Inside The Heat

ESPN Analyst Drops Gut-Wrenching Blow To Miami Heat's Damian Lillard Hopes

Shandel Richardson|
Apr 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a basket against the Indiana Pacers in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Apr 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a basket against the Indiana Pacers in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

The Milwaukee Bucks shook the NBA world when they waived All-Star guard Damian Lillard Tuesday so they could add center Myles Turner. The conversation quickly turned to where Lillard would land next. The Miami Heat were among the speculated destination, but ESPN's David Dennis Jr., quickly shot down that possibility.

While speaking on First Take, Dennis said the Heat do not fit Lillard's needs.

"Dame Lillard is going to add his talents to a contender," Dennis Jr. said. "He's not going to go out there and rebuild. I know people were talking about Miami. He's not going to go rebuild with a team."

Lillard, who sustained an Achilles injury late in the season, is expected to miss most of next season. He turns 35 this month, so he has no time for rebuilding if he wants to win a championship. Even though the Heat have Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, they aren't championship-ready at the moment.

"He's going to be an addendum to a team that is already going to be in a championship spotlight," Dennis said of Lillard. "He's also going to do that without having to gamble. He's going to look and see who's in the best position to win a championship while they needed a little bit of Dame Lillard. This is Kevin Durant for the price that we're talking about and the fact that you're going to an already championship-level team."

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here