Damian Lillard trade rumors – An impossible situation?
DAMIAN LILLARD TRADE RUMORS – AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION? – It’s approaching the beginning of August, and Damian Lillard still has not been traded. With each day that goes by, there seems to be zero movement whatsoever on a trade, and the Miami Heat appear to be the one and only team even hoping to land Lillard.
At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this get dragged out into training camp, or, even worse, the 2023-2024 NBA season.
The Heat apparently don’t want to meet the Blazers asking price, and the Blazers don’t want to sell low on a superstar point guard. The nature of any compromise could also have a knock on effect on NBA outrights at DraftKings.
Damian Lillard Trade Rumors – Key Quotes
The intel has been discouraging on all accounts. Here’s what Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, said, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald:
“I do what I should for my client. Some teams I did call. Other teams have called me. It’s a respectful relationship with most teams. Truthfully, he wants to play in Miami. Period.”
If that isn’t telling enough, then what is?
Moreover, Blazers GM Joe Cronin admittedly expressed no rush whatsoever in a Lillard trade (h/t Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN).
“If it takes months, it takes months.”
So, what is the hold-up? Who knows, but Shams Charania of The Athletic spoke on what a possible trade package could look like.
- Nikola Jovic
- Kyle Lowry (or expiring contract)
- Multiple first-round picks
- Multiple first-round pick swaps
- Multiple second-round picks
Here’s more intel from Shams Charania about the ongoing Damian Lillard trade rumors
“Fulfilling his trade demand continues to be a stagnant process. It’s really up to the Blazers and Heat to engage in negotiations at this point. I’m told the sides have spoken but not about anything significant and that there is no real traction on any deal yet.”
An Unbreakable Impasse?
Of course, Heat sharpshooter Tyler Herro has been the most commonly discussed piece, and if he goes to a third team, ideally, that team will send a pick or two to Portland to make things balance out.
But, as of now, nothing has gained even the slightest bit of traction, and all of the NBA insiders are at an impasse waiting for something to happen.
Then, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports gave another update a few days ago that could potentially answer all of the questions everybody has. As Haynes mentions, Miami isn’t getting an answer on what exactly Portland wants, but Portland keeps insisting and telling Miami to make its best offer.
For the Heat, it’s simple: Put together a package and give it a shot. At this point, nobody is bidding against them. And if the Blazers don’t like it, they risk holding Lillard and having him enter training camp with even more frustration.
NBA free agency has dried up, and nothing has even remotely happened in the past week or so. All eyes are on the Blazers and Heat to dominate the airwaves with Damian Lillard trade rumors – although James Harden’s saga is another interesting situation.
But, at this point, it could be weeks or even months before Lillard gets traded. Nobody knows when, or if this will happen, but the storylines, rumors, and trade packages won’t stop circulating until there is even the slightest bit of clarity.
