NBA
NBA insiders report that the Trail Blazers are an in ‘urgent process’ to send Damian Lillard to the Heat
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 WolpinUpdated10 Jul 2023
The biggest rumor this offseason has been Damian Lillard possibly being traded to the Miami Heat. This has been speculated for months now. It became even more realistic when he requested a trade from the Trail Blazers less than two weeks ago. Lillard has not been shy that he wants to play for the Heat. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Portland is in an “urgent process” to send Lillard to the Miami Heat in a multi-team trade.
Charania said there is a potential framework of a deal in place. It would send 3-4 first-round draft picks to Portland and Lillard to the Heat. The third or even fourth team in that deal would likely land Tyler Herro. Miami would then owe Lillard over $94 million for the next two seasons.
The Heat almost went all-in for Bradley Beal, but he signed with the Suns. Miami took their time and waited for the right time. After the top free agents around the league have been signed, the Heat are in a prime position to trade for Damian Lillard.
“There is a framework with Miami where Portland could end up with three or four first round draft picks..
The question for Portland is that enough for Damian Lillard” ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/HEVYeJTbQX
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 10, 2023
Could a trade for Damian Lillard happen as soon as this week?
It’s no secret that Damian Lillard wants to play for the Miami Heat. After 11 loyal seasons with the Blazers, he’d simply had enough. He’ll turn 33 this week and still is in search of an NBA title. A similar goal the Miami Heat have. Lillard has seen how far Miami has gotten over the last four postseasons.
The farthest Lillard has made it in his playoff career is the Western Conference Finals. Miami has made the NBA Finals in two of the last four postseasons. Adding Lillard to their roster could be a game-changer. During the 2023 Finals, the Heat didn’t have enough star power to match the Nuggets.
In 61 career playoff games, Lillard averages (25.7) points, (4.3) rebounds, and (10.2) assists. Unfortunately, the Blazers have missed the playoffs the last two seasons. That had to add to his decision to want to leave after 11 years. Damian Lillard could be the piece that Miami has been missing the last few postseasons. A trade could happen any day now.
