The Miami Heat seem to be just another star away from winning an NBA championship. That’s why Damian Lillard, who wants out of the Portland Trail Blazers, has been heavily linked with a move to South Florida.
Last season, Jimmy Butler and company went further than predicted by becoming Eastern Conference champions, but that’s not enough. This team may have what it takes to succeed, but it’s safe to say it needs a player of Dame’s caliber to do so.
The Heat have been patiently waiting to make this deal happen, as the Blazers haven’t made things easy so far. In the meantime, it looks like they also keep an eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo — but getting both is very unlikely.
Rumor: How Heat landing Lillard would rule out hypothetical trade for Giannis
“Make the move for Lillard, and it could mean moving off Tyler Herro, who just happens to be a native of the Milwaukee area and potentially could be put into play for a potential trade for Antetokounmpo (yes, a lot of ‘potentially’ in there),” Ira Wunderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. “A deal for Lillard also likely would cost the Heat potential future first-round picks and prospects that could be put into an alternate (Antetokounmpo?) deal.”
Tyler Herro is widely seen as the most valuable trade asset the Heat have in any trade talks as long as Butler and Bam Adebayo are off the table. But for obvious reasons, for most teams it would come down to either Lillard or Giannis. If getting one of them is difficult, let alone to land both.
