After the official opening of the NBA2023 free market, Damian Lillard, who was waiting for a whole day, lost his patience with the Portland Trail Blazers - the star point guard with a bright record, who scored 71 points in a single game last season, put down his foolish loyalty and formally applied for a trade with the team he has worked for 11 years.

No quarrel, no tears after the two disgust, Lillard, who was selected 7 times All-Star and 7 times the best team, finally accepted the advice of senior Garnett, gently ended the relationship with the mother team, and embarked on the same road as Garnett.

Damian Lillard

Lillard's 'amicable' parting with Blazers

From full of hope to extreme disappointment, such a wait occurred in the past 11 years every offseason night, especially in the 2015 offseason, the Blazers started five to four, the team officially established Lillard as the core of the team, the annual free market and trade window for him is a torment and consumption.

But this year's situation is particularly serious: although Lillard's relationship with the Blazers is still strong, the former did not make good use of the No. 3 pick in his hands to strengthen the trade, but drafted another point guard Scott Henderson, making the already bloated point guard position more crowded.

Although Lillard was not comfortable with the selection of Henderson, he remained patient enough with the Blazers: on Tuesday local time, Lillard considered applying for a trade when the Blazers met, but as free agency approached, Lillard wanted to give the Blazers every opportunity to improve the team, and he remained quiet and supportive.

But once again, the Blazers failed Lillard, and they did nothing on the first day of free agency except bring back forward Jerami Grant, watching a host of outstanding free agents make their next move.

Jerami Grant

This outcome is not surprising, long before Lillard's meeting with the team, many team executives around the league believed that the two sides would part ways.

When a team with a perennial record can not meet the desire of the star to fight for the championship, the breakup of the two has become a foregone conclusion: Lillard's peak years have little left, and it is better to give up the foolish loyalty and "one man, one city" feelings to chase the championship.

For the Blazers, although Lillard can get 32.2 points per game last season, but he is already 32 years old, and the next four seasons have a contract of 216 million US dollars, he is only one injury away from the bottom of his value, if he can not be traded before the new season, the risk faced by the Blazers in the future is undoubtedly huge. Under the premise that you already have an alternative (the new team of detective Henderson), it is wise to stop the loss while the trading value of the star is still high.

Lillard and Heat have already exchanged eyes

In this year's offseason, Lillard's name is frequently associated with teams that want to strengthen the championship, the most noteworthy of which is the Miami Heat that has just staged the "Black eight miracle", relying on a bunch of draft picks all the way back to the finals.

When Lillard had not yet met with the Blazers, the Heat had decided to wait patiently for Lillard to make a decision, and star Jimmy Butler quickly conveyed a message to the team that Lillard was his first target; After the free market opened, the heat quickly cleared the team's back line, sent Vincent and Struth two big draft picks, and the team prepared for the arrival of Lillard.

Jimmy Butler

Lillard also has a strong interest in the Heat, he and the Heat's No. 2 star Adebayo is friends, Butler and the Heat through the tough performance in the playoffs also gained Lillard's respect, not to mention, in the East is about to undergo drastic changes in the background, Miami has an impossible chance to touch the championship in the West.

In the final prime of his career, going to a team with a championship heritage, mature stars, a good team culture and a good coaching staff, everything the Heat can offer Lillard is like a copy of the Celtics and Garnett.

Lillard's range, production and consistency are also what the Heat lack most. In the finals just ended, in the face of the defense of the tall front line, the Heat shot a dismal three-point percentage, the team can only rely on the injured Jimmy Butler frequently rush the interior line to "block the hole", Lillard's range and accuracy can create open offensive space for the team.

However, Lillard and the Heat still face challenges: the Heat decided not to send Colleb Martin at the same time, prepared to provide an offer to Tyler Shiro, Duncan Robinson and several draft picks; The Blazers are prepared to include Jusuf Nurkic in the Lillard deal, and hope to get a star level return in the deal - Hillo and Robinson clearly did not satisfy the Blazers' appetite; If you consider the Heat's lack of draft picks and Nurkic's contract, and the Trail Blazers' crowded back guard, it is clear that the trade needs to involve a third party or even more teams.

The Brooklyn Nets, which can provide a better offer, had previously been a strong contender for Lillard, but after Lillard "designated the next home", the role of the Nets began to change from a contender to a participant, and they may become a potential team to take over Heroo in Lillard's deal; The SAN Antonio Spurs, however, may also be able to participate in a trade with $24.5 million in significant cap space in exchange for benefits.

Despite the difficulties, the Lillard trade is imperative from every perspective. The Blazers and Lillard, who have consumed each other for many years, can't afford to wait, and the latter has joined the Heat through trade, perhaps only a matter of time.