With less than a month until the start of NBA training camp, Damian Lillard remains a member of the Trail Blazers. According to various reports throughout the summer, the star point guard only has eyes for the Heat after requesting a trade from Portland, a fact that hurts the team’s leverage in trade talks with Miami.
While there are a number of teams that a deal for Lillard could arguably push over the top as NBA Finals contenders, it is a huge risk for a team to make a deal for him if he doesn’t want to play there. On Monday, NBA insider Shams Charania said that the crux of the issue is Lillard’s massive contract, for which he is owed $216 million over the next four years. He’ll hit free agency in 2027 at the age of 37.
“Him joining their program and wanting a trade immediately is incredibly unideal,” Charania said on the Bally Sports show The Rally.
