Damian Lillard trade rumors: Portland Trail Blazers still pressing Miami Heat for extending 'best offer'
The Damian Lillard saga remains to be the top story in the NBA. Since requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, there has been no real traction on a deal.
Not long after he requested the trade, Damian Lillard made it clear where he wants to end up. The Miami Heat are his desired landing spot as they give him a legitimate chance to compete for an NBA title.
While the Heat and Blazers have discussed a Lillard trade, things have not progressed much. Portland is keeping the price high for their star guard, and Miami has not put together promising packages.
During a recent episode of "The Rally," NBA insider Shams Charania detailed the latest on the Lillard front. He cited that the Blazers' front office has compelled the Heat to come to them with their best offer.
"What I'm told Portland has told Miami is this, make your best offer to us. The sides have spoken recently but nothing significant has come to it."
"What I'm told Portland has told Miami is this: Make your best offer to us."
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on Damian Lillard's potential trade. https://t.co/jiHwoShwSS
It's clear Portland has no problem getting Lillard where he wants to go, but they want to make sure they are properly compensated.
Shams Charania details what a possible Damian Lillard trade might look like
After diving into the latest reporting on the Damian Lillard saga, Shams Charania also touched on what a deal could be. It included expiring contracts like Kyle Lowry, multiple picks and pick swaps, and Tyler Herro being re-routed to a third team for more draft compensation.
"When you look at potenital packages from Miami to Portland, you look at expiring contracts. Perhaps a young player like Nikola Jovic, three to four first-round picks where Tyler Herro would be going to a third team."
Typically, a promising young player like Herro would be the centerpiece of a big trade like this. However, the Portland Trail Blazers have made it clear they aren't interested in taking him back.
With Lillard on the way out, the Blazers will be going into a full rebuild. That being said, they already have some of the main pieces for the next phase of the franchise. Since they are guards like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, they don't want to create a log jam by acquiring a player like Herro.
Based on Shams' reporting, it's fair to assume the two sides are still far apart. This opens to door for Lillard not being traded until closer to the start of training camp and the regular season.