NBA rumors: Nets open to taking on Tyler Herro in Damian Lillard deal

The Nets are reportedly open to acquiring Tyler Herro in any potential three-way deal for Damian Lillard. Does this make a deal with the Heat more likely?

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Nets would be open to adding Tyler Herro to their roster if they were compensated with draft picks.

The Miami Heat are extremely interested in adding Damian Lillard to the roster via trade. With the interest being mutual, the only problem is that the Trail Blazers will not want Tyler Herro’s contract as he does not fit well with the pieces that Portland already has.

In all likelihood, Portland will want young players, draft assets, and moving off Jusuf Nurkic’s contract. With all of this in mind, the only likely way a deal gets done is if the Heat are able to find a third team to take on Herro in exchange for draft picks and expiring contracts.

Additionally, it is more likely than not that a deal needs to get done before the end of the Summer League or it won’t happen until training camp. In NBA front offices, the only appropriate time to go on vacation is from the middle of July to the middle of August.

This happened during Kevin Durant’s trade request with the Nets last offseason. With that in mind, it seems like a deal has to get made soon or Lillard will possibly start the preseason in a Trail Blazers jersey.

Nets’ Tyler Herro interest increases likelihood of Damian Lillard trade to Heat

Begley notes that the Nets would have to receive draft picks in any deal where they would be taking on Herro’s salary. This would mean that the Trail Blazers would end up giving away some of the draft assets that they would have received in any potential Lillard trade if Portland is more interested in the Nets expiring contracts than draft picks.

These expiring contracts from the Nets could allow the squad to get a crucial piece for the short term. The Trail Blazers could opt for this route post-Lillard due to the fact that they already have key franchise pieces in Jerami Grant and Anferenee Simons, but most teams in their situations opt for a straight total rebuild.

Yes, the Trail Blazers do have a potential franchise cornerstone in Scoot Henderson. Still, the team might opt for more tradeable assets to build around Henderson once they are able to identify his strengths and weaknesses on an NBA court.

In all likelihood, shipping Herro to the Nets in a Lillard deal might be the only way to get Dame to the Heat before training camp.