It’s more than clear that Damian Lillard gave a lot of thought to his desire to leave the Portland Trail Blazers.
It took him more than a decade to finally make the decision to request a trade, and he thought about it so much that he even thought about his preferred destination.
Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause, meaning he doesn’t get to handpick his next team like Bradley Beal did, which is why he hasn’t been moved to the Miami Heat yet.
Lillard only wants to play for the Heat, and according to NBA analyst Sam Vecenie (via Dru), the Heat check all the boxes in regards to what Dame should be looking for as his new team.
“To me, Miami makes the most sense as an ending location. To do a Dame deal you have to be competing, willing to give up a number of assets, & be a genuine contender that can win a title in the next 2yrs. Miami ticks all of the boxes in ways that other teams don’t” – @Sam_Vecenie pic.twitter.com/I1AvlqZWEb
— Dru (@dru_star) July 27, 2023
The Heat have been unable to impress the Blazers with any of their first offers for the multi-time All-Star.
Nonetheless, in all honesty, it doesn’t seem like the Blazers will ever want to do him any favors and trade him to the team he asked to be traded to; it feels kind of personal at this time.
One could argue that Lilard has done more than enough for the team to accommodate his request.
On the other hand, this is a business, and the Blazers have every right to do what’s best for them and their future.
Whatever the case, chances are this will get uglier before it gets any better, and it doesn’t seem like this standoff will come to an end any time soon.
NEXT: Jimmy Butler Stars In Wholesome Moment With Young Fan