Trail Blazers Want A "Star-Level Return" For Damian Lillard, Will Look Beyond The Heat

BYCole BlakePublished on July 02, 20234.5K Views

Portland Trail Blazers v Charlotte Hornets

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 31: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter during their game at Spectrum Center on October 31, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

The Trail Blazers reportedly aren't comiting to trading Damian Lillard to the Heat.

The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly will look beyond just the Miami Heat as a trade candidate for Damian Lillard after the star point guard requested to be moved on Saturday. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the team wants a "Star-Level Return" for their top player. While Lillard has his eyes set on the Miami Heat, the Trail Blazers will also apparently look for whichever team can supply the best return.

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin broke his silence on the trade request, Saturday afternoon. “We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he’d prefer to play someplace else. What has not changed for us is that we’re committed to winning, and we are going to do what’s best for the team in pursuit of that goal," he said, according to Wojnarowski.

Damian Lillard Wants Out Of Portland

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 23: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail. Blazers celebrates as he points to his wrist after scoring a three-point basket in the closing seconds of the game against L.A. Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on October 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

When asked to choose which team would make him say "that’s not too bad" of the Knicks, Heat, Celtics, and Nets Lillard confidently went with the Heat while recently appearing on The Last Stand podcast with Showtime’s Brian Custer. “Miami obviously,” Lillard said at the time. “Miami is the obvious one. And Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. Miami is the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one, because Mikal Bridges is my dog too.” Likely pieces that the Heat could offer include Tyler Herro, various draft picks, and more.

Lillard's contract positions him to earn $45.6 million, $48.8 million, and $58.5 million over the next three seasons. He also has a $63.2 million player option in the 2026-27 season. Be on the lookout to see which team ends up landing Damian Lillard in the coming weeks.

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About The Author

Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.