Three Players The Miami Heat Should Look To Avoid Trading For Damian Lillard

With each passing day, speculation about when Damian Lillard will be traded rises.

The Miami Heat are considered the only destination he is willing to play for. They will have to give up a lot of assets to acquire him, but Miami has shown hesitancy to give up some of their valuable players.

Here’s a list of the top three players the Heat should avoid trading to acquire Lillard:

Jaime Jacquez Jr.

Jacquez was the 18th pick in this year’s draft, being 22 years old, he is expected to contribute right away. Miami lacks versatility at the forward position Jacquez showed in college, playing both small forward and power forward. In his summer league debut, he showed promise, scoring 22 points in 22 minutes.

Nikola Jovic

The 27th pick by the Heat in 2022 spent most of his rookie season in the G-League but is expected to take on a more prominent role next season. Jovic has appeared to gain a lot of muscle over the past year and has the potential to make a jump going into his second season. He has shown improvement in this year’s summer league, scoring 20 or more points in two of the last three games.

Duncan Robinson

Robinson had a disappointing season in 2022 after signing a five-year, $90 million contract. However, due to injuries to Victor Oladipo and Tyler Herro, Robinson bounced back in this year’s playoff run, shooting 44.2 percent from three. His ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots is key to Miami’s success.

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