Let's go ahead and do what Damian Lillard so far will not: imagine his fit on more than one NBA team.
Ever since requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, the 33-year-old has remained "unwavering" in his insistence that he be sent to the Miami Heat. That may very well be his end destination—especially if his agent, Aaron Goodwin, successfully convinces every other potential suitor Lillard will not suit up for them.
Still, talks between the Heat and Blazers reportedly have "no real traction" weeks later. And with Lillard under contract for another four years (2026-27 player option), one of the 28 other squads not on his list could swoop in, roll the dice, acquire him and hope it all works out.
Random star destinations are not exactly standard fare. They're not unheard of, either. The Oklahoma City Thunder went off-book and dealt for Paul George in 2017. The Toronto Raptors did the same and snagged Kawhi Leonard in 2018—and then won a title.
Lillard's case is equal parts more complex and intriguing. He theoretically has less leverage than George or Leonard, because he's not on the verge of reaching free agency. But the $216 million he's owed over the next four years, at his age, are either a deterrent, an asset to risk-averse organizations or some combination of both.
This is all to say, we absolutely need to imagine what Lillard will look like on the Heat. And yet, it also behooves us to envision how he'll fit in on a smattering of other teams.
I have plucked five squads from three buckets just for the occasion: where Dame wants to play (Miami); two prospective suitors who can talk themselves past his narrow wish list; and two tantalizing-as-hell-long-shots that, if I had my druthers, would be aggressively party-crashing these sweepstakes. To the Vision Board!
Miami Heat: An Elite Big 3
Miami stands alone under the "Where Dame Wants to Play Umbrella," and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. The Heat are among the easier teams to envision him on, in large part because we know almost exactly what a prospective package will consist of, regardless of how many facilitating parties it must involve: Tyler Herro, one of Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson, perhaps a younger player or two and a bunch of picks.
Partnering Dame with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler creates one of the league's two most lethal trios. (The other is in Phoenix.) He can be a featured attraction in their dribble (and no-dribble) handoff situations or take up the accessory mantle, flying around off pin-downs and backdoor cuts.
Lillard's outside shot-making, in general, would be a huge add. Neither of Miami's incumbent stars launches triples at a high volume, let alone fire them off the dribble. Luka Doncic was the only player in the league last year who attempted more pull-up threes than Dame, who downed his at a 37.2 percent clip. His brand of detonating would significantly beef up a half-court offense that ranked in the bottom eight during the regular season.
Certain teams might struggle to insulate Lillard on defense. The Heat aren't one of them. Adebayo and Butler are all-world stoppers, Josh Richardson still hustles on that end, and keeping one or both of Lowry and Caleb Martin would go a long way toward preserving Miami's top-shelf stinginess.
