The Trail Blazers and Heat remain at a standoff in the Damian Lillard trade talks, with the two sides unable to bridge the gap between what Portland expects to receive for its star guard and what Miami is willing to give up, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).
“What the Blazers want – if they’re dealing with one team, if it is Miami or nothing – they want what the Nets got from the Suns (for Kevin Durant),” Windhorst said.
The Nets acquired four unprotected first-round picks along with Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, a first-round pick swap, and two second-rounders in the four-team deal that sent Durant and T.J. Warren to Phoenix at the February deadline. When ESPN’s Tim Bontemps interrupted to say that the Blazers simply aren’t going to get a Durant-esque package for Lillard, Windhorst continued:
“I understand that. And a year ago right now, the Nets weren’t getting it from the Suns, whatever initial talks that they had. But the concept is that (the Blazers) want the Heat to literally scrounge into every nook and cranny and produce everything they possibly can. And the Heat don’t feel the need to do that, and they haven’t since June.”
As Windhorst observes, the Suns only became more willing to make the sort of massive offer the Nets wanted for Durant following the franchise’s change in ownership. Obviously, the Blazers can’t count on their talks with Miami getting that sort of push.
Here’s more on Lillard:
- Appearing on Back on Figg (YouTube link), Lillard spoke about his desire to win a championship and hinted that Portland’s lack of urgency to contend for a title is the reason why he wants to be traded. “(It’s) like me and you saying, ‘No matter what happens, we ain’t telling on each other,'” Lillard said (hat tip to RealGM). “… And then a day comes where I’m still playing by those same rules. Like, ‘Me and you want the same thing, we’re gonna go out together.’ And then that ain’t the code you want to live by no more. So, when that happens, me and you can’t be how we was. … If me and you don’t want the same thing no more and you show me that you don’t want the same thing, we don’t want the same thing.”
- Asked during an appearance on the It Is What It Is podcast (Twitter video link) whether he wants to be a Trail Blazer this season, Lillard replied, “In a perfect world, I could spend my entire career in Portland.” Again, it sounds like the implication there is that he’d be comfortable remaining with the Blazers if they were more aggressively building a win-now roster.
- During an NBA Today segment on Lillard (YouTube link), ESPN’s Marc Spears suggested there might be a mystery Eastern Conference team interested in making a play for the star guard. “Would Boston do it?” Spears said when discussing possible suitors besides Miami. “I’m kind of hearing rumors about another Eastern Conference team that I’m not going to throw out there just yet.”
- Chris Mannix of SI.com said on The Crossover NBA podcast that he believes the Thunder could enter the Lillard sweepstakes if Dame is still a Blazer in January and Oklahoma City is overachieving. “If they’re playing really well, don’t be surprised if they go out and make a run at Lillard,” Mannix said, per Ross Lovelace of SI.com.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link) questions the Trail Blazers’ apparent aversion to acquiring Heat guard Tyler Herro in a trade for Lillard, arguing that Herro has accomplished more in his career than Anfernee Simons and might immediately become the best player on Portland’s roster.
- In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman notes that if the Heat are able to land Lillard, they’d have three players – Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo – impacted by the NBA’s new player participation policy. Chicago, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Phoenix are currently the only teams with more than two players affected.
Well, Damian Lillard isn’t Kevin Durant.
But even then, how have the Heat not offered something comparable? If youre comparing Herro and Bridges, they are close. I do like Bridges better, but it’s a matter of skill set.
Johnson is a good pickup, but Jovic with one 1 or 2 more firsts, is a fair compensation.
The reality is, there are no other teams willing to give anything like that up for Lillard.
Bridges and Herro aren’t close at this point lol and the nets aren’t even trying to get Lillard
looks like you doin’t reserve your asinine takes to Celtics post only Kurtis Blows. Bridges is on another planet compared to Herro.
In Phoenix Bridges was the #3 behind Booker and Ayton. In NJ he’s the #1. As a #3 Bridges was only scoring 14-15 a game.
Herro in Miami is the #3 behind Butler and Adebayo. In Portland he’d become the #1. As a #3 in Miami herro got his at 20 a game.
