Over the course of the summer, the Miami Heat seemed to be the expected landing place for superstar guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.
After making it clear that he wanted the Blazers to trade him, Lillard also made it clear that he only wanted to be traded to and play for Miami, which obviously complicated the situation for Portland.
Although all signs pointed to the Blazers and Heat coming to terms on a blockbuster trade, that no longer seems to be the case, with reports of Portland no longer talking to Miami about a potential deal.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors have emerged as suitors for a deal with the Blazers, with the Canadian franchise reportedly being the favorite right now, likely due to what the team can offer.
With Lillard more than likely heading somewhere other than Miami, the Heat appear content moving forward without bringing in the superstar guard, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of 5 Reasons Sports via NBACentral.
Although the Heat lost a few key players over the summer, with Gabe Vincent signing with the Los Angeles Lakers and Max Strus landing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami seems confident that the team can continue to be successful during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Obviously, it remains to be seen if the Heat can contend with the players they’ve lost and if Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo continue to shoulder the load in Miami in a highly competitive Eastern Conference led by the Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics.
