It's been two and a half months since Damian Lillard asked to be traded, and the Portland Trail Blazers don't appear to be any closer to moving the point guard. The idea that Damian Lillard would soon be traded to the Miami Heat has not come to fruition. It's unknown when trade talks between the Trail Blazers and Heat might pick up again.
Lillard wants to play for the Heat. Miami wants to trade for Lillard. The Blazers are ready to move on from its best player, but its asking price is still too high for the Heat's liking.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat are essentially daring the Trail Blazers to find a better trade package for Lillard than what Miami is willing to pay. With the start of the regular season only a month away, Portland has yet to find such a deal.
The Blazers are believed to want Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin and all of Miami's future first-round draft picks.
Lillard's request to be traded to Miami shouldn't prevent other teams from trying to acquire him. The Blazers star has three guaranteed years left on his contract and a player option for $63.2 million in the fourth year of the deal. If Lillard were traded to a team other than the Heat, it's almost inconceivable that he would simply decide not to play.
But Lillard's age and contract have likely limited his trade market. He's still one of the best players in the NBA, having averaged 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game last season.
The Brooklyn Nets have been considered to be a potential landing spot for Lillard. The Nets don't seem willing to give up all their draft capital in exchange for the Blazers star.