Kofi Inkoom
Almost 3 months have passed since Damian Lillard, the star point guard of the Portland Trail Blazers, expressed his desire to be traded to the Miami Heat.
Despite this, he remains with his current team. As training camp draws near and other potential trade partners emerge for Damian Lillard, a recent report suggests that a trade to Miami is becoming increasingly unlikely.
“One league source who spoke to Portland’s front office last week was told by the Trail Blazers that a trade that sends Lillard to the Heat is ‘unlikely,’”
“But those involved understand what may seem like the state of negotiations one day might be completely different the next day. All it takes is one phone call between the Heat and Trail Blazers to re-ignite trade talks.” Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald wrote.
Damian Lillard, a seven-time NBA All-Star, was drafted as the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft after playing college basketball at Weber State for four seasons. Throughout his college career, he consistently averaged over 11 points and two assists per game.
His standout college season was during his senior year, the 2011-12 season, where he averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 32 appearances for the Wildcats.
Over his 11-year NBA career, all with the Trail Blazers, the 33-year-old point guard had his best regular season in 2022-23.
He achieved career-high averages of 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while maintaining impressive shooting percentages of 46.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.
These outstanding stats earned him his seventh All-Star selection and a place on the All-NBA Third Team.
Despite Lillard’s remarkable performance, the Trail Blazers missed the playoffs, finishing with a subpar 33-49 record, placing them below only the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference.
This latest development suggests that Portland may consider trading Lillard to a destination other than Miami, leaving the future uncertain. It remains to be seen when and where the seven-time All-Star will be dealt.
With the Miami Heat’s chances of acquiring Lillard diminishing, attention may shift to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis is seeking a team with championship aspirations, and the Miami Heat is an example of such a team.
The Miami Heat reached the Eastern Conference finals in an exciting Game 7 against the Boston Celtics during the 2022-23 season but ultimately lost to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
If they manage to acquire Giannis, the Heat could potentially make it to the finals for the second season in a row and contend for a championship.