The Heat suffered a major loss when news of the Damian Lillard trade broke on Wednesday, failing to acquire a future Hall of Famer who specifically wanted to be dealt to them, writes Greg Cote of The Miami Herald. Nearly three months after Lillard told the Trail Blazers that he only wanted to go to Miami, he wound up in Milwaukee, where he and Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the greatest obstacle to the Heat’s chances to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.
Miami missed out on Lillard because team president Pat Riley wasn’t willing to increase his offer to Portland and couldn’t find a third team to help facilitate a deal, Cote adds. Riley was counting on Lillard’s preference for Miami and a lackluster trade market to eventually work in his favor.
Cote contends that acquiring Lillard is the type of win-now move the Heat need to make because their championship window is limited with 34-year-old Jimmy Butler as their best player. Adding Lillard would have provided a shot of energy the team needs as it approaches a long season, Cote adds. Instead Miami will open camp wondering how he got away.
There’s more from Miami:
- With Lillard off the table, the Heat’s options to improve their roster are now limited, observes Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports. Age is an issue as Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love are older than Butler, Rohrbach notes, and so are financial concerns as Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson are owed about $130MM for the 2025/26 season, which represents 90% of the projected salary cap. Rohrbach adds that the summer-long pursuit of Lillard showed Herro’s limited trade value around the league.
- Butler’s Instagram post on Wednesday accusing the Bucks of tampering in the Lillard deal received an endorsement from Herro, who tweeted, “What he said.”
- RJ Hampton, who is joining the Heat on a two-way contract, is grateful to be in Miami after spending time with three teams in his first three NBA seasons. “A PRIVILEGE to be apart of this organization, let’s go,” Hampton wrote on Twitter. The Heat opened a spot for Hampton with a series of moves on Wednesday.
Miami dodged a bullet. Having Lillard would have been great for a year or two but the contract would have handicapped them down the road.
Giannis is going to hate playing with Lillard, especially with Stotts on the coaching staff. Who hell wants to chase down rebounds from Lillard chucking up half court shots? Giannis is Miami bound in two years.
They didn’t dodge a bullet, they lost our on one of the best offensive players in the game. Two seasons of Lillard would’ve been a here and now and with the modern landscape of the NBA you play for the present, you can’t worry about things that would handicap you years down the road.
As for Lillard? I do think he ended up in a better spot if he wants to contend for a championship. Sure, the Heat beat the Bucks in the playoffs last season but Giannis was visibly hobbled and most importantly they didn’t have a player like Dame.
I do think the Heat went all in and were willing to give up a better trade package than what the Bucks did, however I don’t think it mattered to Cronin what the Heat offered. He was negotiating in bad faith out of spite, I don’t think he wanted to trade Dame to Miami unless the offer was way too good to turn down.
Not only were the Heat with a hobbled Butler, better than the Bucks who had Giannis on the floor, they did it without Herro who avgs 20-5-4. That’s a big hole.
If Lillard was that good, Portland wouldn’t have been a bum team his whole career. All he is is a chucker padding his stats. Not too mention, when was the last time he played basketball? Let’s not forget that clown ended the season in March cause he had boo-boos. Who knows if he is even playable.
The team shut him down once they were out of playoff contention; sure, he had a calf strain but it was the team’s call. I’d also argue 32.2/7.3/4.8 on .463/.371/.914 is playable.
You mean 0.0/0.0/0.0 that’s what he avg the last month of the season. Stop protecting players who don’t play
Milwaukee had the best roster they ever had. The reason they lost is b/c they kept playing Lopez, and not using their depth, which was their advantage. They went away from the literal reason they won a couple of years earlier
Winning this time isn’t b/c of the trade. It will be b/c their new coach uses his roster the way its supposed to be used
I love how consistent KB is. I really do. ” … great for a year or two” is exactly what Miami wanted and needed and they blew it. The Heat is severely handicapped in, “a year or two” anyway. Lillard would have made them far better in the short term, win now reality of the NBA. Along with Curry, Lillard is the most consistently accurate long distance shooter in NBA history. Lillard: consistent; Blow: consistently wrong.
How am I wrong?
In two years the only players under contract will be Bam and Herro who will be 28 and 25. And Robinson at $10m. And Butler will have a player option. Butler is loyal. Heat have been loyal. Butler will return the favor. So they will be able to take on a max contract. Now look at 2025 player options. Giannis, Tatum, Mitchell, Murray, Ingram. Players want to play in Miami. It’s warm. Tax free. Beautiful women. And one of the most successful franchises in the last 20 years.
