Damian Lillard really wants the Heat.And the Heat definitely want Lillard — but maybe not at all costs.
At least that’s how it seems right now, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
For now, Lillard remains with the Trail Blazers and training camp is about a week away.
Miami is certainly interested, as are some other teams, like the Bulls (full article) and Raptors (full article).
So the Heat could have some competition and again, that seems to suit them.
“There’s one thing that I think might have been misunderstood from the start:
I don’t think the Heat want to trade for Damian Lillard,” Windhorst said on ESPN, via Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
“I think they want to trade for him, but I don’t think it’s something that if they don’t get done will destroy their season.
“…I know a segment of Heat fans would love to get Dame Lillard, as it seems like a player with her skill set is the missing piece to win a championship.
But I don’t think the Heat ever approached it like it was the most important thing.
I don’t think the Heat and Blazers have been in discussions at any level for a long time.
There was a misjudgment in how all of this was viewed – this is what the Heat really need to do.
I don’t think they see it that way.
In other words, the Heat are fully prepared to at least enter the season with Lillard in Portland or another destination.
He made it clear that he wanted to play for the Heat and only for the Heat.
All Miami has to do is sit back and wait for it to happen.
Basically, there is no need to force anything.