“Another level” isn’t actually true. Bridges role changed when he was traded. Just like if Herro is dealt his role would change.
They’re both great 3p shooters but Herro is a bit better rebounder and passer than Bridges.
Portlands front office becomes more and more incompetent every day.
If I’m a star player watching this, I am never ever considering playing for Portland if this is how they treat Dame after screwing him over for years
This is such a tired and lazy take. Star players have never historically came to Portland via free agency.
How have they screwed him over for years??? If that was the case, Dame wouldn’t have indicated that he’d stay with Portland in a perfect world.
I think the Blazers front office has been at time incompetent but I don’t think they ever intentionally screwed him over. The Blazers had a few seasons where they were on a tier just below true contention.
It’s just that this off season the Blazers signaled that they were ready for a rebuild or retooling and Dame doesn’t have time for that at this point in his career. It really is best for all parties if they get this done. Dame is one of my favorite players over the last 15-20 years but he’s not at Durant’s level so they’re not going to get that kind of package. They don’t want to just dump him but they need to trade Dame for a decent package. If they hold on to Dame they’re going to lessen the odds that their own pick will be higher, they would also stunt Henderson’s growth as Dame would start and they’d be holding Dame back from playing for his preferred team.
Neil Olshey was a moron. The Blazers overachieved in spite of his terrible roster construction.
I think part of the problem was both Cronin and Dame were too open and willing to talk to media about their hopes and plans. Cronin didn’t need to tell the world that they were going to be aggressive in building now to make a run with Dame. On the other hand Dame didn’t need to speak to the fact that if the roster building by adding vets and star level players instead of youth, then there’d need to be another conversation to be had. Both statements gave away leverage for Cronin to make any serious moves, as the rest of the league at that point would knew the clock was ticking on Dame Time running out in Portland.
If the Nets are serious about contending now, you trade Royce and Cam Thomas for KPJ and get your 1sts back.
Then package KPJ, Simmons, Claxton, Whitehead/Clowney and picks for Dame and Nurkic.
Nurkic, DFS, Cam Johnson, Mikal, Dame, DinWiddie, DSJ, Clowney, Lonnie, Watford, Bazely. They would need to add a couple veteran F/Cs. Nerlens off the street or trade for Drummond.
I am sure Portland will jump at a deal centered around Kevin Porter Jr. and Ben Simmons. Maybe if the Nets included 8 unprotected first round picks.
You over estimate the trade value of Dame. Right now the best offer is Herro and 2 FRPs. If the Nets gave them 4 FRP and some SRPs, deal is done. KPJ is expiring bc hell be cut as soon as the deal is made. Claxton is expiring, but young and could be a LT center for the Blazers since he won’t break the bank. Simmons, that’s salary matching for you. They could play him, they could flip him next year for other toxic assets + picks when he’s an expiring 40M contract.
Heat: Damian Lillard, Royce O’Neale
Nets: Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry
Blazers: 2 first from MIA, 2 pick swaps from MIA, 2 first from BKN, any 2nd rounders MIA has to offer I think they only have 1 tradeable, Nikola Jovic, Jamie Jaquez, Ben Simmons
POR and MIA get what they want and essentially BKN is paying a 1st for Herro and a 1st for POR to take Simmons.
Gotta love delusional NY fans… blazers eat simmons and heat eat o’neal.. your worst contracts, and you get a borderline hofer with an expiring contract, a 20-5-5 guy in return LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL… I think I’ll speak for both miami and PDX and say “hard pass” lol
That trade sucks for the Nets. Miami gets two guys that can help them win now. Blazers get picks and the Nets get a washed PG and an overpaid SG. I don’t see how getting out from under Simmons helps when you get Herro in return, especially when the Nets have Dinwiddie and Bridges already in their back court.
O’Neal is a 7-7 player with a 36 mill contract over the next 3 years… Simmons is the worst contract in the NBA… Lowry showed he can be 6th man of the year if he wants.. is a borderline HOFer, and is on an expiring contract… Tyler Herro is a budding superstar…. you’re delusional lol (and probably a person from NY)
I couldn’t be much further from New York and still live the continental U.S. O’neal is a versatile defender that can guard 4 positions and can knock down the 3. Some teams pay upwards of $23 million for that.(see Pacers and Rockets) Herro is another Jordan Poole with slightly better court vision. I like Lowry but all he showed last season is that he’s old and washed.
