One of the biggest talking points throughout this long NBA offseason has been Damian Lillard and his potential trade to the Miami Heat. To the few fans who might be unaware, the Portland Trail Blazers star finally requested a trade from his team after having spent more than a decade with them.
Furthermore, he made his interests clear in joining no other team but the Miami Heat. That would certainly be an ideal fit for Lillard and give him a good chance at winning an NBA title. That is something that he has been unable to do with the Blazers for several years now.
Recent reports by senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski seem to indicate that a deal is far from being made. Let us take a closer look and find out what he has to say about this extended saga.
The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly uninterested in trading Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat
At the end of the day, there’s no other way to say it. Although Lillard has done a lot for his team, demanding a trade to a team that doesn’t have a lot to offer in return is essentially hurting the Blazers. Initially, many people assumed that this trade would come to fruition quickly. However, Woj seemed to differ when discussing the situation.
“I don’t think there’s any active trade talks in the NBA right now, Certainly not active for Dame Lillard. And I don’t think there’s anything active for James Harden.”
Both Harden and Lillard are in very different situations. This would be the 5th team Harden joined if he were traded away from the 76ers. On the other hand, Lillard has spent his entire career so far with the Blazers.
There have also been multiple reports indicating that the Blazers are stalling and buying time. If they get started next season well with the pairing of Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe. We are yet to see what those rookies look like when on the court with Lillard.
In any case, there are still a few months left for the NBA season to begin. Since Lillard recently signed a contract extension that keeps him locked in until the 2026-2027 season, there really isn’t much he can do in this situation. Unless of course, he pulls a ‘James Harden’ and shows up to training camp out of shape and clearly not interested in being there.
The Blazers will ultimately have the final say on where Lillard lands. They might not cater to his desires if he appears unmotivated. We look forward to seeing how this situation unfolds.