Damian Lillard Reportedly Expected to Draw Heat Interest in NBA FA After Bucks Exit

The Miami Heat were linked to a Damian Lillard pursuit many times in the past. Now they might actually have a chance to land him.

The Milwaukee Bucks stunningly waived-and-stretched Lillard on Tuesday in an effort to free up cap space to sign center Myles Turner, per ESPN's Shams Charania, leaving the veteran point guard to become free agent.

And the Heat are interested in potentially signing him, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press:

Lillard is likely to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season, so this would be a move centered on the 2026-27 campaign. Granted, Lillard may choose to just sit out the entire season and hit the market next summer.

But if he does decide to sign a multi-year deal this offseason, it will be affordable for the signing team, and it might represent the best chance for a number of teams to actually land him, the Heat included. It certainly has added another wrinkle to what has already been a hectic offseason.

Lillard, 34, averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists for the Bucks this past season, shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three. His two seasons in Milwaukee didn't exactly go to plan—the Bucks switched head coaches in his first season and underachieved, while Lillard suffered deep vein thrombosis in his right calf this past year and tore his Achilles in the playoffs. The title hopes that accompanied his trade from the Portland Trail Blazers never came close to fruition.

It's fair to question if he'll ever play at a superstar level again, given his age and this most recent injury. But for a Heat team that has been desperately trying to find a third star to pair with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, that risk is worth taking.