Make no mistake about it — Damian Lillard's proposed trade move to the Miami Heat is anything but dead. The rumors may have died down a bit of late, but you can be sure that both Miami and the Portland Trail Blazers are doing everything they can to make this deal work. After all, Portland owes Dame that much.

Stephen A Smith has once again spoken out about Lillard's current predicament. The renowned ESPN broadcaster is well aware of the critics surrounding Dame's looming move to South Beach, and Smith has a special message to every single person who's questioning Lillard's intentions here:

“I respectfully want to submit to folks in the industry who have been critical of Damian Lillard – shut the hell up,” Smith said. “… You ain't going no damn where anywhere anyway for the foreseeable future if you're the Portland Trail Blazers. People acting like Damian Lillard is doing something wrong by literally telling you where he wants to go. It is not a crime, he has earned that right.”

Stephen A hit the nail on the head here. After all that he's done for the Blazers over the past decade or so, Lillard now deserves to be happy (and a shot at winning a championship, of course). He's even singled out the Heat as his preferred destination, which to some extent, should make things easier for Portland to strike a deal. Smith also points out that with a package involving Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and up to four picks from the Heat, the Blazers should be able to make this deal happen.