Sure Lillard would have been good. But that’s what makes a great franchise GM like Riley. Someone that plays for now and the future. He made the right move. He went in but wasn’t going to overspend. If they got Lillard at the right price they could win now but not destroy the future,and if he didn’t, he can still be competitive now, but also be more competitive in the future.
So go ahead, try and explain how I’m wrong. Because the reality is, I’m consistently right!
Side note: it’s easy for Lillard to be consistent when he only plays half the season.
Lillard has played fewer than 41 games once in his entire career, due to surgery from putting off an injury that he’d been playing through for years. And he’s almost always been healthy come playoff time. Over the past five seasons, Jimmy has played 296 games. Lillard has played 300. Including that surgery season.
It also doesn’t matter how loyal Jimmy is if he’s too old or injured to play. He’s not managed to break through to the trophy. By the time his current contract ends, he’ll be 37, turning 38 before the next season, if he’s even still playing (assuming he picks up his option). And he’s not likely to have *fewer* injuries in the postseason as he ages. This is Miami’s window. Bam is fabulous, but he can’t carry a team himself. Maybe they can sign a good free agent. But it’s nowhere near as likely as you make it out to be. Players don’t care about “warm” or “beautiful women”. They care about rings and contracts.
“players don’t care about ‘warm’ or ‘BEAUTIFUL WOMEN” ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! I’ll just end the conversation there.
Typical Blowhard, always having to save face because he’s so wrong.
Best of luck to your Heat, Kurtis. They’ll need it.
Except im so right.
“Best of luck to your Heat, Kurtis. They’ll need it.”
Haha, that’s literally the same nonsense y’all said last year. And Heat did pretty well. A lot better than the Bucks and Lillard, just ask your EonsOfAIDs buddy Lil Dingaling, Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!
#therealcoachK
Failing to answer anything, resorting to insults, pointing only to the ends results instead of the process that got them there? So right, indeed.
Haha, what didn’t I answer? Go ahead, answer that.
Here I’ll even help you out. Your argument is, he had surgery. Ok cool, show me how many full seasons he has had after the surgery? I’ll answer for you: 0
Your arguments are pathetic
Nothing in the first paragraph of my prior post, for one thing. And nothing in the second, either, other than insulting me. As is typical.
You’re so boring, dude. Boring and predictable. Just 8Rings as a Heat “fan”. About the only thing you don’t do as bad or worse than that dipstick is hate on the coach for no reason. Get some sun.
EDIT: He literally had the surgery in 21-22 and played 58 games the next year? Which is more than half? As YOU accused him of? Which is more than Butler did the season before last, when the Heat made the conference finals? Are you really that dim? When I said you didn’t know jack about Lillard, I didn’t know that was literal!
Haha what? I literally just answered your first clown paragraph about surgery, so, wrong!
Your second about Jimmy being older? So? At that point he won’t need to be the Jimmy of today. They will have Giannis, the Bam in the middle of his prime at 28 and Herro entering his prime at 26. Jimmy will be the 4th option. Who cares he’s older. That makes no sense. You’re out of your league fool
You didn’t, you just like to pretend you did. Terrible wrong answer and insults. As is typical.
And that’s great! Who’s going to be the primary shot creator after Jimmy becomes “the fourth option”? Herro? F no. Basically have to dig into FA.
“They will have Giannis.” Oh, I didn’t know you were Cassandra, the oracle. Lmao.
Whatever, I’m done. Keep being a whiner.
People have been saying the Heat are severely handicapped the last several years, and they managed to do a lot in that time, including get Jimmy Butler when they were already super capped out and people were writing articles about how doomed they were
Tyler makes out big here. He can now play his game without every little thing being scrutinized and deemed no good no matter how good he plays.
The rest of the team is on the team as well. They were not there at all before this.
Herro must want out of Miami because he sure as heck would’ve been apart of any package for Lillard.
Shams says Blazers asked for Jimmy or Bam originally. Blazers were never serious about trading him to Miami.
The gall of Portland–asking for a player/package of equal value in return. Sounds like Miami was never serious about acquiring him.
