3 reasons the Blazers should trade Damian Lillard to the Heat and 2 reasons they shouldn’t
By Jakob Ashlin
The Trail Blazers and Heat have reached an impasse on a Damian Lillard trade. What are the pros and cons for the Blazers of pushing a deal through?
It is no secret that Damian Lillard wants to be traded to the Miami Heat, but is that the right move for the Portland Trail Blazers?
It is a difficult question for general manager Joe Cronin and Portland’s front office, as they try to balance maximizing their young roster and honoring the request of one of the greatest players in franchise history.
The Heat’s offer is limited by the Stepien Rule. They are required to own at least one first-round pick in every other draft. Their 2025 first-round pick is owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is lottery protected, and if not conveyed, it becomes unprotected in 2026. This limits their ability to trade their first-round picks from 2024 to 2027.
As a result, the most the Heat can offer the Blazers is guards Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, wings Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., two first-round picks (2028, 2030), and three first-round swaps (2024, 2027, 2029).
Let’s take a deep dive into Portland’s conundrum. Here are three reasons why the Blazers should trade Lillard to the Heat and two reasons why they should not.
Reasons the Blazers should trade Damian Lillard to the Heat: 1. Honor his loyalty
Despite the recent discourse, Lillard’s loyalty to the franchise remains admirable. The All-NBA guard played 11 seasons for the Blazers. Lillard was not surrounded by stars in Portland. In fact, his last All-Star teammate was LaMarcus Aldridge in 2014-15. Despite outside pressure, he chose to stay loyal to the team that drafted him. Honoring him on the way out would be a nice gesture by the organization.
Trading Lillard to his desired destination would also send a positive message to agents and players around the league. It would show that Portland takes care of their star players. Conversely, going against Lillard’s request could build a negative perception of the front office.