The Damian Lillard saga has been ongoing for months, but now it seems to be nearing its end. The Portland Trail Blazers star requested a trade to the Miami Heat in July, and talks are finally heating up. Although a deal is not imminent, the Blazers are showing a strong desire to complete a trade before training camp, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. However, the current discussions do not involve the Miami Heat.
It is important to note that this could change, as Lillard has expressed his strong desire to join the Heat. His agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been vocal about Lillard’s preference for playing with Miami. The NBA even looked into this during the offseason and issued a memo to all teams, warning Lillard of the potential consequences if he were to refuse to fulfill his contractual obligations with a team other than the Heat.
At this point, it is unclear what trade offer Miami is willing to present for Lillard or which other teams are pursuing him. Regardless of where Lillard ends up, Wojnarowski reports that multiple teams have been involved in discussions as potential facilitators. In major deals like this, additional teams are often needed for financial purposes or to find new homes for players who don’t fit the teams they are traded to. If Miami becomes part of the trade, for example, the Blazers would likely send Tyler Herro to another team.
However, as of now, it seems that Miami is not desperate to make a trade for Damian Lillard. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggests that the Heat are not actively engaging with the Blazers.
The Blazers’ training camp starts on October 3, with media day usually taking place a day before. Ideally, the Blazers would finalize a deal before then, giving them just over a week to complete a trade that has been elusive for the past two-and-a-half months. However, in the NBA, deadlines often drive action, so with talks intensifying, a trade seems more likely than ever.
