“I’m told Damian Lillard only wants to play for the Miami Heat. This is gonna be a patient process, you’re gonna see Portland TrailBlazers General Manager Joe Cronin go through the league and track the market and see what else he can get in the marketplace for him, but I think like James Harden, Damian Lillard is the caliber of player and at the age where a preferred destination is the likely path. And when you think about Miami, there are 3-or-4-team scenarios in a potential deal with the Heat that would potentially net the Blazers several first-round draft picks in a Lillard trade, and I think when you look at what Portland could want in a Damian Lillard deal, you’re gonna want assets, young players, potentially, moving forward, but definitely getting picks in a potential Lillard trade.”
It’s nice to want things! Portland probably wants to help Dame, but at the end of the day, they still need to watch out for themselves. Lillard is still under contract, so the Blazers have more time to shop him around.