Superstar Damian Lillard has requested a trade, and it is no secret that he wants to join the Miami Heat. However, the Portland Trail Blazers are holding out for the best possible package, and it seems as though the Heat will have to part with a lot of assets to get him.
Recently, Miami Heat inside Greg Sylvander predicted that the Miami Heat will have to give up a huge trade package for Damian Lillard, one that will include Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and a huge amount of draft compensation.
Miami Heat Receive: Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, Four First-Round Picks, Three First-Round Pick Swaps
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There is no doubt that this is a lot to give up for Damian Lillard, but that is the cost of adding a top-tier point guard to one’s roster. We will see whether the Miami Heat will end up giving up all that, but they desperately need a big move to truly be a championship team.
Damian Lillard had an elite season with the Portland Trail Blazers last season, averaging 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG and making the All-NBA third team. He can be a difference-maker for the Miami Heat, and we’ll see if he ends up there via trade in the future.
Damian Lillard Trade Saga Could Drag On
The Portland Trail Blazers have no incentive to simply give up Damian Lillard, given that the guard is on a long-term deal. In fact, Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the Damian Lillard saga could drag on.
“It could take months, it could take weeks,” said Wojnarowski. “I think there is an absence of a real deadline lurking on a Damian Lillard trade. There’s no trade deadline coming, there’s no NBA draft. There’s no July 1 free agency about to start. All those marks in the NBA calendar gives teams motivation and parameters to get big deals done. The next deadline for any of these teams is the start of training camp in late September. And so I think for the Portland Trail Blazers, they don’t want to rush into what they consider to be a bad deal. The Miami Heat, the team that is most motivated to try and trade for Damian Lillard, where he wants to end up, they don’t want to be in a situation where they are bidding against themselves.”
It remains to be seen if and when the Portland Trail Blazers will move Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat. As of right now, it seems as if it is only a matter of time, and it is fair to say that trades of this magnitude aren’t done in a day.