Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers and wants to get traded to the Miami Heat. Not only is Bam Adebayo very close friends with Lillard, but Jimmy Butler also wants the Heat to acquire Dame, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
The Heat, led by Pat Riley, have been waiting for Lillard to request a trade. They believe they will acquire the future Hall of Famer soon.
“Miami has been waiting for this domino to fall and will quickly engage with Portland in trying to get a deal done, sources say,” Haynes wrote. “Heat star Jimmy Butler has relayed to the team that Lillard is his No. 1 target, sources say.”
Lillard was upset that the Blazers didn’t trade the third overall pick in the 2023 draft for a star player. Miami didn’t aggressively pursue a trade for Bradley Beal — who was traded by the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns — because Riley wanted to save his assets for Lillard.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Blazers drafted Scoot Henderson, who plays the same position as Lillard, with the third pick in this year’s draft.
A seven-time All-Star, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists this past season while shooting 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc and 91.4% from the free-throw line. The Heat, who have reached two NBA Finals since Butler came to South Beach in 2019, believe they can win it all next season with Lillard in the fold next to Butler and Adebayo.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Lillard has career averages of 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He’s one of the greatest players in NBA history and could win a championship with the Heat next season if the Blazers trade him to South Beach. Miami lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Finals in five games.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
