Damian Lillard and the Miami Heat are seeking partnership. And, despite Miami's lack of trade assets, the Heat are heavy favorites to land the disgruntled point guard.
Damian Lillard, after years of speculation and ardent posturing about his 'loyalty' and 'commitment to the grind,' finally requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers last week. His desire? To join the Miami Heat, fresh off winning the Eastern Conference.
For Lillard, the appeal of Miami is obvious: Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are proven winners. Erik Spoelstra is arguably the best coach in the NBA. Pat Riley and his vaunted #HeatCulture have left dozens of players better off than they were before arriving in Miami.
For Portland, that request is mildly inconvenient. The Blazers no doubt want to do right by Lillard after 11 years of loyal service. But, he's the franchise cornerstone and the Blazers can't really afford to offload him for less than max value. The Heat simply cannot offer max value.
In the end, it might not matter. Miami is in the driver's seat, largely because Lillard put them there.
Damian Lillard's preference for Miami Heat could dissuade other potential suitors
While ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that the Blazers are "open for business" around the league, the Heat could have the upper hand despite being limited to offers based around Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.
Per Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, "one involved source predicted that Lillard's one-team list will deter other suitors and greatly increase his chances of ending up with the Heat."
Now, context is always important with reports of this nature. The "one involved source" talking to the Miami Herald probably works for the Heat or Damian Lillard, both of whom have the same goal. Woj's reporting clearly cites Portland's perspective — the Blazers, on the precipice of a new era of Blazers basketball, don't want to settle for scraps and will look beyond the Heat to acquire the best package.
The only way Miami can achieve the 'best package' is if other teams back off due to Lillard's trade request. Dame has four years left on his contract — he can't really threaten to holdout — but in today's NBA, there's natural trepidation when it comes to rostering a potential malcontent. We've all seen the last few years of James Harden's career.
If Lillard projects his desire to play in Miami strongly enough, that might do the trick. There is objectively no way Miami can outbid other reasonable suitors, so Lillard riding the strength of his own single-mindedness is the only way to make his desired outcome a reality.
It will be fascinating to see what transpires if Lillard is dealt elsewhere. As ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported today, Lillard may have already be sent to Philadelphia if the Sixers were willing to offer Tyrese Maxey. There are better options than Miami lurking in the shadows. If Dame ends up in Philly or, god forbid, a place like Utah, does he smile and suit up, or does he borrow from the James Harden or Ben Simmons playbooks and create chaos?
We can only wait and see.
