Virtually all of the trade rumors involving the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat feature Damian Lillard going to South Beach. A new report suggests that the Blazers have other plans. They are instead hoping to pry a star-level player away from the Heat. Could Portland actually trade for Bam Adebayo?

It's a scenario that the Blazers reportedly will try to make a reality. The Blazers are getting ready to offer the Heat what Portland thinks is a “compelling package” for Adebayo, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The Blazers reportedly view Adebayo one of the few players for whom trading the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft would be a worthy endeavor.

The Blazers, of course, can make any trade offer that they please. Portland can attempt to acquire Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo; it doesn't mean there's any realistic chance of such a deal happening. While Adebayo isn't on the same level as one of those NBA MVPs, it's hard to fathom any logical offer for Adebayo that the Heat would actually consider accepting. Even adding Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons won't improve Miami's immediate title hopes if it means giving up Adebayo.

The Heat just reached Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals with Adebayo as the team's clear second-best player. Just three years ago, the pairing of Adebayo and Jimmy Butler pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Miami was one victory away from winning the East again last year.

The Heat were linked to Bradley Beal and are reportedly prepared to make a trade offer for Lillard because they hope to add another scorer their core. Moving Adebayo is probably something Miami hasn't given serious thought.

Fischer notes that Blazers' plan does shed light on what kind of kind return it might take for Portland to part with the No. 3 pick. Portland would likely only make such a deal if it would allow the franchise to pair an All-NBA-level talent alongside Lillard.