Damian Lillard Trade Talks Ramping Up
Loyalty only gets you so far in the modern NBA. And for a star player like Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, his loyalty toward the franchise that drafted him hasn’t won him a championship. That’s why it came as no surprise, that after years of pledging his allegiance to Portland, Lillard has finally requested a trade from the front office.
Lillard Won’t Be Short On Suitors
With the 2023 free agency period kicking off with a flurry of activity this weekend, Lillard’s long-awaited trade request could prove to be the biggest news this offseason. For years Dame was praised for his loyalty, but with each passing year, the narrative slowly began to shift to a question as to whether Lillard was squandering the prime of his career.
Analysts and fans alike debated as to whether Lillard waited too long to realize he won’t win a ring with a team that hasn’t been able to build a working supporting cast around the sixth pick from the 2012 NBA Draft. Something that the soon to be 33 year old clearly took notice of this spring.
To no one’s surprise, Lillard’s preferred destination is reportedly the Miami Heat. The Heat came off another NBA Finals trip where they lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games and seem to be “a piece away” from getting over the championship hump. The Heat likely have the package to land Damian Lillard and the remainder of his 176-million-dollar contract if Pat Riley and Co. so choose.
A potential package would likely include Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, plus multiple draft picks & swaps in a Lillard-centred trade. However, the Heat are unlikely to include Caleb Martin in any potential deal according to the latest rumblings.
Martin averaged 12.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 42.3% three-point shooting during the 2023 playoffs. Tyler Herro was injured in the first round and missed the rest of the Heat’s postseason run, while Duncan Robinson averaged just nine points on 44.2% three-point shooting in the 2023 playoffs.
With Gabe Vincent (Lakers) and Max Strus (Cavaliers) lost to free agency and a sign and trade deal, the Heat are clearing cap space, but could be walking a razor thin line if a deal for Lillard is ultimately completed in terms of depth. With Phoenix essentially setting the tone for the offseason with a Big 4 which they’ll be forced to ride hard all season long, it wouldn’t be altogether shocking to see Miami take a similar approach in the wide open Eastern Conference.
Framework Of A Potential Deal
For Portland General Manager Joe Cronin, a trade involving Damian Lillard would only move forward if a star player is involved. And in the eyes of many, Tyler Herro is only a rotational player at best. So is Robinson. It’s a non-starter for the Heat to break up the Jimmy Butler-Bam Adebayo duo in order to acquire Damian Lillard, so the two sides may need to get creative to get a deal across the finish line. For his part, Butler is keen on bringing Lillard to South Beach, with numerous social media breadcrumbs since the postseason ended.
With that in mind, both franchises will need to look for a third team to send Herro or Robinson to. Sources also believe the Blazers could also include Jusuf Nurkic in the deal. Nurkic averaged 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds last season.
However, the Heat would need to act quickly as other teams expressed interest in acquiring Lillard. With averages of 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 46.3% field goal shooting last season, the 32-year-old guard out of Weber State could help a championship contender- especially with his shooting abilities. The 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers have expressed their interest in adding another star to their line-up, though LA now appears to be pivoting to James Harden.
One way or another, the Lillard-Scoot Henderson backcourt duo in Portland could be over before it began, as Lillard indicated he didn’t want to play alongside teenagers. As great and as admired as Lillard is for his loyalty, he’s going to do what’s best for him and his career. Lillard is still one of the best guards in the NBA, and his pull-up threes remain one of the most dangerous weapons currently available via trade or free agency.
With Miami having come so close to winning it all yet again, one has to assume that they’ll be exploring all options when it comes to creating a big 3 of Butler-Lillard-Adebayo.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: nikk_la. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.