That’s cause Miami knew they overvalued Lillard and basically called them out on it. Lillard can shoot the ball, no doubt. But he’s on an atrocious contract, and he hasn’t shown he can actually be part of a winning team. Portland was butthurt so they took a lesser deal
“Hasn’t shown he can be part of a winning team” by missing the playoffs in only three seasons of his career and carrying terrible rosters past actual competition? By having one of the best postseason games EVER and only falling to a League MVP and his costars going insane? Bam and Jimmy have had each other, at least. The best player Lillard had after Aldridge left was CJ McCollum, who was a crappy fit next to him, and he STILL managed to make the conference finals with that pathetic hack job. You don’t know jack about Lillard.
Yet all the Miami fans are just having sour grapes they didn’t get him.
I’m curious how the Bucks could have tampered. Weren’t teams allowed to engage with his agents? I’m assuming it’s a joke to make fun of the fact he didn’t end up with Miami, but if it is then why are we talking about it?
Jimmy might be referring to the fact that *Giannis* has indicated he’d like to play with Lillard, but that’s not really tampering. Draymond, Kyrie, LeBron, KD… they’ve all been even more demonstrative about teaming up with guys.
Well the main reason Jimmy is calling them out is because Bucks did the same when Miami got Lowry, costing the heat a draft pick.
The bigger part of the story is how Herro echoed Butlers statement. Considering he was the most likely victim in a Lillard trade, it’s odd that he would support the claim if the claim wasn’t legit
If there’s anything Mr. Blow knows about it’s being butt-hurt. When news of Dame’s trade request became known and especially since hos preferred destination was the Heat he was to put it terms he’d understand “creaming his panties at the mere thought”
In the months that passed and the Heat’s chances at Dame were declining daily you went from ecstatic to butt hurt. The Heat didn’t didn’t get Dame, get over it. To quote an iconic and pioneering hip hop artist “because these are the breaks”.
Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Stop the nonsense and go back and actually read my comments. I literally proved y’all wrong. All you clowns going out there acting like Portland gonna get 4-5 first Rd picks and the team getting lillard wouldn’t have to give up anyone significant. And I consistently said, Portland ain’t getting all that and someone gonna have to give a good player. And on top of it me and maybe one or two people actually cited Milwaukee as a trade destination.
And what happened? Portland got 1, again 1 first rdr and Bucks had to give up Holiday. All this did was prove me right and all you fictitious clowns wrong. Go ahead, go back and read the comments and you will see the truth.
Stop the nonsense
Interesting take from people that have never watched basketball in their lives, like Cote, and often put out holier than thou vibes
Heat never needed Lillard, dont need to be giving away assets for a gusrd for no reason, and didnt impact their standing at all, besides luckily avoiding making a move for the sake of making a move, and at best, being relatively similar, like Milwaukee
Also, again, the deal showed their offer was basically what it should have been, since he went for an extremely similar package of Jrue, Allen, 1 pick and 2 swaps, compared to Lowry, Herro, 2 picks and 2 swaps
It really is amazing how much people talk about the game as though it’s 30 years ago, and not the way it is actually played today. This is why everyone is so shocked the moment someone not named a handful of players plays well. Not everything is about names, as has been proven time and time and time again, yet people still pretend that’s how it works
It wasnt a simlar package. Lowry has negative value. The Blazers will flip Holiday for more assets. They valued Ayton over Herro and dumped Nurkic in the process.
What trade is Portland getting for Holiday. Go ahead, give an actual example. Remember, Portland has to take back matching salary
Do you honestly expect them not to get back quality assets back, or are you just being contrarian?
Go ahead, give me an example…..
Lowry has perceived negative value to those that don’t understand how contracts work and how winning players work, outside of stats that don’t matter
Portland flipped Allen, Keon Johnson, Nurkic, and Little’s contract for Ayton’s bad contract, with more money and years than Nurkic, to get back a name to quell the people crying about not getting back enough, even though the fit isn’t there
That’s fair, Phoenix traded Ayton for a bunch of trash
…also, I’ve noticed that somehow the point of contention seems to be the word “similar,” which apparently people think means “the exact same,” which it doesnt…extra pick accounted for the difference of Jrue and Lowry
I’m well aware that the game has evolved into wing play and the pick and roll and that typical guards are a dime a dozen. Exceptional players can make a difference no matter what position they play. Take for instance the Warriors, they won a championship in 2021-22 because of an exceptional guard. Look at the Nuggets, they won with a center being their best player. The game has moved away from the pivot as well.
