The Miami Heat are “pretty close” to offering what the Portland Trail Blazers want in a Damian Lillard trade, according to NBA insider Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Lillard didn’t request a trade from the Blazers. He actually “demanded” a trade to the Heat, per Fentress.
“If the Blazers can come out of this with four first-round picks, at least one or two young talents and then salary-filler, that should get it done,” Fentress said on the Blazer Focused Podcast. “I’m told that right now, Miami has three firsts, Tyler Herro, filler and maybe a young player already.
“The question is finding that fourth first-round pick. And if you don’t want Herro, you just have to find someone to take Herro and give you another first-round pick. Then you’re at four firsts and at least one young player and salary filler, maybe even two young players. I’m told it’s pretty close. They just have to figure out. They hadn’t really spent much time working it out over the last couple of days.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Miami Heat Updates
Lillard remains pained over asking out of Portland. However, he realizes that the Heat give him the best chance of winning a title. Miami is the only team Lillard wants to get traded to. The Blazers have not been impressed by the Heat’s trade package for Lillard thus far, but things could change quickly. It appears a third team will need to get involved for Lillard to land in Miami next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season for the Blazers. The Heat, who have reached two NBA Finals since Butler came to Miami in 2019, believe they can win it all next season with Lillard in the fold next to Butler and Adebayo.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Miami Heat Updates
The Heat are 0-2 in the NBA Finals in the Butler-Adebayo era, which started in 2019-20. The team is missing a scorer and playmaker like Lillard, who has career averages of 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Butler told Pat Riley that he wants Lillard on the Heat, so now it’s up to Riley to get a deal done.
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