If you recall, the 2023 offseason was a massive one for the Miami Heat. Trade talks involving Damian Lillard were a daily topic of discussion, and Heat fans expected they would see the Portland Trail Blazers' number zero in South Beach in short order. But Lillard's potential move to Miami ultimately fell through, and now the Heat should feel like they dodged a big bullet.
Let's recap the events of that summer, shall we? On July 1, 2023, Lillard publicly requested a trade from the Trail Blazers, with Miami being his preferred destination. At the time, it was looking likely that the Heat were in a prime position to win the Dame sweepstakes and end up with a big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Lillard.
It was certainly looking like a favorable situation for the defending Eastern Conference champions. Miami had reportedly offered Portland a package including three first-round draft picks, along with multiple second-round selections as well as pick swaps. They were also looking to include Nikola Jovic while sending Tyler Herro to a third team as well.
However, this package proved to be insufficient for the Blazers' demands. If you remember, Dame voicing that he wanted to be traded specifically to Miami put the Heat in an interesting position. All of a sudden, Portland knew that they could ask for more simply because Lillard did not want to play anywhere besides South Florida.
Lillard has not been nearly as good in Milwaukee as we thought
Rather than honoring Lillard's request above all else, the Trail Blazers opted to take what they considered to be the most valuable trade package and shipped Dame off to Milwaukee instead of dealing him to his preferred destination in Miami. This was a classic reminder of just how business-centric the NBA really is.
Of course, missing out on Lillard stung at the time. The Heat felt they had missed out on an opportunity to level up and take one step above their competitors in the Eastern Conference, like the Boston Celtics. But if we fast forward to the present, Miami's front office actually looks brilliant for not upping their offer for Dame that much more.
Lillard's flashes of scoring greatness have still been there over the course of the last two seasons, but his fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo has never quite reached the level that many envisioned when the trade first went down. He is also now unfortunately looking like he'll be sidelined for all of the 2025-26 season with an Achilles injury.
If Miami's proposal for Dame had gone through, they'd be dealing with a roster likely severely depleted of depth, as well as being hampered by having to pay a large amount of money to an aging star. While acquiring Damian Lillard looked like the smartest move at the time, we're seeing that the Miami Heat actually saved themselves from what would have turned into a disappointing situation by their trade ultimately falling through.