According to various sources, the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers may trade Damian Lillard to a number of teams.
The Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers haven’t talked much about trading for Damian Lillard for several months, but this week it seems like things have changed.
The Blazers have reportedly started looking for potential trade packages around the league in exchange for Lillard, the seven-time All-Star who wanted a move to Miami on July 1. Multiple teams might be involved in those frameworks.
There are currently “discussions for a deal involving trading Damian Lillard before camp begins October 2,” sources informed Portland sports radio host Danny Marang.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald noted in a tweet, “The Blazers are now taking Lillard conversations seriously after going weeks without speaking to the Heat. Heat has waited patiently since they are aware that acquiring Lillard would provide them a clear path to advancement.
One of the changes might be the participation of several clubs in a deal. The Heat may be willing to trade Damian Lillard for Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, and several first-round picks, but the Blazers have made it clear that they want more in exchange.
Another theory holds that Portland would prefer not to acquire a second guard in a deal for Lillard. The Blazers don’t really need to add Herro to an extremely packed backcourt that already features Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe because they selected Henderson with the third overall pick.
Even though it would be more difficult, involving many clubs in the trade might help the Blazers find the kind of assets they’re after. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports reports that teams including the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Phoenix Suns have talked about taking part in a transaction.
Deandre Ayton might be involved if Phoenix plays. Ayton’s willingness to accept a lower position on a team with stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the recently acquired Bradley Beal, as well as his capacity to serve as the defensive anchor for new coach Frank Vogel, may raise questions in Phoenix. For months, the Suns reportedly considered dealing the 25-year-old center.
Since Ayton may provide the Blazers with a long-term frontcourt solution to complement their developing guards, they seem like a logical landing destination.
It had always made sense to trade Lillard by the start of training camp. The sense of urgency had been anticipated to increase as the season’s start approached, even though Portland is not required to move Lillard by then.
