Kofi Inkoom
The ongoing pursuit of Damian Lillard in the trade market continues to captivate attention, with each passing day adding fresh intrigue.
A Suns correspondent asserted yesterday that Dame’s departure was imminent within the next 24 hours, though that prediction failed to materialize.
To compound matters, Blazers reporter Eric Brandt chimed in, emphatically asserting that Damian Lillard was destined for the Miami Heat.
Nonetheless, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the dynamics in the competition to secure the services of the esteemed future Hall of Famer may have undergone a transformation.
In the Friday afternoon edition of “NBA Today,” Wojnarowski hinted that while a trade for Lillard isn’t on the brink of completion, the talks surrounding it have heated up considerably. Notably, these discussions exclude Miami, the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
“Those talks have intensified this week with Damian Lillard, but still, there’s no trade imminent,” Wojnarowski said. “We talked about this all summer. Things would pick up once we got past Labor Day and the opening of training camp loomed.”
Adrian Wojnarowski on potential Dame Lillard trade.
“Those talks have intensified this week with Damian Lillard, but still there’s no trade imminent… So far, the one element that has not been a part of these talks are the Miami Heat.”
(via @wojespn) pic.twitter.com/agwkLUH7df
— Digits Hoops (@Digits3Hoops) September 22, 2023
The commencement of training camp is slated for all 30 teams in the league by October 3rd.
“You have Portland talking to not only teams who are interested in Lillard, but lots of teams that would want to get in on a bigger deal,” Wojnarowski said. “Portland is exhausting all those conversations this week, and they’re certainly behaving like a team that wants to get a deal done. … But so far, the one element that has not been a part of these talks [are] the Miami Heat.”
Wojnarowski also emphasized that discussions regarding Lillard remain dynamic and subject to change at any moment.
Adding a new layer of complexity to the trade talks, another NBA insider, Chris Haynes, suggests that the Portland Trail Blazers are declining to engage in discussions with the Miami Heat. This development further complicates the entire trade situation.
“Portland is refusing to talk to Miami. Miami understands that they don’t have the assets. But they wanna know, ‘Hey Portland, we’ll involve a 3rd or 4th team. But communicate w/ us & let us know what you are looking for.'”
Chris Hayes on Damian Lillardpic.twitter.com/Ey1mexJhwE
— NBArepublic.com (@nba_republic) September 22, 2023
Damian Lillard, 33, has dedicated his entire 11-year professional journey to the Portland team.
In the 2022-23 season, he achieved the distinction of being named to the All-NBA third team, boasting a career-best average of 32.2 points per game.
Presently, Damian Lillard is available on the market, and the Blazers may be inclined to trade him to any organization that offers superior assets for his services.
However, it’s worth noting that Lillard has made his preference clear, expressing a strong desire to be traded exclusively to the Miami Heat.