Nearly 13 years have passed since LeBron James said he would take his “talents to South Beach.”
Now, it looks like Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is keeping a close eye on the Heat and could end up joining them.
Since the Blazers chose not to move the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, there are questions about how they will handle free agency. The league is waiting to see what Lillard will do. The seven-time NBA All-Star could ask to be traded if Portland doesn’t add players in free agency who can help them win a championship.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Heat may get more attention if the Blazers’ team upgrades, which are “proving to be hard to pull off,” don’t happen.
“Lillard is very interested in joining the Heat, and Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would love to play with him,” Amick wrote. “If it gets to this point—and it’s still a “if” because Lillard hasn’t asked out before—Lillard’s wishes would matter a lot because of how big his contract is,” the reporter said.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said that Miami had its “focus” on Lillard and had a “genuine belief” that he might want a change of scenery this summer. If this happens, it could be a match made in heaven.
Even though a lot of things would have to go right for Lillard to join the Heat, the fαct that both the Heat and Lillard are said to be interested gives Pat Riley and the rest of the team an edge. Fans have a long way to go before they can start dreaming about Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo all playing together on the Heat, but this story seems to put the idea in motion.