3 Miami Heat trade packages that could land Damian Lillard
By Wes Goldberg
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has requested a trade, according to multiple reports, and his preference is to be dealt to the Miami Heat.
The Heat have been preparing for this scenario and will be active in their pursuit of Lillard. Other potential suitors include the Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN. The Trail Blazers are expected to demand young players and draft compensation in return for Lillard, who played the first 11 years of his career in Portland.
When it comes to the structure of a trade, the Heat should be willing to include everything but Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in a deal. Part of Lillard’s reasoning for wanting to play in Miami is to compete for a title alongside Butler and Adebayo.
Yahoo reported that Lillard doesn’t have interest in a trade to Philadelphia, and the 76ers wouldn’t include young guard Tyrese Maxey in a trade. The Clippers have very little in the way of draft assets, and their only young players — Terence Mann and Bones Hyland — aren’t highly valued. It’s unclear what, if anything, the Nets are willing to include in a trade, and weren’t included in ESPN’s report of teams with interest in Lillard.
So what could the Heat’s offer look like? There are a few permutations that could satisfy Portland’s needs and the salary cap rules.
Trade #1
Miami gets:
Lillard
Portland gets:
Herro
Duncan Robinson
2028 first-round pick
2030 first-round pick
Lillard is set to make $45.6 million next season. Herro and Robinson combine to make $45.1 million next season. The Heat can include two first-round picks in a trade (in 2028 and 2030), and could offer their 2024 pick if they can lift protections on a 2025 first-round pick owed to Oklahoma City. That could cost them the future second-round pick they got in the sign-and-trade that sent Max Strus to Cleveland.
Trade #2
Miami gets:
Lillard
Jusuf Nurkic
Portland gets:
Kyle Lowry
Herro
2028 first-round pick
2030 first-round pick
In this scenario, Portland gets more immediate cap relief with Lowry’s contract set to expire after the season, plus all the draft capital.
Trade #3
Miami gets:
Lillard
Portland gets:
Herro
Caleb Martin
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Nikola Jovic
Haywood Highsmith
2028 first-round pick
2030 first-round pick
If the Blazers don’t want to take on Lowry or Robinson’s contract, the Heat can build a package around Herro and several smaller contracts. This, of course, would drain Miami of needed depth around a Lillard-Butler-Adebayo core and would not be the organization’s preference. Herro’s salary could also be swapped for Lowry’s expiring in this construction.