(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Weeks after Damian Lillard asked the Portland Trail Blazers to trade him, there has been no progress made on a potential deal.
Lillard has made it clear that he wants to be sent to the Miami Heat, and the Heat could be the only team actually interested in trading for him.
The Blazers don’t seem interested in the offers Miami is making right now, and they reportedly want Jaime Jaquez Jr. to be included in any Lillard trade instead of big man Nikola Jovic, as shared by NBACentral on Twitter.
The Portland Trailblazers reportedly prefers Jaime Jaquez Jr. over Nikola Jovic in a potential Damian Lillard trade, per @GregSylvander
“Small update: A league source tells me that AS OF NOW: the perception is, Portland prefers Jaime Jaquez over Nikola Jovic to be involved in… pic.twitter.com/AgitpYR4dq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 1, 2023
Jaquez is a 6-foot-7 forward whom the Heat took in the first round of June’s draft, and he looked impressive at times during NBA Summer League play.
Last season, he averaged 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals a game while helping UCLA reach the Sweet Sixteen.
In addition to the type of scoring threat Lillard is, Miami does need more length in the frontcourt, and Jaquez may be ready to provide that right away.
The team did reach the NBA Finals where they lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games, but the group is seriously lacking offensive firepower, as they finished last during the regular season in points per game.
During the championship series, the Heat were held to 95 or fewer points four times.
The Lillard situation will likely drag on into the final days of the summer, and it seems possible that he will perhaps have to report to training camp as a member of the Blazers.
But it would benefit the Blazers to trade him, as they’re undergoing a youth movement and are nowhere near contending for the NBA title.
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