As the 2023 NBA offseason continues to unfold, Portland Trailer Blazers star Damian Lillard has become its focal point. The soon-to-be 33-year-old has requested a trade out of Portland, and the Blazers plan to honor his request, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
However, Portland will try to maximize its return in any deal involving Lillard.
“Blazers officials are telling teams they’ll move Lillard for only the deepest return of assets available,” Wojnarowski wrote.
Portland appears willing to let Lillard’s market develop, even though the Miami Heat appear to be at the top of his wish list.
“Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners and warning against trading for his client, team executives told ESPN,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player.”
This impacts Portland’s leverage in a potential deal with Miami, but it doesn’t mean that the Trail Blazers cannot get a strong return. The Heat can offer 2028 and 2030 first-round picks, five years of first-round pick swaps and young players like standout guard Tyler Herro.
According to Wojnarowski, however, Portland isn’t interested in adding Herro and the four years, $120 million left on his contract. If Herro is part of the trade, a third team will have to get involved.
According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, any Heat trade for Lillard will likely require a third team:
Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
A potential Portland-Miami deal for Damian Lillard would almost certainly include the involvement of a third team, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
This is where the Brooklyn Nets come in. After consecutive first-round playoff exits, Brooklyn should be looking for a new foundational player around whom to build. The 23-year-old Herro fits the bill, and he could become a long-term centerpiece for the post-Kevin Durant era.
Herro could also make an immediate impact, instantly becoming one of the top offensive players and potentially the top shot creator and facilitator on the Brooklyn roster. Last season in Miami, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 43.9 percent from the field.
In short, Herro could bring things to the offense that players like Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Johnson can’t. Acquiring Herro would represent the rare move that boosts a franchise right away while also benefiting the big picture—and Brooklyn is reportedly interested in adding him.
“It’s been reported that the Nets would have interest in Herro, and I have heard that as well,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective.
The Nets may also have an opportunity to add Herro at a discounted rate. According to Wojnarowski, there are teams willing to trade “a good first-round pick” to Portland to facilitate a trade and acquire Herro, and that’s not a bad price point for a player of Herro’s caliber.
Plus, as Windhorst pointed, out, Brooklyn is now under the tax threshold and can take in more salary than it sends out in a trade. All of this makes acquiring Herro entirely realistic.
The argument against adding Herro in a three-team trade is that it would potentially help Miami dominate the Eastern Conference over the next couple of seasons. On paper, a trio of Lillard, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would keep the Heat in constant title contention for as long as all three are under contract.
Some members of the Brooklyn organization may not have a ton of interest in helping a conference rival chase championships.
Still, targeting Herro would make a ton of sense for the Nets, as his long-term value should outweigh any uneasy feelings about helping another team in the East. Players like Herro aren’t available at a fair price often, and Brooklyn could struggle to find similar trade opportunities once the new collective bargaining agreement’s taxpayer limitations go into effect next offseason.
The Nets must jump on this opportunity, even if adding Herro ultimately helps the Heat become conference front-runners for the immediate future.
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