Damian Lillard’s talks between Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat are now at a ‘standstill’ but is expected to pick up again later this month.
Well, talks about Lillard’s trade after he requested a trade from the Blazers on July 1, and yet six weeks later today, there still hasn’t been any update.
“I don’t think there’s any active trade talks in the NBA right now,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast on Monday. “Certainly not active for Dame Lillard. And I don’t think there’s anything active for James Harden.”
Damian had made his intentions clear at the start of the 2023 NBA off-season that he wanted to force a move away from Oregon to South Beach to join Miami Heat.
Well, the success of this deal might also be the Heat’s ticket to winning the championship that has been evaded away from them in recent seasons.
Since 2020, the Heat have come out of the victorious in the Eastern Conference, making the NBA Finals twice but are still away from a championship ring.
As per Statmuse, Lillard enjoyed arguably his career-best season last year, averaging 32.2 points on 46.3% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the line, as well as 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Miami Heat are seemingly only prepared to offer the Trail Blazers a multi-team package that sends three-to-four first-round picks and assets, such as expiring contracts and young players to the Blazers, while also sending Tyler Herro to a third-team.
The Trail Blazers are unenthused by the Heat’s proposed offer, according to Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the Blazers are “disinterested” in trading the 33-year-old to South Beach and are still yet to engage in serious negotiations with Miami.
With the numbers that Lillard has put up consistently since he has been in the league, he is no doubt wasting his time on a team that is not even close to being in playoff contention, and with his championship window winding down, he would be seen continuing to do everything in his power to force a move towards a championship-caliber team.
Lillard could have become a free agent in the summer of 2024, but last year he signed a two-year contract extension through to the 25–26 season with a player option for 26–27.
However, it appears that Lillard has made up his mind this time around, and both the parties must find an amicable resolution to this trade saga.
