Damian Lillard trade talks are heating up (literally) and veteran forward Kevin Love has spoken about the possibility of welcoming Dame at Miami.
No doubt if the Heat and Blazers managed to work out a deal that sent Lillard to Miami, it would elevate their standings among title favorites.
Having a scorer like Lillard play alongside Jimmy Butler, as well as elite defender Bam Adebayo would be a formidable combination.
“I mean, there’s been times where he has been the best point guard in the league, and there’s certain nights where he looks like the best player in the NBA,” Love said of Lillard recently. “So anytime you have a superstar of his caliber, he can change the trajectory of your season, and I think with that comes expectation, but the expectations are there for a reason.
“It’s not unlike when in 2014 Kyrie [Irving] was already in Cleveland. But then LeBron leaves Miami and goes to Cleveland, and I get traded that summer, and then there’s that expectation and players of that caliber all playing together.”
35-year-old Love went on to compare Butler and Lillard’s work ethic and clearly has a lot of respect for Dame, who is angling to win his first-ever championship at Miami.
“Dame is one of the guys I’ve always looked at and admired, especially we talked about Jimmy with Dame’s approach to the game and how hard he works,” Love said. “I think it’s aspirational and admirable how he approaches every single day because he just continues to work and has continuously found a way to get the best out of himself and keep that chip on his shoulder throughout his career.”
Love is entering his second season with the Heat after landing there in February and spoke about the uncertainty of the upcoming season and just how important his role as a veteran becomes.
“There certainly are challenges because I think in life the unknown is scary or misleading and something that can rub people the wrong way,” Love said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “But I think part of being a veteran and my role as one of the leaders or somebody who has some influence, the relationships with my teammates and understanding who might be coming and who might be going. Finding that common ground and seeing how I can get the best out of them and understanding the fluidity of a season, understanding that things can change so fast in a season and in this business.”
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