The Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat are seemingly at a stalemate in Damian Lillard trade talks. In order for a trade to get done, the Heat will likely have to find a taker for Tyler Herro, allowing Miami to send more draft picks to the Blazers. There's been speculation that the Brooklyn Nets could help facilitate a Heat-Blazers Damian Lillard trade. Such a deal would presumably send Ben Simmons' contract to Portland and Herro to the Nets.

Two weeks since Lillard's trade request, such a proposal is no more than simple speculation. The Nets haven't had “meaningful trade conversations” about using Simmons to help get Lillard to the Heat, league sources told Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.

Simmons is a logical trade candidate because of the two years and nearly $80 million left on his contract. In theory, he could be used as salary-filler in a three-way trade between the Blazers, Heat and Nets. If Portland is looking to rebuild once the Lillard era concludes in Portland, the team might be fine with taking on Simmons' contract if it receives a trade package loaded with future first-round draft picks.

Simmons is only two years removed from making his third straight All-Star team. After missing the entire 2021-2022 season, he looked like a shell of his old self with the Nets during the 2022-2023 campaign. Simmons posted career lows across the board with averages of 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.

Injuries limited Simmons to playing half the season. Nets General Manager Sean Marks recently said that Simmons still isn't playing 3-on-3 basketball in his rehab from a back injury.