- Multiple teams have now seemingly entered the Damian Lillard sweepstakes
- The Heat reportedly are not desperate to land the Lillard
- Miami believes they can win the Eastern Conference without the star guard
The Miami Heat would like to have Damian Lillard among their ranks, but they think they can win the Eastern Conference without him. With the Heat suddenly facing a lot of competition in the Lillard sweepstakes, a report states they aren’t desperate to acquire him.
“The Miami Heat believe they could win the East with their current roster and will not act ‘desperate’ for Damian Lillard, per
Ethan J. Skolnick.”
The Miami Heat believe they could win the East with their current roster and will not act ‘desperate’ for Damian Lillard, per @EthanJSkolnick
(Via @5ReasonsSports ) pic.twitter.com/oNteVxBU4U
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 25, 2023
It would appear the Heat aren’t interested in getting into some sort of bidding war, which might soon be commencing, as the Milwaukee Bucks are considering pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with Lillard. The Toronto Raptors have also emerged as a strong candidate to land Lillard.
You’d assume the Heat now would have to part with more than what they’d ideally like for him, but they don’t seem to be desperate enough to do it.
Can The Heat Win Without Damian Lillard?
The Heat are the defending Eastern Conference champions, and they accomplished that without Lillard. So, they have every right to feel they can still do it without the 33-year-old, but the goal is not to win the East.
The Heat and team president Pat Riley are all about winning championships. Getting to the NBA Finals is great, but for a franchise like the Heat, it isn’t good enough. It was clear when they got to the Finals this year and in 2020, that they needed more offensive firepower to get over the line, and Lillard gives them just that.
Winning the East itself might be even harder this season too. After Giannis hinted at a potential breakup with the Bucks, they might decide to make a big move to go all in, in a bid to convince him to stay. The Boston Celtics are also going to pose a different kind of challenge than in years past, after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis.
After what happened this past season, only a fool would completely write off the Heat, but I certainly wouldn’t love their chances of getting back to the Finals without Lillard. Jimmy Butler is great and Bam Adebayo is one of the better big men in the league, but they need more.
The Heat Were Daring The Trail Blazers To Find A Better Offer
From the moment this saga started, the Trail Blazers made it clear they were going to wait to get the best offer. The Heat, it appears, believed a better deal than the one they were offering, wasn’t going to come.
Adrian Wojnarowski stated that the Heat were daring the Trail Blazers to find a better offer for Lillard. With the star guard insisting on going to Miami, teams were hesitant to give up a whole lot for him, and it seems the Heat were gambling on things staying the same.
If the recent reports are to be believed, that gamble seems to have backfired. A player like Lillard, who averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game last season, doesn’t become available all that often.
Teams might just have gotten desperate enough to take the plunge, considering his talent. The hope would be that Lillard being the professional that he is, will play for them if they are in a position to contend for a title, which is the situation he ultimately wants to be in.
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