NBA Trades: This Blazers, Heat, 76ers, and Clippers swap would alter NBA
By Cal Durrett
NBA Trades: Would the Portland Trail Blazers agree to the trade?
Since Lillard first requested to be traded, the Blazers have done a good job of playing hardball and putting pressure on the Heat. Although Lillard wants to play in Miami, Portland clearly isn’t going to just hand him over to the Heat. That opens the door for another team to swoop in and trade for him, and with four years left on his deal, he would have no control over the situation. That has probably led to him applying pressure on the Heat to get a deal done, no matter what it takes.
With some maneuvering, Miami can offer three first-round picks, though they have apparently been shopping Herro to try and acquire another to offer the Blazers. This hypothetical deal would net Portland a recent first-round pick in Jovic as well as four first-round picks and mostly expiring contracts.
They also get off Lillard’s awful deal, which will pay him $50 million when he is 36 years old. Not taking back bad long-term deals, getting off of one, and ideally adding five first-rounders would actually be a good haul for the Blazers if this deal went down.