- Miami Heat will not increase offer until trade talks progress
- Damian Lillard not expected to expand his list of teams
- Blazers and Heat are at a stalemate
It’s been nearly a month since Damian Lillard’s trade request, and the Blazers are no closer to trading him now than they were when it first started.
According to most sources, the Heat have already made an offer for Lillard, but their package so far hasn’t been enough to draw Portland’s attention.
That’s how it’s been for weeks, and league insider Barry Jackson confirmed on Tuesday that even now, after all this time, the Heat are still playing hardball with Portland until they see signs that the Blazers are ready to negotiate.
“A source in touch with the Heat said Miami has no incentive to increase its offer unless Portland shows a willingness to make a deal – which it hasn’t to this point. Lillard has not expanded his list of preferences beyond Miami.”
There are a lot of teams that make sense for Lillard. Despite the enormous size of his contract, he’d be an ideal fit for the 76ers, Nets, Clippers, and many others. But after he and his agent established a Miami-or-bust stance, it turned off other teams from making a pursuit.
At this point, it’s a stalemate between the Blazers and Heat, with each side waiting for the other to cave. It looks like Miami has the edge right now, but the Blazers still have some control over this, with Lillard having years left on his current contract.
When Will The Lillard Trade Happen?
Folks in Miami are claiming it’s only a matter of time before this deal goes through, but it’s just not that simple. Portland is under no obligation to rush this process, and they can continue to hold out for as long as they want until they get an offer to their liking.
The truth is, it’s up to Miami to create an exciting package, even if they’re the only ones at the negotiating table.
After losing several key role players this summer, and Jimmy Butler approaching 34, the clock is very much ticking for the Heat and it would benefit them to pull off a deal sooner rather than later.
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