Damian Lillard

Heat Notes: Lillard, Peterson, Jaquez, C. Butler

July 16th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although Heat rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. played in just one full Summer League contest and less than half of a second before being shut down due to a shoulder ailment, Miami already likes what it’s seeing out of the UCLA alum.

Heat general manager Andy Elisburg raved about Jaquez’ fit during an interview on WQAM, as recounted by Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I think he’s our type of guy,” Elisburg said. “I think he comes from the same kind of ethos that we think we value, with players that we value. He has that kind of competitiveness and the work ethic that you want to see.

“… You’re excited to see what he’s able to do as he takes his game and grows it. At this point in time, he’s got things he does well, things he can do better at. And the great players take the things that they can do better at, and become better at that.”

There’s more out of Miami:

Given how pricey the final two years of Damian Lillard‘s contract are, the Heat are currently not particularly inclined to increase their offer for the Trail Blazers point guard, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN recently revealed during an interview on the network (Twitter video link via ClutchPoints). “The Miami Heat, the team that is most motivated to trade for Damian Lillard, where he wants to end up, they don’t want to be in a situation where they’re bidding against themselves right now,” Woj said (hat tip to HoopsHype for the transcription). “They look out into the marketplace, they see teams that are – they know the market does not love the idea of paying Damian Lillard a $60MM average at 35 and 36 years old over the last two years of that deal. If this was a contract with two years left, it would be different, perhaps. So there’s no rush for either side to be real aggressive in their conversations with each other.”
Drew Peterson, an undrafted combo forward out of USC, has been making waves as a sharpshooter while playing for the Heat’s Summer League club. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald wonders if the 6’9″ prospect could become Miami’s latest undrafted diamond-in-the-rough discovery. He will reportedly sign an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the team. His size and shooting ability already appears to be intriguing the club. “Because he caught on to the team continuity and understood the concept of what we were trying to get accomplished,” assistant coach and Summer League head coach Caron Butler said. “From the spacing standpoint, playing off the other guys, the handlers, catch-and-goes, he’s done a remarkable job with that.” Across his three games with the Heat, Peterson is connecting on 57.1% of his 4.7 long range tries per contest.
Butler, an All-Star in his playing days, has unexpectedly fallen in love with coaching, Chiang writes in another Miami Herald story. “I didn’t know that I was going to fall in love with the game and the teaching and all those things,” Butler told Chiang. “But it’s something that I just can’t see myself not doing now because of the connection with the players and seeing them get it and the information that you instill in them. That feeling is priceless.” After retiring from the league in 2016, Butler served as a TV analyst, first for the college game with ESPN in 2017, and subsequently for the Lakers, Wizards and the NBA at large with various networks. He joined Erik Spoelstra‘s coaching staff for the 2020/21 season.

Trail Blazers Notes: Henderson, Draft, Billups, Lillard

July 15th, 2023 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Scoot Henderson‘s role in the Trail Blazers’ backcourt will be vastly different if Damian Lillard gets traded, but the former G League Ignite star plans to approach his rookie season the same way no matter what happens. In an interview with Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Henderson said he’s grateful for the advice Lillard has offered so far and he’s not watching the internet to check the status of trade talks.

“If he leaves, I’m going to just embrace that,” Henderson said. “I’m going to embrace being the point guard for the team. And that comes with practice. I don’t have my spot guaranteed; I know that. My goal is to get better every day at practice and get better game by game.”

Midway through the interview, members of the Hornets walked past and Brandon Miller stopped to ask Henderson about the shoulder injury he suffered in his first Summer League game. O’Connor questioned Henderson about why Miller was drafted ahead of him and whether sliding to No. 3 will provide any extra incentive.

“If I was the no. 1 pick I’d still feel the edge,” Henderson replied. “So just making sure everybody knows that that’s how I’m coming, and I’m coming up with a fiery edge for myself no matter where I went. I would’ve had the same edge if I went 1. My main focus is basketball and being the greatest version of myself. So, whether I was 1, 2, 50, I would still have that edge.”

