After years of talk that it could eventually happen, multiple outlets reported Saturday morning that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has requested to be traded.
The Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers and San Antonio Spurs have been reported as Lillard’s preferred destinations, with multiple outlets reporting that the Heat are atop the list.
The sixth pick of the 2012 NBA draft out of Weber State, Lillard has spent his entire professional career with the Blazers, earning seven All-Star Game appearances along the way.
The 32-year-old has been known for making comments about staying loyal to Portland, but his stance has slowly changed over the past few years as the Blazers have gone from a Western Conference Finals team in 2019 to one that has won just 60 games combined the past two seasons.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, Lillard expressed that he wanted Portland management to build a contender this summer, but the Blazers opted to use the third pick in the draft on fellow 6-foot-2 guard Scoot Henderson, and then they reportedly agreed to a five-year, $160 million deal with forward Jerami Grant on Friday, limiting their ability to add more pieces to help Lillard.
Lillard’s contract will see him make $58.45 million in the 2025-2026 season, after which he’ll have a player option for the next season that would see him make $63.2 million.