I’m not about to compare Lillard to Curry as Curry’s accolades are matched only by LeBron in this era but with the right guys around him like say Durant, Thompson, and Green, Lillard could win a championship or two.
According to advanced metrics Lillard was the 2nd best offensive player in the league last season. He ranked 1st in RPM and EPM. He also ranked 2nd in BPM and RAPTOR.
For traditional stats he’s a career 37% from deep on high and difficult volume that is an elite pick and roll ball handler.
That’s exceptional talent. I don’t think he’s the type of player that can win it all as the best player on his team but he certainly can win it all being the 1B player to Giannis being the 1A.
“With the right players around him” is all that you needed to say, and is the prevailing point I continue to make, and has been shown time and time again
If it made sense for the Heat to give up assets, b/c that was the missing piece they needed, then ya, you go for it under certain circumstances. This never made sense, which I said from the beginning, so I am happy it didn’t happen, not as a disgruntled reaction, but b/c I was dreading the possibility the entire time, as much as I’ve loved Damian Lillard from day 1
What player in the league can win it without the right talent around him? Having Bam as a pick and roll partner, lob threat and defensive stopper with Butler as a secondary creator, great perimeter defender and kick out target that isn’t a great shooter but can attack a closeout would definitely elevate all three players.
Didn’t say those three wouldn’t have fit together. You need a whole roster, and that deal doesn’t address the Heats biggest need, which has been a 4/smallball 5. They lost to Aaron Gordon. This has been a need for a long time
Otherwise, the roster is enough. A shorter version than I would explain again being That’s why I said many times it only makes sense to trade for certain guys, like Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown or Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, or Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson jr, Scottie Barnes, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Mikal Bridges or if those types of players are available…wings and 4s/smallball 5s that can defend, and preferably shoot. I would also be interested in the lesser tier of similar type of players, most of whom are still super young and likely shouldnt be traded.
As I’ve said, the time to make a move would have been before the last year or so, before Herro got paid. Also, if Lowry got moved, I would have wanted to replace him with another 2 way guard, if possible, which is 1 reason I would be slightly more open to Jrue Holiday than I ever was for Lillard, even though I still wouldn’t give up more than an extra asset
@formerlyz: The last player who didn’t win a championship with “the right pieces around him” was probably Kareem in Milwaukee.
And it made perfect sense. The Heat have always had a good defense even with terrible defenders at the point, like old-a** Goran Dragic or Kendrick Nunn. But Lillard elevates their offense tremendously. Same story with the Bucks, really.
Easier to surround certain types of players than others, as foundational pieces. 1 player I wanted to trade Herro for 3 years ago just beat the Heat in the finals, and the guy people didn’t want to trade for him didn’t even play.
Again, nothing against Lillard himself. I’m just saying it made no sense for the Heat right now, especially after they signed Richardson, who actually makes Herro as a starter viable for the first time
Dame to bucks is interesting does it really help the bucks after getting rid of so many key pieces?
The suns may have improved their depth but more importantly moved aytons contract. They can move these little contracts much easier and get under the super tax line.
Portland will be fine after this trade but it’ll take some time to get settled.
I don’t think they gave up that much. They still have Brook, Middleton, and of course, Giannis. Bobby Portis is a 6MOY finalist who would start on a lot of teams. Connaughton and Beasley will easily fill in at the 2. And now they have the Dame/Giannis pick-and-roll to drive their offensive system to a level they’d never reach with Jrue. Their defense is a little worse, but I think people are naysaying just to naysay there. I don’t see their defense falling outside of the top ten, but Dame is going to improve their offense, and especially their offensive *consistency* by more than the defensive drop-off. Jrue was the least important part of their core, no matter how good he sometimes looked. Having Lopez at the rim and Giannis as the help guy with Middleton and Connoughton contesting opposing shooters should still work out well.
Blow is blowing hot air again. Lillard spite whatever flaws he may have,still capable of 60 on any given night and always good for 30 plus. Your heat blow man never were in the game,never could be in the game, never had a chance. Sadly no assets.
“Heat blow man never were in the game”
Meanwhile: Heat only team in the finals twice in the last four years and destroyed the Bucks in 5 games in the first round, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, looks like they were in the game to me
They were really in the finals 3 times, with injured rosters, b/c Secaucus, NJ stole 3 points away from them in game 7 for no reason, although they also would have lost to GS, but in 7. Don’t forget too, they were +18 against the Lakers before their entire team got injured in 2020…
But none of that fits the narrative of the Heat somehow being trash at all times, even though they haven’t had relative health a single time in the last 10 years
Fo sho, that Strus 3 was straight up manipulation. Thank A. Silver.