There’s more on the Blazers:

Henderson made an extremely strong impression on rival teams with his Summer League performance, even though it was limited to 21 minutes, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix said a couple representatives from other teams suggested that even the Spurs might eventually regret passing on Henderson to take Victor Wembanyama.
Portland coach Chauncey Billups admitted that Lillard’s trade request has brought a level of chaos to the summer, Mannix adds. Billups stated that he understands that Lillard needs to make the best decision for his career, and he complimented general manager Joe Cronin for how he has handled the situation. “You can’t control fate. So we’ll see how it plays,” Billups said. “But for me as a coach, there’s a lot of other guys on the team that I have to coach and that I have to be here for, that I have to mentor, I have to teach, and I want us to just continue to move forward, however we do that.”
Lillard posted an Instagram message Friday night to try to calm a social media controversy, per Larry Brown Sports. Lillard recently liked a tweet calling for Nike founder Phil Knight to buy the team from Jody Allen and convince Lillard to change his mind about being traded. On Instagram, Lillard called the incident a “mishap” and said he didn’t intend to disrespect Allen.

Heat Notes: Dragic, Lillard, Vincent, Smith

July 14th, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Rory Maher

In an interview with local media in Slovenia, free agent point guard Goran Dragic revealed he had knee surgery during the 2022/23 season, which is why he was released by the Bulls and only played seven games after he signed with the Bucks, per Špela Lenart of Siol.net. Dragic previously said he was dealing with left knee soreness.

“I played really well until the middle of the season, then I had problems with a knee injury, so after that, it was kind of all agreed that they would bring Patrick Beverley to Chicago, and I went to Milwaukee. Then I also underwent knee surgery, which until now no one knew,” Dragic said (hat tip to BasketNews.com).

The 37-year-old said he’d like to return to the Heat if he’s able to, writes Lenart.

“The main desire is to return to Miami,” Dragic said. “Now everyone is waiting for Damian Lillard to decide where he will go next, so everyone is off to a slow start. When this is known, the movement for the other players will open as well.

“We are in talks with a few clubs, but much more will be known in a few days when the news will be released. You will see.”

However, there’s “nothing imminent” on a deal between the Heat and Dragic, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). If a deal were to happen, it would likely be closer to training camp, according to Jackson.

“The Dragon” played seven seasons with Miami from 2014-21, making his lone All-Star appearance in ’17/18. He played 58 total games last season, averaging 6.3 points and 2.6 assists on .421/.359/.689 shooting.

Here’s more out of Miami:

As of mid-week, apparently the Trail Blazers had been “unmotivated” to seriously engage with the Heat on a potential Lillard trade, according to Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Jackson’s reporting isn’t very surprising. Blazers GM Joe Cronin recently said a deal could take “months,” while other reports have stated there hasn’t been much progress in talks.
Appearing on JJ Redick‘s The Old Man and the Three podcast, Gabe Vincent discussed his decision to join the Lakers and leave Miami, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes. “It was very difficult,” Vincent said of leaving the Heat. “The relationships that I have with those guys are, to me, lifelong. Even the guys that I played with, to the staff, to the front office. I got to know all of them very well and closely. So it wasn’t an easy decision.” Financial constraints were the obstacle, with Vincent later telling Chiang he’d miss his teammates and will always look back fondly on his time with the organization.
Dru Smith is back with the Heat, on his fourth two-way deal in under two years, after finishing last season with the Nets on a two-way contract. He spoke this week about why he keeps ending up in Miami, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “I think it’s because I’m a good fit,” Smith said. “I think just the way the Heat like to play, the style of basketball they like to play, I think it fits my game well. I think I’m lucky to be here. I’m thankful to have this opportunity again.”

Fischer’s Latest: Blazers, Simmons, Payne, McConnell, Fournier

July 12th, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin didn’t appear to be posturing when he recently commented on the status of Damian Lillard‘s trade request, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who writes that there wasn’t any buzz at Summer League about progress between the Blazers and the Heat on a possible deal.

