The Miami Heat offered the Portland Trail Blazers a trade package that included Tyler Herro and two first-round picks for Damian Lillard, according to NBA insider Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
One of the best players in NBA history, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season in 58 games. He requested a trade from the Blazers to the Heat on July 1. In the nearly three months since that request became public, no substantial trade conversations have taken place between the Heat and Blazers.
Herro signed a four-year, $120 million rookie contract extension with the Heat in October 2022. The Milwaukee native has career NBA averages of 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 242 games with Miami. He broke his hand in the first round of the 2023 playoffs versus the Milwaukee Bucks and never came back.
Lillard only wants to get traded to the Heat because he’s close friends with Bam Adebayo and believes he can win an NBA championship in Miami playing alongside Jimmy Butler and Adebayo. The Blazers legend still wants Portland to trade him to the Heat despite the NBA’s initiative to warn Lillard and his agent that any further comments made “suggesting Lillard will not fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade” will be subject to discipline, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Lillard is attracted to the Heat because the reigning Eastern Conference champions have title potential and have two stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo whom he wants to team with, sources have said,” Spears said. “Additionally, the work ethic and discipline that come with the renowned ‘Heat culture,’ and the lack of a state tax in Florida and greater marketing potential, are also of interest to Lillard, according to sources.
