"You heard it here first" — Damian Lillard gives his vote of confidence to Miami Heat's latest acquisition
Nassir Little spent his first four seasons in the NBA alongside Damian Lillard at the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Phoenix Suns last offseason. The former first-round pick was reportedly added to the Miami Heat roster earlier this week. Miami made the move just a week removed from its media day and the start of training camp.
While it’s uncertain if Little’s acquisition can help the Heat elevate their play, Lillard has full faith in his former teammate. The Milwaukee Bucks guard shared an Instagram story on Thursday night with the caption:
“He has it in him… you heard it here first.”
That’s definitely a glowing recommendation from one of the best players of this generation. Whether Little can live up to the hype created by Lillard remains to be seen.
The Heat reportedly agreed to add Little to a one-year contract. Little’s contract is expected to be partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed, as Miami is just under the second apron of luxury tax. As per the Miami Herald, the Heat were just $1.6 million under the $188.9 million threshold for the second apron. The non-guaranteed nature of the deal helps Miami remain in the first apron.
The former Portland wing will look to revive his career in Miami after his numbers took a downward trajectory in his only season in Phoenix. Little averaged just 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 45 games for the Suns. Before that, he played 192 games for the Trail Blazers and averaged 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Nassir Little was part of the three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee
Damian Lillard’s move to the Milwaukee Bucks was the biggest talking point of the 2023 NBA offseason. The Bucks moved on from Jrue Holiday as they made space for Lillard and paired him with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Trail Blazers and Bucks had to also involve the Suns to get the trade done.
The Bucks received Lillard, while the Trail Blazers received Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara from the Suns and Jrue Holiday, two first-round pick swaps (2028, 2030) and a 2029 first-round pick from the Bucks. The Suns received Grayson Allen from the Bucks, and Keon Johnson, Nassir Little and Jusuf Nurkic from Portland.
The upcoming season will be crucial for Lillard and the Bucks after a first-round exit in the 2024 NBA playoffs.