The Damian Lillard commerce state of affairs shall be resolved. Finally.
There was little to no motion on a Lillard commerce since Summer time League ended, league sources advised NBC Sports activities (which echoes what Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN recently reported). With no stress on the perimeters till coaching camp opens and lots of league executives heading out on trip round this time, that is the time within the NBA calendar when little will get executed — particularly main strikes.
However the Warmth are placing collectively one other commerce provide, experiences Shams Charania of The Atheltic.
This isn’t far off one of the best provide Miami might placed on the desk in the event that they contain a 3rd workforce, but it surely’s greater than has been provided up to now. If no different workforce enters the bidding — and up to now, no different workforce has been critical a couple of Lillard commerce — there isn’t a motive for Miami to bid towards itself, it might wait out the Path Blazers and see if they’re keen to cope with the circus that will be bringing Damian Lillard to camp. (Even when Lillard may be very skilled at camp, it could be a PR catastrophe for a workforce trying to flip the web page to the Scoot Henderson period.
Miami reportedly made a proposal of three first-round picks (one thing it might do if it makes a facet cope with Oklahoma Metropolis to regulate a choose it owes them), former Sixth Man of the Yr Tyler Herro, a younger participant (Nikola Jovik or Jaime Jaquez Jr.), and perhaps one other participant simply to make the salaries match. Portland desires extra, together with second-rounders and choose swaps, and it does not need Herro (it has an analogous participant they like higher in Anfernee Simons). That is the place the third workforce is available in.
Miami is being affected person. Whereas different groups might make a greater provide in concept, none are literally stepping ahead. A part of that’s that Lillard is owed $58.5 million in 2025-26 after which $63.2 million in 2026-27 (when he’s 36) — different groups are balking on paying that a lot sooner or later. Oklahoma Metropolis is not on taking the ball out of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s palms and their timeline is totally different. Identical with San Antonio. New Orleans desires to see what it has if its roster stays wholesome, and so they do not suppose reuniting CJ McCollum and Lillard is the reply (and Portland does not need McCollum again). The listing goes on, everybody’s favourite Commerce Machine gives for Lillard do not fly in the true world.
The Warmth can be open to a three-team deal, however they haven’t any motivation to extend their present provide.
After we get to September and issues begin to ramp up earlier than the beginning of October coaching camps, there could also be hearth round a Lillard commerce — perhaps even one that appears shut to what’s proposed. Proper now, there may be little traction and much more smoke than hearth.
