While the Portland Trail Blazers plan to honor Damian Lillard’s trade request, talks between them and Lillard’s preferred Miami Heat are hung up because of Miami’s perceived lack of desirable assets.
The sticking point seems to be Tyler Herro, the Heat’s best, young asset who the Trail Blazers would prefer not to add to their already-young group of guards that includes No. 3-overall pick Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons. However, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there are teams that would be willing to trade “a good first-round pick” or “something more” in exchange to land Herro as a third team in a deal.
Per ESPN, there are teams that would be willing to trade for Tyler Herro as a third team in a deal that sends Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat.
"Portland doesn’t want guard Tyler Herro and the four years and $120 million owed on his extension, but there are teams that have told ESPN they would surrender a good first-round pick to the Blazers — maybe something more — to become a facilitator by taking on Herro in a three-way deal."
Of course, deals including more than two teams tend to get complicated. This could be part of the reason a deal hasn’t yet materialized. But with executives flocking to Las Vegas for Summer League this weekend, talks are expected to pick up. Herro, 23, is an elite 3-point shooter who has averaged 20 points over the last two seasons. Any team that trades for him would be adding one of the league’s promising, young scorers.
If the Heat can turn Herro into a good first-round pick and a young wing or big, that could be enough to make a more appealing offer to the Blazers. Miami’s best offer is believed to include Herro, Duncan Robinson or Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract and two first-round picks. The Heat can also trade a third first-round pick if they amend protections to a 2025 first-round pick owed to Oklahoma City.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that “there are over five teams interested in a potential multiteam trade that could get it done.”