I’m an Orlando Magic fan as my name implies lol though I do root for the Heat in the playoffs since my Magic usually suck. I was not trying to do the Nets any favors in this just be fair for all teams. I agree with you about O’Neale’s contract but NBA GMs seem to see him as very valuable.
Also under old CBA, I wouldn’t propose this trade for the Blazers, but under new CBA you have to reach a relatively high salary floor so if they trade Lillard they need a major salary coming back hence Simmons.
I dont think O’Neal is the Nets worse contract. He’s in the final year of his 4 yeae 36 million deal he signed in 20/21 and he’s only got 9.5 million left this year so he’s on an expiring contract.
Portland continues to not realize that they get enough value from the deal just by getting out from under Lillard’s contract. It escalates in value as his playing ability diminishes. Just take the money and sign other players with it over the next couple of years.
Not to mention that with Dame the Blazers are a 30-35 win team and without him they’re a 20-25 win team. The Blazers need to be very bad in the present if the rebuild is going to work. That way their own pick has a better shot at landing in the top 5 instead of the 10-15 range.
It also doesn’t do Scoot any favors. Henderson doesn’t need a mentor as the guy seems to have his head on straight. He needs playing time and a shooting coach.
This is probably the only instance where I would side with the player as this is an anti-Harden scenario.
POR has dangled a carrot in front of Dame for his whole career and has failed to make their team better every season. I think anyone would have enough of that after 10 years.
And like he said, if they would actually do it, he would like to stay.
Portland owes Lillard nothing but his guaranteed money and should tell Miami to take their pathetic offer to Philly for harden. Start with Bam or go home. In my opinion.
I agree N’Urkle is his BFF so give them Bam or no deal! Problem is Bam is better (all around) than Lillard and Riley knows it. So I am sure the blazers will give him away soon enough because Cronin is dealing with Riley, and he knows Miami is the place to live over weird small market PDX!
One of the best positions you can be in is having salary cap space in a league where pretty nobody has it.
Just worry about getting expiring deals you can get out from under by next offseason. Any team that needs to do a deal without cap space will have to give you draft assets to use your cap space. You can get draft capital here. You can also go and sign players with the cap space that fit your rebuilding roster.
You already have Scoot and Sharpe. You want to be as bad as possible this year to secure a Top 4 pick to add.
The most important thing is to get out from under Lillard’s contract.
The Thunder taking a run at Lilliard makes zero sense. They already have Gilgeous-Alexander at point guard with Giddey & Williams alongside him. The backcourt is not the Thunder’s problem. They need to improve their front court, not add another guard
Mannix has some of the worst takes out there, whether by design or just being really dumb.
Lillard isn’t KD, but (at least based on reports) POR hasn’t done anything to suggest they’re insisting on a KD level return. All they’ve done is put out the same template BKN put out for KD. That’s also the same template that’s framed the negotiations for every superstar over the past 5 years. Mitchell before this, and 8-10 others before him.
MIA apparently wants negotiations outside of the normal process. Whatever is driving that approach (and it may as simple as not valuing Lillard as a superstar, or they might just believe they have an effective exclusive), if it continues, then I can certainly see this go into the season. Selling Lillard off the grid would be a suprisingly idiotic move at this point even for Cronin.
Bontemps interrupting someone during a podcast. What a surprise, never heard that happen before.
Firstly…
Lillard ain’t KD… They ain’t getting that…
Second…
The Heat will have to find something close to that to pull it off…
Third…
Lillard took the money… Even LeBron James couldn’t take the money and win… Always had to leave and take less to make the salary cap work… It’s either take the bag or win with the CBA… Not both…
No, Boston would not do it
Jeremyn, O’Neal signed a 4yr 36 million deal in 20/21 and the Nets guaranteed the final year this year so he’s only owed 9.5 million left. I think he has value because he’s on a cheap expiring contract and he’s a decent 3 and D wing.