Getty Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers dribbles with the ball against Jae Crowder #99 of the Miami Heat in the first quarter during their game at Moda Center
The Miami Heat weren’t able to land another star player this offseason despite it being well-known they wanted another piece to team up and take the pressure off of Jimmy Butler. The Heat were linked early with potentially pursuing Bradley Beal, he re-signed in Washington. They also were in the Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes, but to no avail. The team is moving forward and running it back with a similar roster as last season, minus PJ Tucker at the power forward position after he left to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
While the Heat weren’t able to get a deal done this offseason, don’t count them out for moves in the future. However, currently, Tyler Herro, who was one of the pieces offered in most deals this offseason, just signed an extension and isn’t able to be dealt until the end of the season. Recent re-signings with tradeable contracts like Caleb Martin and Dewayne Dedmon are also untradeable until the winter. But that hasn’t kept the Heat out of conversations for another star. Recently a former player named South Beach a top city for Portland Trailblazer star Damian Lillard.
Damian Lillard to South Beach?
In the recent episode of the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the show was talking about Damian Lillard with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, when Jackson weighed in suggesting that Lillard should leave Portland for Miami.
“Dame needs to go to Miami,” Jackson said. “… Kyle Lowry and all them — bring Dame over there. Herro ain’t play well. He ain’t finish up last year. You can get rid of Kyle, and you can add other shooting if you want to. Matter of fact, we’ll throw a fourth one in there for Dame if that’s the case.”
Jackson suggests that the Heat could move on from Herro and Kyle Lowry and send them in a trade with the Blazers. Again, Herro can’t be traded for a season after his recent contract extension, but perhaps that could be a move down the line. Lillard has touted his loyalty as a reason to stay in Portland despite them not having a great team around him at the moment. Maybe another year of underachieving in the Pacific North West will be the final push to move Lillard onto a contending team.
Damian Lillard on Staying in Portland
Last season, the Blazers traded CJ McCollum at the NBA trade deadline and it is evident that the team is gearing up for a rebuild, but Damian Lillard has remained consistent in staying in Portland and building something special.
“I’m loyal to what I believe,” Lillard told Complex Sports in February. “I do love living in Portland. I do love playing for the Trail Blazers. But I’ve built this. I’ve been part of this for 10 years. I’ve been part of the change here and us being a successful franchise. I know what means something to me in my heart. And that’s winning a championship here.”