The Miami Heat were the preferred trade destination of Damian Lillard and though his trade market with other teams was slow to materialize, they were not expecting a deal for him to eventually come. The Blazers traded Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks shortly before the start of training camp.
“I don’t think it was a surprise to them that they didn’t get Damian Lillard,” said ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “From what I’ve been told, they didn’t have many substantive conversations with the Portland Trail Blazers about Damian Lillard all summer long. Probably, the most substantive conversation they had was right after Summer League. So it wasn’t a surprise when he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“They had been planning for life without Damian Lillard, without this option coming to fruition because there simply wasn’t an engagement from the Portland Trail Blazers with the Miami Heat.
“The Heat had been planning to be without Damian Lillard and not have that come around all summer long.”