Bradley Beal is now a member of the Suns, as the Wizards finally traded their longtime star guard to Phoenix for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, pick swaps, and a handful of second rounders.
That deal kickstarts a Draft week that could see some significant movement throughout the league, with just about every team picking after the Spurs seemingly being willing to part with their pick for the right price. Charlotte seems more likely to make the pick at No. 2 than not, as they’d need to be bowled over by an offer to drop out of that position, but Portland has plenty of motivation to move out of the No. 3 pick. The problem for the Blazers is they need to find a team willing to part with an impact veteran for that pick, and the right offer being out there will likely be dependent on whether Scoot Henderson is available.
Should they be unable to find a trade for that No. 3 pick and fail to land the kind of help they need to become a contender, it is possible that Damian Lillard joins Beal in finally asking for a trade. That is apparently what the Miami Heat are banking on, as they were the other reported finalist for Beal but somewhat oddly chose not to try and beat the offer the Suns made, which didn’t even include an actual first round pick going back to Washington. According to Chris Haynes, Miami refusing to budge off of a relatively low offer was because they have “genuine belief” Lillard may come available.
Miami’s focus is Portland superstar Damian Lillard with the genuine belief this could be the offseason the veteran guard seeks a change of scenery, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 18, 2023
Now, we have heard of teams wishcasting Lillard onto the trade market for years, but any time a report about Lillard comes from Haynes in particular, it is noteworthy. Haynes is extremely close to Lillard — like, in each others weddings close — and even if this is a report about the Heat’s interest in the star, it’s hard not to feel like Haynes has unique insight into how Lillard is feeling privately. Publicly, Lillard continues to push back on the idea he’ll ask out, but others close to him, like CJ McCollum, seem to believe it’s a more real chance this summer than ever before.
While Miami would be near the top of Lillard’s wishlist, the Blazers would not have to send him to his absolute preferred destination if there’s a better haul out there to be had. Washington was at the mercy of Beal and his no trade clause, but Lillard doesn’t possess the same amount of power to totally dictate where he goes, even as Portland would likely look to work out a deal amicable to all parties. As such, there would be a big hurdle for Miami to clear in making an offer strong enough to get Lillard, who would command considerably more than what Washington got for Beal.
We’ll find out Thursday exactly what direction the Blazers are going in and whether the league will suddenly be on Dame Watch or not.