Damian Lillard Trade Rumors: Heat-Blazers Held Talks but 'No Real Traction' on Deal

Damian Lillard and the Miami Heat may be very publicly lusting after one another, but that does not mean a deal is close.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Portland Trail Blazers and Heat have "no real traction" on a deal more than two weeks after the All-Star guard expressed his desire for a trade.

The stalemate has been ongoing ever since Lillard requested a trade and pointed at Miami as his only desired destination. The result has been a cooling effect on trade offers from outside parties and Miami, which has a good-but-not-great package of players and draft picks available to offer for Lillard.

Aaron Goodwin, Lillard's agent, has publicly and privately pushed his client's desire to play for the Heat as the only possible result of this standoff.

"I do what I should for my client. Some teams I did call. Other teams have called me," Goodwin told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. "It's a respectful relationship with most teams. Truthfully, he wants to play in Miami. Period."

The Blazers are well-aware of Lillard's desires, but their front office has been adamant that other teams remain in the mix. General manager Joe Cronin said the team will do what is best for its future, regardless of Lillard's wishes.

"I think what I've learned more than anything is patience is critical," Cronin told reporters at NBA Summer League. "Don't be reactive. Don't jump at things just to seemingly solve a problem. 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.

"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."

Lillard does not have much leverage, beyond letting rival teams know he'll only be happy in Miami. The 33-year-old is under contract through at least the 2025-26 season, which is essentially the balance of his prime. He'll be 36 by the time he can realistically hit free agency and choose his next team.

The only way for Lillard to ensure he gets what he wants is to promise to make every non-Miami team's life miserable if they trade for him. Portland's only goal, ultimately, is to land a trade package that helps kickstart a much-needed rebuild.

Hence, the waiting game has commenced.