Report: Miami Heat ‘never had an opportunity to negotiate’ for Damian Lillard

New details about how Damian Lillard’s trade request was handled by the Portland Trail Blazers, and why serious trade talks never occurred with the Miami Heat.

Damian Lillard said the way his trade was handled by the Portland Trail Blazers “left a sour taste in my mouth.”

In a revealing story by Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Lillard expressed his dissatisfaction with how the Trail Blazers, and especially GM Joe Cronin, handled his trade request and the lack of dialogue with the Miami Heat, which Lillard named his preferred destination before being dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks this week.

“How this summer played out behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth,” Lillard told Bleacher Report. “But it doesn’t change the amazing experiences I’ve had with the Trail Blazers and this city. I’ll always cherish this place. This is my home. I’ll always live here regardless.”

According to Haynes, the only discussion about a Lillard deal that Portland and Miami ever had was a phone call between Cronin and Heat VP of basketball operations Andy Elisburg during July’s Summer League. The Heat tried to schedule an in-person meeting while in Las Vegas but that never happened.

“The Heat say they never had a legitimate opportunity to negotiate,” Haynes wrote. “Throughout the process, they felt Portland allowed emotions to get in the way of business. Lillard’s camp believed it had become personal.”

The Heat believe they could have included a third team — likely the Phoenix Suns to facilitate Deandre Ayton’s inclusion in a package to Portland — and sent up to three first-round picks in the deal. The Athletic reported that the Heat were willing to also include swaps, second-round picks, and second-year forward Nikola Jovic, in addition to the first-round picks.

From there, things reportedly got contentious between Lillard and Cronin, who was frustrated by the lack of a trade market after Lillard made it clear he aimed to play in Miami.

According to Haynes, the Blazers front office “ceased all communication with Lillard and Goodwin in early September” in order to prevent Goodwin from getting involved with deals behind the scenes.

The two sides had no communication for nearly three weeks, per Haynes, until Cronin met with Lillard at his home on Sept. 5. During that meeting, Cronin expressed that he was unlikely to deal with Miami. When Lillard asked if he could rescind his trade request a return to the Trail Blazers, Cronon said, “There is no coming back,” according to Haynes. “Lillard was shocked.”

Thoughts: In the lead-up to a possible Lillard trade demand, many around the NBA remarked that in the event of Lillard asking to be traded after 11 seasons, the Blazers would be pressured to “do right by Dame.” While they did ultimately trade him to a title favorite in Milwaukee, it’s hard to see this report — even if it’s from the player’s perspective — and feel as though Portland handled his request with his feelings in mind. If all sides could have found a way to work together, it’s more likely that Lillard would be playing in Miami.