The Miami Heat could finally land Damian Lillard after the Milwaukee Bucks made a shocking move Tuesday, waiving and stretching the star guard to free up cap space for center Myles Turner.
Lillard, who’s about to turn 35 next week, is suddenly available as a free agent. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, the Heat are already showing interest in signing him.
This comes with a major catch, though. Lillard tore his left Achilles in Game 4 of Milwaukee’s playoff series against Indiana and might miss the entire upcoming season.
Still, teams are lining up for the nine-time All-Star.
His price tag should be reasonable since many executives around the league wonder if he’ll ever return to superstar form given his age and this serious injury.
Lillard also dealt with deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot) in his right calf last season, which required blood-thinning medication.
The Heat have been eyeing Lillard for years. They were deep in trade talks with Portland after Miami’s 2023 NBA Finals run, but he ended up in Milwaukee instead.
Miami isn’t alone in their pursuit. The Trail Blazers are reportedly open to a reunion with their former franchise cornerstone, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
There’s also a chance Lillard might skip signing with anyone this year. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Tuesday that Lillard is weighing whether to sign a multi-year deal and rehab with a team or simply sit out the entire year as a free agent.
The timing could work well for Miami after losing sharpshooter Duncan Robinson to the Detroit Pistons. They did manage to re-sign Davion Mitchell, but Lillard would bring veteran scoring punch from deep.
Before his injury, Lillard was still playing at an elite level. In 58 games last season, he averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting nearly 45% from the field and 38% from three-point range.
He dropped a season-high 43 points against Philadelphia in February before missing Milwaukee’s final 14 regular-season games.
Interestingly, the Bucks went 10-4 without him and finished the regular season on an eight-game winning streak.
