After expressing his desire to leave the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard has been vocal about his preferred destination. Despite receiving inquiries from numerous teams, the All-Star point guard has solely expressed interest in joining the Miami Heat.


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Throughout the process, it was widely believed that the Miami Heat were the primary contenders to acquire Damian Lillard. However, reaching an agreement might not be as straightforward as anticipated. Recent reports by Aaron J. Fentress indicate that the Portland Trail Blazers have been unimpressed with the trade proposals from the Heat. Furthermore, they have explicitly stated that they are not willing to include Tyler Herro in any potential deal.

Despite this, Heat remains in pole position as they are not only the preferred destination of Lillard but at the moment also seem to be the only team in the NBA that will make this deal happen. The Blazers have offered Lillard to every other team but so far only Heat seem interested in making a deal happen.

Miami Heat Lacking Good Options If Deal Falls Through

Following the conclusion of the draft, the Miami Heat find themselves with limited opportunities to enhance their roster. While there are still intriguing players available, none possess the calibre of Damian Lillard. In the event that their pursuit of the Portland Trail Blazers star does not materialize, the Heat could shift their focus to another prominent player seeking a trade. 

As the Saturday deadline looms, the Miami Heat are ensuring the final season of forward Haywood Highsmith's three-year contract for the 2023-2024 season, which comes with a salary of $1.9 million.

Also Read: Damian Lillard comes up with another cryptic tweet after reports of trade request

This agreement brings the total number of players under guaranteed contracts for the Heat to 12: Bam Adebayo, Thomas Bryant, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Jamie Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Josh Richardson, and Robinson.