The Miami Heat are “desperate” to acquire Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers right now, according to NBA insider Gerald Bourguet. It’s believed that the Heat and Blazers are looking for a third team to help facilitate a Lillard trade.
One source described Lillard’s attempt to force his way to Miami as Kevin Durant’s trade to the Suns all over again,” Bourguet wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “But the Heat don’t want to wait until midseason to land Lillard, so as inevitable as his arrival in South Beach may feel, a source described Miami as ‘desperate’ to get Dame now. The Heat have contacted numerous teams around the league to help facilitate a deal, knowing their current offer for Lillard is subpar. They need to involve a third or even fourth party in order to get over the hump.”
Lillard is close friends with Heat center Bam Adebayo and believes he can win an NBA championship in Miami playing alongside Jimmy Butler and Adebayo. The Heat have been working on a trade package for Lillard of expiring contracts, three to four first-round picks and one of the team’s younger players, with Tyler Herro going to a third team. The deal could potentially also involve second-rounders and draft pick swaps.
Lillard requested to be traded from the Blazers to only the Heat on July 1. He has spent all 11 seasons of his NBA career with Portland, which selected him with the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. The Blazers finished 33-49 and 13th in the Western Conference last season.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season for the Blazers. He will make $46.6 million next season. The future Hall of Famer signed a two-year, $121.8 million extension with Portland in July 2022.
Lillard still wants the Blazers 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.