Based on the way Portland has patiently handled the situation thus far, Fischer believes the process could indeed take months. The Blazers are said to be looking for something in the neighborhood of a Kevin Durant-type return in exchange for Lillard — a couple of very good young players and four first-round picks.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Nets have been linked as a possible third team trade partner in talks between Portland and Miami (with rumored interest in Tyler Herro), but league sources tell Fischer that Brooklyn hasn’t had any serious talks involving Ben Simmons on that front. As Fischer points out, the Nets are surely aware that Simmons’ value has cratered, but they also seem “genuinely intrigued” by pairing a healthy Simmons with a much different roster in 2023/24 after trading Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Suns have been involved in trade talks regarding point guard Cameron Payne, with Phoenix targeting Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell, perhaps in a multi-team deal, Fischer reports. Payne recently had his expiring $6.5MM contract fully guaranteed, while McConnell will earn $18MM over the next two seasons, $13.7MM of which is guaranteed.
The Knicks continue to actively explore Evan Fournier trades and are open to multi-team scenarios, sources tell Fischer. Fournier was pulled from New York’s rotation fairly early last season, only appearing in 27 contests and struggling with his shot in limited minutes. The 30-year-old will earn $18.86MM in 2023/24 and has a $19MM team option for ’24/25 that is highly likely to be declined.

Northwest Notes: Lillard, T. Brown, Milton, J. Collins, OKC

July 11th, 2023 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter (YouTube link) on Monday night to provide an update on the Damian Lillard trade talks, Adrian Wojnarowski said it’s still “very early” in the process, pointing out that there’s no deadline looming to force the Trail Blazers into action — or to push potential Lillard suitors to submit their best offers.

While the Clippers would “love to be part of this process,” they don’t necessarily have the sort of assets the Blazers are seeking for Lillard, according to Wojnarowski. Portland also isn’t particularly moved by what what the Heat has to offer, but that Miami package may be the best the Blazers can get, Woj suggests.

“Now it’s going to be a process over perhaps this month, August, maybe into September, for Portland to try to extract as much as they can from Miami,” Wojnarowski said. “It isn’t like Miami comes to the table and says, ‘Here’s everything we have for Damian Lillard. Here you go.’ It doesn’t start that way. They’re gauging what Portland has (had) offered to them elsewhere.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Troy Brown‘s two-year, $8MM deal with the Timberwolves is only guaranteed for one year, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Brown’s $4MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed. The Wolves used the same structure when they signed Shake Milton, whose $5MM salary for ’23/24 is guaranteed while his $5MM salary for ’24/25 isn’t, Hoops Rumors has learned. Nickeil Alexander-Walker‘s two-year, $9MM contract, on the other hand, is fully guaranteed.
After being the subject of trade speculation for years in Atlanta, John Collins is looking forward to getting a fresh start with the Jazz, he said during an interview on the team’s official website. “I was excited going to a place that I knew really wanted me and was trying to have me in the organization,” Collins said. “It’s always very nice to hear and know coming to a place that really wants you and really wants you to excel here. It’s a big sigh of relief knowing that all the trade talks are over and I can go to my new home and start anew.”
The Thunder‘s decision to use their cap room to accommodate salary dumps like Davis Bertans, Victor Oladipo, and Patty Mills this offseason reflected the team’s focus on its young core, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. As Mussatto explains, with potentially pricey extensions coming down the road for players like Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City didn’t want to compromise future cap flexibility by signing a free agent to a long-term deal.

Blazers GM: Lillard Deal Could Be Months Away

July 10th, 2023 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin isn’t in any rush to deal Damian Lillard, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Cronis has explored the market for Lillard but hasn’t found a suitable deal. Lillard has expressed his desire to be traded, specifically to the Heat.

“I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situations post-trade have been the ones that have been really diligent in taking their time and not been impulsive, or the teams that really kept their urgency under control,” Cronin said during a Monday news conference. “So I think that’s how my approach has been with this and will be with this. We’re going to be patient; we’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”

Cronin hasn’t had direct contact with Lillard since the perennial All-Star made his trade request on July 1. It came shortly after a meeting between the guard and Portland’s front office, after which Cronin released a short statement that implied Lillard wanted to stay.

The Blazers re-signed veteran forward Jerami Grant but otherwise haven’t done much with the roster since the draft. Cronin selected guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick instead of dealing it for a proven player. He drafted another teenager, Shaedon Sharpe, last year in the lottery.

“Building around Dame has always been the goal all the way, even through the draft,” Cronin said. “The difficult things we ran into were finding the right deals. In the previous two years, we drafted at seven, then we drafted at three. In the meantime we were scouring the market looking for more win now players and what kept happening was those players just weren’t available. … I could see why Dame would look at it and say. ‘Well this isn’t a win-now opportunity as much as, or this isn’t as much of a win-now opportunity as some other places. So from that regard, I mean I understand his position and I respect it and it makes sense to me why he would look to go elsewhere.”

