro, filler and maybe a young player already. Like, willing to go with that. So the question is finding that fourth. If you don’t want Herro, then you just have to find someone to take Herro and give you another first-round pick. Then, you’re at four firsts and then, at least one young player and salary matches and then, maybe two young players.
“I’m told it’s pretty close. They just have to work it out. And they hadn’t, the last time I talked about this two days ago, they hadn’t really spent much time working it out. Maybe that’s happened the last couple of days. Like I said, maybe they can bust a trade out today, tomorrow, who knows?”
There was plenty of speculation about a potential trade request from Lillard after the NBA Draft. The Trail Blazers had the No. 3 overall pick, and rumors suggested they could trade that pick and build around him. Portland ended up keeping the pick and selected electric guard Scoot Henderson, fueling the fire about Lillard’s future with the franchise that drafted him.
Wherever he ends up, Lillard is still set for a big payday. He has $216.2 million left on his contract, and whoever trades for him will have to not only give the Blazers some capital, but also pay the former Weber State star.
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