Adrian Wojnarowski appeared on ESPN this week and offered the latest Damian Lillard trade update that he was aware of.
Earlier in the offseason, Lillard finally demanded that the Portland Trail Blazers move him. The decision wasn’t entirely unexpected, though the terms which he attempted to dictate seemed to have caught the team’s front office off guard.
Essentially, Lillard made it clear he wouldn’t play for anyone other than the Miami Heat. He even tried to offer his rationale for why that was the only team he would play for. That obviously gave Miami a lot of leverage in negotiations, which didn’t sit well with the Blazers.
According to Wojnarowski, the Heat are currently in the process of calling Portland’s bluff.
“[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.”
— @wojespn
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/coooYrR4l5
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
“[The Heat want] Damian Lillard,” he said.
“They just want him for as little as they’re going to have to give up… They’re essentially daring [the Blazers] to go out into the marketplace. Which Portland is doing.”
Obviously the risk here is that Portland really will get a better offer, ignore Lillard’s preferred trade locale and accept a different squad’s proposal.
There is currently at least one dark horse suitor waiting in the wings, but likely more that people simply aren’t aware of.
Lillard, for his part, seems intent on making nice with the Blazers at the moment. Whether that is because he doesn’t want to be shipped off to a non-Miami destination or because he is anticipating having to attend training camp is unclear.
That said, during a recent podcast appearance, Lillard made it a point to say there was no ill-will between him and the organization for their decision to draft Scoot Henderson.
“That wasn’t a dealbreaker for me at all. I respect his game. I think in that position, he was the best player available… I wasn’t offended at all.”
Damian Lillard on if the Blazers drafting Scoot Henderson was a dealbreaker.pic.twitter.com/A3EikEmczC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
“That wasn’t a dealbreaker for me at all,” Lillard said.
“I respect his game. I think in that position, he was the best player available… I wasn’t offended at all.”
It will be interesting to see how this whole situation ultimately turns out.
Kay Adams 👀👀https://t.co/InCDok7uFK
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 20, 2023
Generally speaking, in the NBA, stars get what they want.
And if Lillard wants to play in Miami, the smart money is still on him being granted that wish.
Nevertheless, the Heat are currently playing hardball with the Blazers. Will that ultimately cost them Lillard when it’s all said and done? Time will tell.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
