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If Damian Lillard ends up asking for a trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers, things could get tricky for the Washington Wizards and their bid to move Bradley Beal.
The Wizards are said to be in “serious” talks with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns for a Beal trade. However, if Lillard suddenly becomes available, Miami could shift their focus on acquiring Dame Time instead. Lillard and the Vice City franchise apparently have a mutual interest in joining forces together, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Miami would surely be at or the near the top of Damian Lillard's list of preferred destinations — with the Heat said to prefer the idea of acquiring Lillard over Beal if they had the choice,” Stein reported on his Substack.
“Miami, at present, does not have that choice. … The needle that the Wizards are trying to thread gets even more daunting if Lillard suddenly hits the market. The Heat, remember, are essentially at the top of the short list of teams that Beal is willing to join. Washington does not want to see the Heat pivot and focus its attention on trying to acquire Lillard.”
It will certainly be a major headache for the Wizards if their number of trade partners decreases. They still have the leverage right now since there are two teams competing for Beal, but if only the Suns are left, Phoenix might not be as willing to give so much for the star guard.
As for Damian Lillard, it will be interesting to see what he and the Blazers do. If Portland plans to enter a rebuild, Lillard could really want out. And Rip City will surely try to do him right by sending him to a contender or a team that he wants to play for. If there's any indication that Portland will trade Dame, the Heat could end up waiting for a bit before making a move for Beal.
