Should The Miami Heat Even Entertain A Damian Lillard Trade?

A recent USA Today article by Dan Wolken deemed Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard as the NBA’s “most annoying player.”

According to social media, Wolken may be right.

Hourly Dame tweet
— Daily Grind Fantasy Sports (@DGFantasy) June 26, 2023

Let’s be fr he not going anywhere
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) June 26, 2023

If Dame doesn’t get traded this year then that’s a wrap. We have been listening to this cat and mouse game for far to long.
— Budget Slates (@BudgetSlates) June 26, 2023

Some anticipated Lillard would be traded to the Miami Heat, but his saga in Portland continues to drag. Many had sympathy for his lack of championship experience and postseason shortcomings. Now, fans are largely annoyed by his unwillingness to leave and the extension of these rumors without any progress.

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes said Lillard and the organization met to discuss the team’s future. However, we’ve heard this narrative many times and no changes seem to be made. Haynes’ latest words reiterated the same story fans groaned at for months.

“He doesn’t want to be on a team where it’s just 3 All-Stars or 3 superstars… He just wants a team that has a shot.”

-B/R’s @ChrisBHaynes on Dame’s outlook pic.twitter.com/xKA06feWpi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 26, 2023

“One thing I can say about him is he doesn’t want to be on a team that’s just stacked,” Haynes said. “He doesn't want to have a team where it's three All-Stars or three superstars and they go and battle that way. He just wants a team that has a shot.”

When taking this into consideration, the Heat would be an ideal situation for Lillard. They don’t have a real superstar outside of Jimmy Butler, which is why they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Finals. Lillard would be in a winning position with a team that boasts team-oriented basketball.

But let’s be honest, he just means he wants that situation with the Trail Blazers. Otherwise, there would be a plethora of superstar-deprived teams that could suit his desire.

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.