NBA sharpshooter Damian Lillard has been described as the perfect fit for the Miami Heat, who have long searched for an elite-level floor general. As luck would have it, the Heat are currently the only name on Dame’s preferred destinations list, and it seems like only a matter of time before they finally land the future Hall of Fame guard.
But once they officially land Lillard, how high will their ceiling be? If you ask Celtics legend, Paul Pierce, it’s the first round.
“They won’t make it out of the first round. You got to understand how they got to the championship this year. A lot of this had to do with their depth and guys playing way above their pay grade. Gabe, Martin, these guys were averaging 20 points on Boston, we ain’t never seen them do that. Then you have Duncan Robinson. If you get Dame, they’re gone… you gonna have to gut that team. They lost Vincent, Strus… if you just add Dame, they won’t make it out of the first round with no depth.”
Paul Pierce on Damian Lillard potentially joining the Heat: "They won't make it out of the first round."
Me and Tracy McGrady: 👀
Let's just say a lively discussion ensued ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/oM7gESwZsD
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 13, 2023
That’s a scorching hot take from Pierce, but he is a notorious Heat hater, so it makes sense why he’d have that chance. Throwing bias aside, however, he does make some good points. In any trade for Lillard, the Heat are going to have to sacrifice depth, and they’ve already lost several key role-players from their run to the Finals in June.
Damian Lillard Aims To Tap Into Heat Culture
From a basketball standpoint, a trio of Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo sounds ideal, and the whole thing gets better when you add in Erik Spoelstra. Of course, the big thing for the Heat is also their notorious locker room culture, which is part of the reason why Dame requested to be traded there in the first place.
“Source said Lillard wants Miami because he loves the city; has great respect for Jimmy and Heat and is good friends with Bam,” said NBA insider Barry Jackson. “And chance to win. Portland hasn’t specifically told him yet that it will agree to try to trade him to Miami, but I would be surprised if they don’t accommodate.”
With Lillard, the Heat would have everything they need to go out and win a championship, but the NBA isn’t always that easy. In a league where anything can happen, there are no guarantees, and Dame will not be promised a title when he inevitably jumps ship to South Beach.
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