Is there Miami Heat point of no return with Damian Lillard?
Q: Ira, let’s cut to the chase: Do the Heat want Damian Lillard? – Greg.
A: If only the chase was that elemental. Yes, the Heat want Damian Lillard. Yes, 29 other teams want Damian Lillard, likely including the Blazers, had Lillard not demanded out. But that is not the issue here and, truly, never has been. It’s a matter of how much a team wants a 33-year-old player with four years and more than $200 million left on his contract (let alone the luxury-tax multiplier for many potential suitors). And it’s also a matter for the non-Heat suitors of how much they are willing to risk that Lillard will accept a non-Miami relocation. Honestly, if Lillard was 25 and did not have so much ballast on his contract, I’m not sure the Heat could afford him. At that point, you would be talking about the type of All-Star in return that the Heat simply are not offering. So, to come full circle, the Heat want Lillard and are willing to perhaps even pay a premium, considering the win-now stage that Jimmy Butler has reached, having turned 34 two weeks ago. In fact, I’m not sure that any other suitor would be as willing to go above and beyond fair value as the Heat. But for anyone short of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, you draw a line. (Yes, even a line with Joel Embiid, considering his injury history.) So to cut to that chase, there is a point where the chase is abandoned, need be.
Q: How did we go from the only team for Damian Lillard to not really in the conversation? Are the Blazers being petty? – David, Lake Worth.
A: No, just utilizing any and all leverage they have remaining until the clock strikes the midnight of media day and the start of camp. This is no different than the approach teams take ahead of the NBA trading deadline in February. The difference is that deadline is real. This deadline remains somewhat artificial since trade talks can continue for weeks and months, should the Blazers decide.
Q: The Damian Lillard talk at least kept me entertained for the summer. And now we should have a few players with clips on their shoulders. Brilliant. – Leo, Miami.
A: Which would come down to whether those chips elevate the play of the likes of Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. or weigh them down. As for Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson, they have dealt with so many trade rumors by now that it seemingly has become part of their day-to-day routine. The greater concern could be if Jimmy Butler comes to believe that the Heat are not maximizing these prime moments of his career.
