NBA
Heat: Gary Payton supports Damian Lillard’s desire to want to join Miami, ‘Everybody should chase a championship’
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated24 Jul 2023
This offseason, Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. His preferred destination is the Miami Heat. At this stage in his career, Lillard wants to be competing for an NBA title. He’s spent the last 11 seasons with the Blazers, but he could be on the move. Former Heat star Gary Payton has come to the defense of Lillard this offseason while others have trashed him for requesting a trade. Payton said, “Everybody should chase a championship'”.
During his 17-year NFL career, Payton played 13 years with the Seattle Supersonics. In the final four seasons of his career, Payton was ring-chasing. He had chances in the past to win an NBA title, but never got the chance until his second-to-last season. Payton was on the 2005-06 Miami Heat roster that won the Finals.
After 11 years with Portland, Lillard is looking to do something similar to Payton. His preferred destination is the Heat, but some insiders have questioned whether the Blazers want to trade him anymore.
Gary Payton on Dame requesting a trade to Miami:
“Everybody should chase a championship. Why are we playing basketball? That is the whole object of playing basketball.”
(via @IraHeatBeat, https://t.co/jUUh5VyPyy) pic.twitter.com/AqytybOGqD
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 24, 2023
Will Damian Lillard get his wish this offseason and be traded to the Miami Heat?
In an era of player empowerment, Damian Lillard was one of the only superstars who remained with one team long-term. However, he’s requested a trade and now he could be leaving Portland. Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are two of the only big-name players left that have stayed with one franchise and had success.
Today’s NBA is built around “super teams” and superstars are pairing up together more often than not. Media members across the league are not fond of players being able to handpick where they want to go next. That is what free agency is for. The Heat are reportedly frustrated with how this Damian Lillard situation has played out.
Portland is not going to get fleeced by the Heat just because Lillard wants to play for the Heat. All he’s done is ask for a trade request and say his preferred destination is Miami. The seven-time all-star doesn’t have a no-trade clause, meaning the Blazers could realistically trade him wherever they want. League sources have also suggested the Blazers are holding onto Lillard for an in-season trade.
