ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Says Miami Heat Don’t Have Trade Package Portland Trail Blazers Want
The Miami Heat are running into difficulty acquiring Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard despite it being his preferred destination.
On a First Take segment this morning, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst weighed in on Lillard requesting a trade.
Windhorst said the Heat are the most ideal situation for the Portland Trail Blazers superstar.
“The realistic market is not that deep,” Windhorst said. “He’s a 33-year-old with $200 million left on his contract. If you’re gonna trade for him, you gotta be ready to compete for a championship right now. There may be some teams lurking, but you’re talking about a premium player at a premium price that you have to take advantage of. So you look at the Miami Heat, that absolutely fits the bill.”
But while he says the Heat are a good fit, he implied they do not “have a trade package that Portland wants.”
“We know this because if they did, the deal would be done,” Windhorst said. “If Portland liked it, they would do it. The issue here is Tyler Herro, who’s the centerpiece of the trade. It’s clear the Blazers aren’t interested in Tyler. Maybe not so much as a player, but the four-year, $120 million deal he’s starting.”
Lillard doesn’t have a no-trade clause, meaning the organization ultimately decides what team he is dealt to. If Portland doesn’t like the trade package, they are going to entertain other teams to get the most for Lillard. However, Tyler Herro removed “Heat guard” from his social media, implying that he is likely to be traded in the coming days.
The Heat may bring in a third team to get assets for Herro to trade.
Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.