While Cronin respects Lillard’s desire to go to Miami, the GM insists he won’t make that trade unless he gets the right package.

“What the rest of his career looks like matters to us and we care about that,” Cronin said. “At the same time, we have to do what’s best for us and we’ve got to find the right deal and find the right makeup of the team that we’re going to go forward with. So you hope that you can find that perfect situation where that lines up and he goes to a place that he wants to and you get the best return possible. It’s complicated, and usually it doesn’t work out just like that.”

The best solution, according to Cronin, would be for Lillard to change his mind about being traded, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian tweets.

“The goal has always been to have Dame as a Trail Blazer and always will be. We want him to retire as a Trail Blazer,” Cronin said. “So, we’re very open minded to any time Damian wants to be a part of us.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Harden, Lillard, Reed, Wall, Knicks

July 10th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid admitted being disappointed in James Harden‘s trade request during an interview Sunday with Rachel Nichols of Showtime (Twitter link). Embiid also said he understands that it’s the “business” side of the league and expressed hope that Harden’s “mindset can be changed.”

It was Embiid’s first public comment on the situation since Harden expressed a desire to be traded after deciding to pick up his $35.6MM option for next season. The Clippers are reportedly his preferred destination, although there has been little indication of any progress in trade talks.

Embiid also said he and Harden will remain friends no matter what happens with the trade request, but he would like to have him stay in Philadelphia and see what they can accomplish under new head coach Nick Nurse.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers don’t have the assets for a Damian Lillard trade, even if president of basketball operations Daryl Morey decides to include Tyrese Maxey in his offer, argues David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Murphy points out that recent trades involving the NBA’s top stars have involved parcels of draft assets, which Morey doesn’t have available. The Sixers are limited to offering one future first-round pick, plus four pick swaps, which is unlikely to interest a team like the Trail Blazers, who will be hoping to build around young talent if they move Lillard.
The decision to match Utah’s offer sheet for Paul Reed leaves the Sixers $6.6MM over the tax threshold with 13 players holding guaranteed contracts, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
The Celtics were among the teams that attended John Wall‘s private workout Sunday in Las Vegas, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. However, Brian Robb of MassLive doesn’t see Wall as a good fit in light of the team’s recent moves. Boston signed free agent point guard Dalano Banton this summer and already has Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard on the roster. The Celtics are already facing a significant tax bill, Robb adds, and any free agent addition would bring millions more in tax penalties. Iko identifies the Trail Blazers as another team that sent representatives to watch Wall.
Knicks officials were at a private workout for free agents Alize Johnson and Ben McLemore, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Johnson played four games for the Spurs last season before being waived in December, while McLemore most recently played in China.

Trail Blazers Notes: Henderson, Injury, K. Johnson, Lillard

July 8th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Before leaving Friday’s game with a right shoulder injury, Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson showed why he’s considered one of the elite talents in this year’s draft class, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic.

In a matchup with Rockets rookie Amen Thompson, Henderson turned in a breathtaking performance with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds in 21 minutes before being pulled from the game midway through the third quarter. Quick notes that Henderson showed off his feel for the game and the highly touted physical skills that made him the No. 3 overall pick.

“He has so much fire,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “He never hangs his head, even when things go bad. And he has an ability to bring guys with him, if that makes sense. At a young age, that’s not easy. And I’ll be honest with you: the fact he played in the G League for the last two years? At 17, he has led men already. He’s been doing this for a while and most people don’t put enough credit on that.”

Henderson wasn’t made available to reporters after the game, and the team didn’t offer an update on his condition. It wasn’t clear when or how the injury occurred, but he was scheduled for an evaluation Friday night, with more news likely to come today.

There’s more on the Trail Blazers:

Regardless of what the medical tests show, there’s a good chance Henderson won’t play any more in Las Vegas, Quick adds. He points out that the team had a similar situation last year with Shaedon Sharpe, who suffered a small labral tear in his left shoulder during his first game and was held out for the rest of Summer League. Henderson wasn’t in obvious pain after the game and didn’t have a sling or wrap on his shoulder, Quick tweets.
Keon Johnson will miss the rest of Summer League after dislocating his right index finger Friday night, according to Quick (Twitter link). Johnson battled through injuries last season, including a fractured finger.
Damian Lillard has put the Blazers in a difficult position with his insistence to be traded to the Heat, and it’s in the best interest of both sides to avoid a nasty separation, states Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Portland officials reportedly aren’t impressed by Miami’s initial offer, and there’s a chance that trade negotiations will drag on throughout the summer.

