Analyst Makes Bold Claim on Heat’s Outlook if Damian Lillard Trade Goes Through

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor isn’t sure if Miami can get back to the NBA Finals even if it acquires the All-Star Trail Blazers guard.

With Damian Lillard officially requesting a trade from the Trail Blazers, there continues to be speculation about where the seven-time All-Star could land.

Since discussions of Lillard’s potential trade began, the Heat have been widely considered the frontrunner to acquire the superstar point guard.

However, The Ringer NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor isn’t sure if the Heat is actually the best move for Lillard based on the moves other Eastern Conference teams have made this offseason.

“I just don’t know if the Miami Heat are actually going to be better than the Celtics or the Bucks next year in the Eastern Conference, even with Damian Lillard, and they can’t do anything else,” O’Connor said on Monday’s episode of Beyond the Arc.

“I just don’t know if the Miami Heat are actually going to be better than the Celtics or the Bucks next year in the eastern conference even with Damian Lillard.”

- @KevinOConnorNBA

(Via @FanDuelTV )

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2023

The Heat reportedly are “all in” on bringing Lillard to Miami, though, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reported Sunday.

If a Portland-Miami swap does occur, Lillard is expected to join the ranks of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, whom the Heat consider to be untouchable in trade talks. The Heat are coming off an NBA Finals appearance, but the Blazers haven’t reached the playoffs in the past two seasons.

Lillard averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game in 58 games last season. He also shot 37.1% from three-point range and averaged 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.