Damian Lillard requested a trade after months -- well, years -- of speculation wondering when, or if, he'll actually want out of Portland. It all came to a head on July 1, the first full day of free agency, but that was just the first step in this process that could potentially drag out for months.
Lillard has made his intentions clear: after over a decade of loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers, which reached its playoff peak when the team made it as far as the Western Conference finals in 2019, he wants a real chance at competing for a championship and Portland isn't the place to do that anymore. The All-Star guard, who'll be 33 when next season starts, has listed his preferred destination, the Miami Heat, unsurprising given the public flirting he's been doing with the team in recent weeks. But while Lillard may want to take his talents to South Beach, that doesn't mean he'll end up there.
The Trail Blazers intend on getting the best offer, regardless of Lillard's wishes, something that could force a standoff between he and the franchise, per the Miami Herald. Lillard doesn't have a no-trade clause, so he can't exactly veto any trade offer that the Blazers receive, and despite the possibility that he could end up somewhere else, the All-Star guard has remained "resolute" in his desire to play for the Heat.
Though this could drag out for some time, when a star player requests a trade they usually get the destination they want, even if it means waiting for several months. If the Blazers are willing to play the waiting game, then it could give the Heat some time to put together an adequate trade package to land Lillard. Already there have been reports suggesting that this could turn into a multi-team deal, because Miami's potential package of Tyler Herro and some picks isn't enticing to Portland. The Brooklyn Nets have been a rumored third team that could take Herro in a deal in order for Miami to land Lillard, per SNY's Ian Begley, but expanding trades always gets trickier and takes more time to iron out the details.
The Heat have essentially said that anyone but Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are available in a potential deal to land Lillard, but they'll likely need some help from a third team to get this trade done. If the Nets are that third team to aid the Heat in this deal, they reportedly want to receive draft compensation for taking on the remaining three years and $93 million owed to the guard, per Begley.
Miami wants to get a deal done quickly, but if Lillard wants his wish granted by Portland then the Heat will need to hope another team around the league can offer what the Trail Blazers want in return for a seven-time All-Star.
