Although the NBA season is just about a month away, a major potential move remains up in the air as Damian Lillard is still on the Blazers despite requesting a trade. The point guard prefers to play for the Heat, but Miami and Portland haven’t been able to find common ground on a deal.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that, while the Heat are the biggest suitor for Lillard, Miami doesn’t want to give up more than necessary even though Portland isn’t satisfied with the offer.
“They want Damian Lillard, they just want him for as little as they’re going to have to give up and they’re essentially daring Portland to go out into the marketplace, which Portland is doing, and see if they could find better,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN.
"[Miami Heat wants] Damian Lillard. They just want him for as little as they're going to have to give up... They're essentially daring [the Trail Blazers] to go out into the marketplace— which Portland is doing."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
— @wojespn
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/coooYrR4l5
One of the biggest disagreements between the two teams appears to be the perception of guard Tyler Herro, as Miami thinks he is good enough to be the centerpiece of a deal while Portland seems to want more. The Blazers reportedly also want Miami to include Caleb Martin in a deal, which the Heat are hesitant to do.
So far, however, Portland has not found a team willing to offer more than Miami for the veteran guard. If Lillard is still a Blazer by the start of the preseason, the point guard is expected to report to training camp despite the trade request.