Trade/FA Rumors: Lillard, LaVine, Sixers, Reed, Reaves, Spurs

July 7th, 2023 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are believed to be seeking a package in the neighborhood of four first-round picks and two quality players in exchange for Damian Lillard, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, who spoke to Lillard’s agent Aaron Goodwin about the negotiations. Goodwin reiterated that he’s telling other teams that his client only wants to play for the Heat.

“It’s not fair to a team to allow them to engage in a negotiation that could be futile in the end,” Goodwin told Fentress.

While Lillard may be focused on the Heat, it would require the involvement of at least one more team for the Blazers to get a package anywhere near the level they’re looking for. Having traded its 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City, Miami can only currently offer two first-rounders.

As we wait to see if negotiations between Portland and Miami gather any momentum with teams convening at the Las Vegas Summer League, here are a few more trade and free agency rumors from around the NBA:

League sources tell K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that Zach LaVine‘s name has come up in preliminary trade discussions with both the Sixers and Trail Blazers. Neither of those conversations gained traction, according to Johnson, who hears that the Bulls‘ asking price for LaVine has been “extremely high.” Still, Johnson says the team has “fluctuated in its belief in LaVine’s consistency as a lead option.”
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com hears from sources familiar with the situation that the conversations between the Sixers and Bulls were really just “check-in” talks prior to the draft and didn’t evolve beyond that. So there’s no indication at this point that any multi-team deal involving LaVine and James Harden is on the way, Neubeck writes.
The Sixers‘ deals with centers Mohamed Bamba and Montrezl Harrell haven’t diminished their desire to retain restricted free agent Paul Reed, a team source tells Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Spurs legitimately considered the possibility of an offer sheet for restricted free agent guard Austin Reaves, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast. The Lakers ultimately re-signed Reaves on a four-year, $54MM deal, which was the most that they could give him directly — another team could’ve tested Los Angeles’ resolve by making a four-year offer worth up to $102MM. “I know San Antonio was going back and forth on it and for whatever reason didn’t do it,” Lowe said.

Latest On Damian Lillard

July 6th, 2023 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Damian Lillard‘s agent, Aaron Goodwin, confirms that his client only wants to be traded to the Heat, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported that Goodwin was attempting to steer his client to Miami while discouraging other teams from pursuing a trade for the perennial All-Star guard. In comments to Jackson, Lillard’s agent responded to that ESPN report.

“I do what I should for my client. Some teams I did call. Other teams have called me,” Goodwin said. “It’s a respectful relationship with most teams. Truthfully, he wants to play in Miami. Period.”

Despite Lillard’s focus on Miami, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin plans to speak with other GMs and team presidents during the Las Vegas Summer League. Still, Goodwin believes Cronin will eventually grant Lillard’s wish, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian tweets.

“I had a positive conversation with Joe and I made it clear that Damian would want them to sit down and have a meaningful negotiation with Miami.” Goodwin said. “And I think that’s something that Joe and the Blazers will do.”

We have more on Lillard:

So what if Lillard gets traded to another team besides the Heat? A source familiar with his thinking claims that the star guard would hold out, according to Mark Medina of Sportsnaut.com. “He just wouldn’t go,” the source said. “He just wouldn’t report. … I don’t think the other team would trade for him knowing that he doesn’t want to be there.” While it’s possible that source is right about how Lillard would respond to being traded to a non-Heat team, it’s hard not to interpret it as a leverage play, given that Lillard has four years remaining on his contract.
The Jazz made a call to to the Blazers regarding Lillard but didn’t make any type of formal offer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Although Utah could dangle draft picks and developing young players for Lillard, he doesn’t fit the timeline for its young core, Wojnarowski points out.
A couple of league sources close to the situation told the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang that it wouldn’t be surprising if Lillard remains in limbo for weeks while Portland waits for better trade offers. Lillard’s desire to go to Miami could depresses the market. With the start of training camp still three months away. the Heat don’t have to push the panic button and increase whatever offer they have on the table.
The Sixers haven’t entirely ruled out the possibility of trading for Lillard, but they’ve “consistently underplayed” the odds of it happening, sources tell Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.

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