Star guard Damian Lillard has reportedly finally requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Miami Heat are apparently his preferred destination.
Lillard has been linked to the Heat very often over the past few months, and the Heat are expected to “vigorously pursue” him, according to the Miami Herald‘s Barry Jackson.
The former first-round pick has apparently talked to Heat players in recent days about how a move could work.
Naturally, the Heat aren’t the only team expected to pursue Lillard.
One can only wonder what price Miami would have to pay in a hypothetical trade for a player who is coming off arguably his most efficient season.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Lillard recorded 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game while knocking down 46.3 percent of his shots from the field and 37.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The seven-time All-NBA selection is exactly the type of player the Heat need. It became clear during the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets how much they desperately needed a top-tier scorer, and that’s exactly what Lillard is.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are still on the roster and figure to be off limits in trade talks between the Heat and Trail Blazers. A trio of Butler, Adebayo and Lillard would be one of the best in the league and make the Heat one of the favorites to win the title this season.
Only time will tell what ends up happening, but it seems like there might be exciting times ahead for the Heat organization and its fans.