They got to make movie about all the odds Miami has had stacked against them. It’s a true underdog story
MIA either didn’t care that much about getting Lillard (and is currently relieved its over) or they screwed the pooch by not understanding how to negotiate a deal when you have an exclusive negotiating window. There no fuzz on that, since its the reports they put out there that indicate it. While they had no asset comparable to Holiday, that likely wasn’t important the goal should have been to get the deal done before any other team got involved. Not assume no other team could get involved.
Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t do, but that’s a retroactive determination. Nobody can this is that today. If they can snag Holiday, it will be a successful offseason.
Remember when Jimmy Butler was traded from Minnesota to Philly. The Heat didn’t want to give up Josh Richardson, for obvious reasons, and then they did eventually give him up, but also somehow moved off Hassan Whiteside at the same time. Point being, the Heat aren’t going to just make a deal to make a deal and give up pieces they don’t have to
MIA also gave up a 1st in the S&T for Butler. It’s the basis of the outstanding pick they currently owe to OKC. Not an insignificant asset.
The pick was always happening. It was including Rochardson that was the issue. They wanted to pair Butler and Richardson the whole time, Butler only had half a year left, and also had requested the trade, so it made zero sense they had to give up Rochardson, especially when we saw what Philly gave up. When they were able to get rid of Whiteside though, they jumped at it, and knew they still at least had DJJ at the time to make losing Richardson not as bad, though he was the exact perfect fit next to Herro and Duncan as well
As I said with out without a dame trade you still need to do something to get over the hump.
Age is a concern, the financial future is worrying and you must be starting to get somewhat desperate.
Like I’ve seen multiple times Charlotte Hornets..
Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and a protected first round pick for Gordan Hayward, Terry Rozier and Cody Martin.
Terry walks in as the teams new starting point guard and would be a solid fit playing with Jimmy and Bam. He’s happy to play on or off ball, he can handle the rock or can be a spot up shooter. He can defend well for his position and would suit that Miami style. Gordan Hayward slides in at either forward spot and gives them another reliable scoring option with experience. Personally I’d slide Jimmy back to SG and have Hayward as my SF and Caleb Martin stays as the PF.
Defensively I think that 5 does fine, Jimmy and Bam lead the way and with Spol’s coaching Terry and Caleb would be above average defenders also while Gordan not a complete liability.
Offensively you have 5 weapons all on the court with no easy assignments. Jimmys the main guy, Terry and Bam the clear sidekick options and then Gordan and Caleb can both give you 15 easy.
Off the bench you still have JRich Cody Martin and KLove. Jaquez will get minutes and Jovic is still there as a developing big.
All of a sudden age isn’t a concern and due to Gordon’s contract money no longer is either. I think it would be a slight improvement and maybe that’s all you need to get over the hump. Either way staying as is running it back getting older isn’t going to solve anything. Jimmy 34 there’s maybe only 1 or 2 seasons left until it’s time to go another direction.
“17 comments aren’t visible because you muted the comment author”
Looks like poor Kurtis lost his mind again
Kurtis … it’s all a conspiracy. You knew that, right?!? Here’s the dope: Since Pat Riley was an original expansion draft pick of the Trailblazers he has maintained a fondness for the franchise. He has been conspiring with Joe Cronin to assure that Lillard did not end up playing in Miami. The good news is that more drug kingpins and Kim Kardashian are still slated to arrive in Miami in the very near future to bolster the Heat roster. <— this is how you come across, K-blow, illogical, insipid, and just plain nutty.
I don’t view this as a “major loss”. As a huge Giannis fan, I’m happy for him.
Pat will figure something out. I’m sure he had contingencies planned for this.
Heat are defending EC Champs with mostly the same crew. Sure losing Gabe and Strus hurt a little, but the additions of Richardson and Bryant are very underrated. They needed Bryant’s size and Josh is a great fit.
Heat will be fine.
Bryant is there in case Kevin Love and/or Orlando Robinson get injured, though I agree with the rest of the sentiment
Richardson allows them to actually use Herro as a starter without it hurting the team
the Heat are overrated. I was shocked that they made it as far as they did. it was their Cinderella season. I wouldn’t be shocked if they missed the playoffs this year. surprised but not shocked