The Damian Lillard trade situation has been the main subject of focus throughout the NBA community this offseason. To the few who still might be unaware of what is going on, the Blazers star has finally requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers after having shown unwavering loyalty to the franchise for more than a decade.
To make matters complex, Lillard has requested to be traded to only one particular team, the Miami Heat. As we all know, Jimmy Butler and the Heat have been consistent contenders in the Eastern Conference. However, they appear to lack the offensive firepower required to beat more talented teams consistently in the postseason.
Lillard would certainly help them in this regard. However, it is unclear how this trade could go down since the Heat doesn’t have much to offer the Blazers in return for Lillard. On that very subject, a recent report indicates how this could potentially go down.
Although all of this is just a hypothesis at the moment, we should still want to know all the outcomes that could arise in this potential trade. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
Can Jaime Jaquez Jr. help the Miami Heat acquire Damian Lillard?
While this might seem borderline ridiculous to some NBA fans, it is quite possible that Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez makes a difference in his team’s pursuit of Damian Lillard. To the fans who are unaware, Jaime was selected with the 18th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Heat. He displayed flashes of talent and impressive ability during the NBA Summer League.
Jaime was clearly looking forward to helping the Heat get over the hump and win a title. However, he now finds himself involved in trade rumors. This is quite unexpected considering that he is yet to play a single minute of NBA basketball. According to the latest reports by NBA Insider Tim Reynolds, Jaime is more than likely to be involved in this deal.
“Jaime Jaquez is eligible to be traded Aug.1st. I have to wonder if that’s part of the holdup. When more assets become available for trade. I think it’s gonna happen before we all leave for the Philippines.”
“Jaime Jaquez is eligible to be traded Aug.1st. I have to wonder if that’s part of the holdup. When more assets become available for trade. I think it’s gonna happen before we all leave for the Philippines [for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 beginning Aug.25]” @ByTimReynolds pic.twitter.com/v1xpRuIEig
— Dru (@dru_star) July 23, 2023
It must be quite disheartening and confusing for a young rookie to already be involved in trade talks. We hope that Jaime is able to establish himself as a solid player in the near future.