The story of the NBA offseason for the Miami Heat has been the Damian Lillard trade saga. The Trail Blazers superstar requested a trade, with a strong preference to go to Miami.
The Heat have been aggressively pursuing Lillard to the point where if they don’t acquire him, this offseason is a bust. Their best offer likely includes Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and picks. However, the Trail Blazers do not seem to be interested in what the Heat have to offer.
If Dame is going to end up in Miami, it is likely that a third team will need to be involved. According to ESPN’s Marc Spears, there are at least five teams willing to facilitate a Lillard trade to Miami.
One of those teams is the Brooklyn Nets, who are one of the teams Lillard said he might have interest in joining. If a third team like the Nets are going to be involved, there has to be incentive for them as well.
Here is the perfect three-team trade between Miami, Portland, and Brooklyn in which all three sides win.
The Trade
Miami Gets:
Damian Lillard
Jusuf Nurkic
Portland Gets:
Ben Simmons
Kyle Lowry
Nikola Jovic
2028 first-round pick (via Brooklyn)
2028 first-round pick (via Miami)
2030 first-round pick (via Miami)
Brooklyn Gets:
Tyler Herro
2026 second-round pick (via Miami)
Why the Trade Helps Each Team
It is pretty obvious how the trade helps Miami. They receive a superstar point guard in his prime. He is a sharpshooting scorer who would complement Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo very nicely. Lillard could be the missing piece to a Miami Heat championship run.
Pleasing the other two teams involved is very tricky. Portland is giving up their franchise star, and Miami does not have too many assets to offer.
One thing Miami can do for Portland is take on Nurkic’s three-year contract. This would give Portland more financial flexibility in the future.
Since Portland is giving up the best player, they get the most in return. The Nets have said that they are looking for a star in return for Lillard. Ben Simmons is not far removed from being an All-Star. He has not looked right the past few seasons, but there has to be some belief that he can return to the player he once was. If the Trail Blazers are going to go through a rebuild, they have nothing to lose by betting on Simmons.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers also receive a set of future draft assets. This will set them up nicely for future development of young players, on top of the young core they already have. It might not be the ideal return Portland is looking for in a Lillard trade, but it still sets them up nicely for the future.
From Brooklyn’s perspective, Simmons is no longer an important asset to the team they built. The Nets are building around Mikal Bridges, and Simmons was not part of the squad that made a playoff push last season. It would be in Brooklyn’s favor to move Simmons’ contract.
A three-team trade helps them do that. On top of that, they receive a rising star in Tyler Herro. Adding a shot creating guard like Herro greatly improves Brooklyn’s offense and secures them a playoff spot for next season.
Lillard’s time in Portland has come to a close. Now he wants to play for the Heat and compete for a championship. Hopefully all sides can come together and make a deal that benefits all parties involved.