Damian Lillard reportedly wants to be traded to the Miami Heat. Here is what the Portland Trail Blazers are seeking in a potential trade for their star.
Trading away a franchise superstar is an unenviable situation for any team, regardless of sport. The Portland Trail Blazers, despite their initial desire to build a team around Damian Lillard, were informed by the start that he wanted a trade elsewhere. With that, the Trail Blazers are looking for the best return package possible. The issue is, Lillard has expressed a desire to only play for the Miami Heat.
So, what exactly are the Trail Blazers looking for in return for Lillard?
According to The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress, the Trail Blazers are seeking "in the neighborhood" of four first-round picks and "two quality players."
Trail Blazers reportedly seeking four first-round picks and two 'quality' players for Damian Lillard
That would be quite the haul for the Trail Blazers. It's understandable why they would seek such a return, as they are giving up one of their franchise's best players and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
Regarding the Heat, various reports have indicated that the Trail Blazers would not like Tyler Herro in return, and instead look to flip him to a third team.
Earlier this week, ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Lillard's agent Aaron Goodwin has been warning teams not named the Heat about trading for his client. Specifically, Goodwin told those teams they would be trading "for an unhappy player."
This came after a report from Wojnarowski that Portland was "open for business everywhere in the league," and they would not exclusively cooperate with the Heat.
In Fentress' article linked above, Goodwin confirmed that report, saying, "It's not fair to a team to allow them to engage in a negotiation that could be futile in the end."
With the 2023-24 regular season not starting until October, the NBA world will wait with bated breath to see if the Heat will ultimately acquire Lillard.
