Why Heat Needs Third Team to Complete Damian Lillard Trade with Blazers
The NBA is expecting the Portland Trail Blazers to trade Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat sometime this offseason, but it isn’t that simple.
Even though Lillard’s preference is to be traded to the Heat, the Blazers don’t have an obligation to trade him there simply because that’s where he wants to go. Even though Portland wants to respect Dame’s wishes, the front office won’t do so at the expense of its own health as a team.
In any trade, the Heat will likely part with Tyler Herro, a guard making north of $100 million. However, with Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe on the roster, Herro doesn’t have a defined role in Portland.
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Herro is the reason why the Blazers would need a third team to trade with and that Portland “isn’t impressed” with what Miami has to offer.
There are more teams than just the Heat interested in trading for Lillard, and if Portland finds an offer that it likes, the trigger may be pulled, even if it isn’t what Dame wants. It’s possible that teams like the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers or Philadelphia 76ers may have better packages to offer for Lillard, and nothing is stopping the Blazers from accepting those trades.
With Lillard under contract for four years, the Blazers want “maximum value” for Lillard, and if the Heat isn’t willing to pay up, Miami is going to need another team to help pay the price.
Source: Blazer's Edge
