Are Miami Heat Desperate For Damian Lillard?

All-Star guard Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trailblazers in early July. He listed the Miami Heat as his premier landing spot.

So it begs the question is Miami desperate to acquire Lillard, or can they compete without him?

Last season, the Heat made a historic playoff run, becoming the second No. 8 seed to make the NBA Finals. This was accomplished while their third-leading scorer, Tyler Herro, was sidelined due to injury.

However, when Lillard became available, they did not hesitate to begin trade talks. The Heat have been in the market for a third All-Star since their 2020 Finals run.

A superstar point guard could be the missing piece to getting over the hump. With superstar Jimmy Butler turning 34 before the start of next season, it is understandable why the Heat are pouncing on the opportunity.

During his tour of China, Butler spoke on the expectations he has for the team regardless of Lillard’s involvement.

“It was a great season as a whole but we came up short,” Butler said. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and I am going to pick the Heat to win the championship in 2024.”

Although they have proven competitive without Lillard, why would the Heat not go after the seven-time All-Star knocking on their door?

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Anthony Pasciolla is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at anthonypasciolla36@gmail.com or follow him on Tik Tok @anthonysports_