Jazz News: Trail Blazers Could Pivot From Lillard’s Heat Trade Request

Despite the many reports surrounding Damian Lillard’s desire to get moved to the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers may not be looking to help Dame out that easily. All accounts up to this point have given fans the impression that Lillard has made one thing clear in his trade request: he wants to play in South Beach. The Blazers could have something different in mind, though.

In a report from the Miami Herald, the Trail Blazers have yet to give any indication that they’ll be following through with a trade partnering with the Heat.

"As of midday Sunday, the Blazers had not conveyed to Lillard if they plan to honor his request to be traded to Miami, according to a source.”

- Barry Jackson, via

The Miami Herald.

What at first seemed like it was a forgone conclusion Dame was headed to the Heat now becomes a bit more unpredictable. Especially with Portland’s reported disinterest in Tyler Herro in a potential deal, we may see the Blazers decide to go in a different option entirely.

This creates an appealing opportunity for the Utah Jazz. They’re a team that’s been one of the many mentioned with interest in Lillard, and now with a bidding war potentially in play, the Jazz have a lot to play with. Should talks get serious with teams outside of Miami, Utah is a dangerous team to acquire him.

Something Jazz fans should keep an eye on going forward should be how Damian Lillard reacts to the idea of playing for other franchises than Miami. When trading the type of assets required for a player of his caliber, you’d expect a pretty good commitment to his new team.

Report: Damian Lillard demanding trade to Miami Heat could scare off other teams from trading for him https://t.co/kLiTbtHQxv
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 2, 2023

Of course, there’s still a ton to iron out in terms of what the Jazz would be willing to offer, along with what Portland would be interested in. Still, it presents a key storyline to keep an eye on for Utah moving forward this offseason.

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