Damian Lillard is one of the best players in the NBA and a top-two point guard in the world when taking into account his elite scoring ability and clutch shot-making. Lillard is having himself another superstar season by averaging 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG on 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from three, and 91.4% from the free-throw line. Those numbers are indicative of an elite player, and Lillard did manage to earn some individual achievements, including making his 7th All-Star Team and winning his first 3-Point competition this season.
Those are solid achievements, especially considering that Dame will likely make an All-NBA Team selection at the end of the season as well. However, the point guard still won’t have a chance to win a title or even make the playoffs because he has been shut down for the rest of the year. Unlike other teams that are fighting for chances to boost up the rankings, the Portland Trail Blazers are packing it in and essentially calling it quits with a few weeks left in the season.
No doubt, Damian Lillard deserves better, and it could be time for him to leave. At the same time, the Portland Trail Blazers might be looking for a chance to get out from underneath Lillard to kickstart a complete rebuild and give the loyal star a chance to compete for a title and cement his legacy as an all-time great. There could be a couple of destinations that suit Lillard best, but one team that stands out is the Miami Heat, a team that top analysts include in the running for the superstar player.
The Miami Heat is considered somewhat of an underdog yet again this season yet it still generates respect for being a playoff-hungry side as they made the Finals in 2020 and also were one game away from the Finals in 2022. With Jimmy Butler leading the charge for the Heat culture, Lillard could be a realistic target for one of the best franchises in the league. In fact, there is only one way for Miami to acquire Portland, and it is time to discover what that entails.
Miami Heat Create A Superteam With Dame
The Miami Heat clearly need a third star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Heat have somewhat struggled all year long, and even if they are always a threat, nobody expects them to make the NBA Finals, and some might be clear in their stance that they won’t make it out of the first round. Kyle Lowry was brought in to be the team’s long-term starter at the point guard position, but that has not worked out over the past two seasons and must be used as a sacrifice in the trade for Damian Lillard. Speaking of sacrifice, this is what the trade package would look like.
Trade Package: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, 2023 First-Round Pick, 2026 First-Round Pick, 2028 First-Round Pick
Damian Lillard in Miami makes the Heat the best team in the Eastern Conference, slightly ahead of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics and Bucks are extremely talented, but Miami gets it done on both ends at the highest level. In terms of having a shot at making his first NBA Finals, Lillard fits perfectly in Miami. He can dominate the offense while Butler and Adebayo do all the dirty work to make sure the team stays focused and ready on defense. Lillard’s no-nonsense attitude and ability to come up big in crunch time also means the Heat have another weapon they can use in case Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro are not available.
Miami holds a 40-37 record in the East, and while over .500, the team is once again going through inconsistencies. It is far too difficult to play underdog all season long and still compete for a title, even if that has worked over the past few seasons. Instead of relying on their attitude and hard-nosed defense, they can actually become a superteam for the first time since 2014, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were at the forefront of the franchise. In terms of scoring and defense, no one can compete with Miami’s Big Three.
Portland Finally Rebuilds Instead Of Being Mediocre
Miami wins the trade by becoming a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, and many will look at Portland sideways with regard to how they are rebuilding their roster. Instead of paying Lillard over $45 million per season until 2025 and then paying $58,545,211 in 2026 and risking a $63,228,828 player option in 2027 for a 36-year-old point guard, they can clear cap space. Specifically, they can rebuild with young players, including 23-year-old Anfernee Simons, 19-year-old Shaedon Sharpe, and the two acquired pieces Jovic and Yurtseven. Jovic is 19 years old and is often compared to Nikola Jokic for obvious reasons, but he has the potential to be a factor. Omer Yurtseven is a 7-foot big from Turkey at only 24 years old, and maybe he can be given time to blossom as well.
Strus is 27 years old and is one of the most confident shooters in the NBA when considering purely role players. He has a quick release and a ton of confidence, meaning he is always capable of making outside shots at any point. He is not having his best season this year, averaging 34.3% from deep, but he can be packaged by Portland for other pieces once the deal for Lillard gets done. Of course, the three first-round picks would be a massive haul for a rebuilding side. Portland can start losing games and acquiring more picks while rebuilding around youngsters, including Simons, Sharpe, and Jovic, while clearing cap space with Lowry off the books at the end of 2024.
The Trail Blazers probably do not want to keep paying extreme money for a player who will keep them in the middle of the pack instead of competing or rebuilding. Lillard has been one of the franchise’s most incredible players in history, but he can’t win a title alone. Remaining in the middle of the pack is the worst position to be in, which is why the reports coming out about Lillard’s likely departure is expected and reasonable at this moment in time.
A Contender Is Formed And Lillard Gets His Time To Shine
Damian Lillard might be a top-10 player in the world because he keeps getting better every year in terms of finding ways to score the ball. Despite posting spectacular numbers across the board, especially offensively, Portland is not finding playoff success despite Lillard’s brilliance, as they will completely miss the postseason. This could be the final season where Lillard stays quiet because it is obvious the superstar point guard will not waste his remaining prime years on first-round exits. Lillard is 32 years old, making this season a critical point in his future Hall of Fame career.
Dame deserves his time to succeed in a big market surrounded by other star players. The superstar point guard has not played with other superstar players, with LaMarcus Aldridge and CJ McCollum being the top players he has played with so far in his career. The point guard’s stint alongside Aldridge came when the guard was in the first few seasons of his career, and McCollum has not made an All-Star Team. Lillard did have Carmelo Anthony, but the forward was 35 years old and fresh off being fired from the Houston Rockets when he was in Portland. Finally, Dame has a legitimate chance to win a ring thanks to the presence of three star players: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro.
Miami would be the force in the East for at least three or four more years because Butler will be at a high level until the age of 37, at least with the way he works hard in practice. Adebayo is only 25 years old and has just made his second All-Star Team this season, and Herro is 23 years old and getting better. With this much talent around him, along with a future Hall of Fame coach in Erik Spoelstra, he has everything to succeed and possibly even place himself in the forefront for the Finals MVP award.
At the same time, Portland can completely rebuild with Jovic and three first-rounders while getting Lowry and Strus off the books via trade or contract expiration. The Trail Blazers franchise had two very talented teams in NBA history, with the Bill Walton-led squad that won the 1976-77 Finals and the Clyde Drexler squad that made the Finals in 1992 but ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Trail Blazers realize those teams had incredible players and leaders in the squad, and Lillard can’t do it alone. This deal to send Lillard to Miami makes perfect sense for both sides because it makes the Heat a superteam and gives Lillard a chance to win despite the Trail Blazers rebuilding.
