It appears that the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers are not any closer on a potential Damian Lillard trade. Although Lillard has made his desire to play in Miami clear, the Heat's unwillingness to include certain players has put a hold on what was initially projected to be the blockbuster deal of the summer.

The latest report reveals that the Heat have been hesitant to include forward Caleb Martin in a potential deal, per Sam Amico of Hoopswire.com.

After what we saw last spring, it's easy to understand why Miami might hesitate to part ways with Martin's services. Caleb Martin was absolutely electric throughout the 2023 postseason, establishing himself as Miami's most consistent player in their Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Boston Celtics.

While Martin has always been a solid rotational piece, the lightning rod performance more or less came out of nowhere and it's fair to wonder whether or not a Lillard deal would have been completed by now had Martin not gone supernova against the Celtics.

As for the Blazers, it's easy to see why they'd want Martin back in return for the best player in their franchise's history. His versatility as well as his defensive prowess made him an invaluable piece for an NBA Finalist and would provide a stabilizing presence next to youngster Scoot Henderson, whom the Blazers drafted this past June.

While a theoretical trade could happen at any time, the clock is ticking down on the NBA offseason, with the regular season slated to tip off on October 24.