I’m telling you right now — 100% — Damian Lillard will be a Heat.
Ever since Damian Lillard put in his trade request from the Portland Trail Blazers last week, he and his camp have made it very clear that he wants to go to the Miami Heat and ONLY the Miami Heat. But what happens if Portland pulls the ultimate disrespectful move and trades him somewhere else?
“He just wouldn’t go,” according to a source that told this information to Sportsnaut. “He just wouldn’t report.”
Sportsnaut’s source did stress that Lillard is “not a disruptor” and wants to fulfill his contract in the 2023-24 campaign. However, despite signing a two-year, $122 million extension (lasting until 2026-27) that doesn’t feature a no-trade clause, Lillard is hoping that the Trail Blazers trade him to the Heat out of respect for what he’s done for Portland.
What if Portland trades Damian Lillard to another team instead of Miami? A person familiar w/ Lillard’s thinking: “He just wouldn’t report.” Meanwhile, Portland willing to wait for right deal even leading into next season’s trade deadline. Via @Sportsnaut https://t.co/ZcQHoczQqg
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 6, 2023
Man, there’s been so much disinformation about this entire Damian Lillard situation — even Damian himself tweeted about it:
I’m amazed.
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) July 7, 2023
At how ppl could know so much and so little at the same time https://t.co/I2KwZc7IKa
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) July 7, 2023
But I’m telling you right now … Damian Lillard will be traded to the Miami Heat. Guaranteed.
Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat is a done deal.
(Like this tweet for when the news breaks)
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) July 6, 2023
All of these reports that you see (like the one from Mark Medina) pointing Damian Lillard to Miami are absolutely accurate. Anything else is misinformation.
In a recent blog, I said that Damian Lillard-to-Boston wasn’t happening after there was a ton of hype surrounding the possibility because of the Grant Williams sign-and-trade, and then literally a day later, it was revealed the Celtics weren’t in the mix for “Ice Cold” — like I originally said. And that’s because I’m telling you right now that Damian Lillard will be in South Beach.
Lillard and his agent Aaron Goodwin are doing everything in their power to get to the Heat, and from a public relations and just respect for Dame standpoint, the Blazers will honor his request. Even if they did get cutthroat and traded him anywhere else besides Miami, it would completely backfire in the Blazers’ face. Ha … you think players don’t want to play in Portland now, just wait until then. The Trail Blazers don’t want those problems. (RELATED: ‘Let Me Annihilate You’: Skip Bayless Calls Out Charles Barkley, Challenges Him To Be His New ‘Undisputed’ Co-Host)
“Damian Lillard to Miami” is essentially already done … it’s just all about negotiating a proper trade package.
Remember to give me my flowers when I end up being right about this, because I’ll surely be waving my receipts.