ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst doesn’t believe that there is another team that is seriously making an offer for Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard other than the Miami Heat.
Lillard requested a trade from Portland this offseason and has made it clear that Miami is his preferred destination. However, to this point, the two sides have yet to come to terms on a deal.
Brian Windhorst: "As I look across the league and have conversations with executives and agents, I can't identify another team that is seriously making an offer for Damian Lillard at this point. My belief is that the Heat can't either." pic.twitter.com/xKzBikbwfS
— Oh no he didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) August 1, 2023
It was recently reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Blazers don’t love Miami’s assets and are holding out hope for a better deal. However, Wojnarowski also mentioned that Miami isn’t going to bid against itself in the trade market.
Earlier this offseason, Miami Heat insider Greg Sylvander predicted a potential trade package that the Heat could offer to obtain Lillard, and it seems like a pretty sizable return for Portland – if this deal is on the table.
Sylvander predicted that Miami could part ways with guard Tyler Herro (a former Sixth Man of the Year), sharpshooter Duncan Robinson and 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic in a Lillard deal. The Heat would also include four first-round picks and three first-round pick swaps in Sylvander’s hypothetical deal.
Even though Portland wants to hold out for the best possible offer for the seven-time All-NBA selection, the team may not have a choice but to send Lillard to Miami if other teams aren’t engaging.
Lillard has four seasons remaining on his contract, so the Blazers could decide to hold onto him, but they’d risk creating a rift between him and the franchise since he wants to have a chance to contend for a title.
The Blazers missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, failing to even make the play-in tournament in the Western Conference in the 2022-23 season.
Lillard, a seven-time All-Star, was great for Portland last season, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.
The bright side for Miami is that if no other teams are interested in Lillard, then the Heat’s deal eventually will be the best option in the market by default.
