Despite his wishes, Damian Lillard is yet to be traded to Miami but we now know what a trade package would look like.
“The Heat have been preparing a trade package around three-to-four first-round draft picks, potential draft swaps, as well as second round picks…a young player potentially,” NBA Insider Shams Charania said on The Rally.
Many are predicting the Heat will be certain to part ways with young guard Tyler Herro in the deal and potentially tough defender Jaime Jaquez.
Up to this point, the two franchises are yet to come to any agreement but one thing is clear.
Miami have the upper hand.
“The Heat has more leverage because he doesn’t want to go anywhere else and nobody is going to bid too much because of his age and contract,” one veteran NBA coach told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
It also seems as though the Heat are the only team actively pursuing Lillard, another way the franchise have the edge over Portland, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says.
“As I look across the league and have conversations with executives and agents, I can’t identify another team that is seriously making an offer for Damian Lillard at this point, Wimdhorst said. “My belief is that the Heat can’t either.”
Similar to what was being reported late last month, the Blazers have been acting disinterested towards dealing Lillard to the Heat, which makes sense if you consider the above reasons.
“Per source, Portland has remained disinclined to engage Heat in serious trade discussions on Lillard,” Jackson tweeted. “Blazers acting disinterested about dealing him here. One would think Blazers would get serious about this at some point, but they’re still not engaging Miami in negotiations.”
Portland will need to make a decision at some point or they will risk having their best asset sit out games if they do decide to keep him.