Woj: Damian Lillard's Preference for Heat Trade Won't 'Be a Concern' for Blazers

Most of the reporting surrounding Damian Lillard's trade request has noted that his preference is to end up with the Miami Heat.

The issue, of course, is that Miami doesn't have a ton of great assets to send to a rebuilding team such as the Portland Trail Blazers. And as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday's SportsCenter, the Blazers aren't going to be bullied into a bad deal just to appease Lillard's wishes:

"Certainly, Portland knew this was a possibility. They had prepared for the possibility that a trade request would come from Damian Lillard, but their reaction simply is they're going to go out into the marketplace and find the best deal they can for Portland. Damian Lillard doesn't have a no-trade clause the way Bradley Beal does. He can't veto a trade. He's got four years left on his deal. And while he would like to play for the Miami Heat, it's not going to be a concern of the Portland Trail Blazers. I think if all things were equal, I think they would accommodate Damian Lillard for all he's done for the organization and help him get somewhere he wants to be. But that's only if they're equal. Portland's going to find the deal that gets them back the package that they think sets them up best for a post-Damian Lillard organization."

That makes sense from Portland's perspective. The other side of the equation, however, is that if non-Miami teams know Lillard has fixated upon a preferred destination, they risk giving up major assets for an unhappy superstar who may try to force his way out down the road.

Lillard, 32, stuck with the Blazers far longer than many other superstars in his position would have. He doesn't seem to have an inclination toward causing a scene when things aren't going his way.

But he also gave Portland every chance possible to build a winner. He likely feels he's owed some acquiescence from the organization when it comes to picking his next destination. It's hard to know how he'll react if the Blazers blindside him by sending him to a non-preferred destination.

And how much does any organization really want to give up for a potentially unhappy superstar? That brings with it the possibility of ending very, very poorly.

Also, while the Blazers want to secure the best-possible return they can get for Lillard, sending him to a non-preferred destination risks earning them a reputation as the organization who traded arguably the best player in franchise history somewhere he didn't want to go.

Players talk. Agents talk. You don't want to be the organization that is seen as superstar non-friendly, especially when you are in a small market that makes it more difficult to attract such players in free agency to begin with.

But the other side of being a small market is that you don't want to lose a superstar for pennies on the dollar. Acquiring young players or assets to help rebuild through the draft is vital. The Blazers want as many shots at landing the next Lillard as possible since they likely will always struggle to get such a player in free agency.

So it's a tough needle to thread for the Blazers, especially with Lillard—at least right now—seemingly focused on a Heat team that can't blow them away with an offer beyond a few draft picks and Tyler Herro.

The best asset Portland has at the moment is time. The NBA in general may be waiting for the next big blockbuster, but the Blazers don't have to rush into a deal this summer as they figure out how to best make both themselves and Lillard happy.