The two superstars who live in the NBA’s bustling trade district have already packed their bags.Damian Lillard has been hinting for weeks that Miami is his first choice, while Mutual interests between Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers It’s hard not to notice. Check back a year later and Harden might change his mind again, but for now the Clippers seem content to slot Harden between Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in their underperforming roster.
On Saturday, Lillard finally spoke his truth after weeks. passive aggressivess, hindering Portland’s trading partners along the way. Miami should be a bigger free-agent hotspot. Instead, Pat Riley’s powerful presence is a deterrent in the age of player empowerment. Maybe it was the disgust that LeBron James oozes in exit interviews when he returns to Cleveland or boot camp, but the Heat have rarely been a desired destination in the post-Heat decade. However, for the first time since James brought his talents to South Beach, this is the first time a preeminent player has dialed their number, not the other way around.
Miami waived Victor Oladipo’s $9.4 million salary in trade with Oklahoma City and allowed Gabe Vincent to walk in free agency so they could accommodate Lillard Contracts.
In recent trade discussions, most teams would be stuck with missing out on Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell dilemma.On two separate occasions between the 2022 offseason and the trade deadline, Miami made Seriously ask about Kevin Durant’s availability The result is empty.After Westbrook was waived by the Utah Jazz in February, the Heat did their best to sign him, but couldn’t compete with his preference to stay in Los Angeles.
However, there are limits to the power players have. Portland noticed that Lillard showed his ankle in Miami and felt compelled to issue a statement that made it clear that they were committed to doing what was best for the Trail Blazers. Ordinarily, Those kinds of things are hypothetical, but it feels like their way of expressing their opposition to a trade with the Heat and their assets. The Blazers seem unusually resistant to compliance. The downside of empowering players is that most players are not good at separating personal feelings from professional direction.
In theory, Harden is a better fit for Miami, while Lillard is an ideal fit for the Clippers in 2023. There was a crossover between the two superstars who lived in the NBA’s bustling trade zone. Two years ago, the Heat scoffed at the Harden trade that would have cost them Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and a ton of draft picks. Today, Harden’s price is much lower than it was in January 2021. Harden can be difficult. Lillard’s trade scenario is easy to fix because of his malleability and cooperative personality.
Harden needs Spoelstra and Riley to create a rigid structure. Defensively, he’ll never be a liability, but he’s a bigger guard than the 6-foot-3 Lillard. In the meantime, the Sixers would be more than happy to absorb Tyler Herro, his shooting ability and draft picks.Lillard almost leads league score 2023, but that doesn’t alleviate Miami’s roster shortage.
Harden has tried doing things his way or the highway, but each time he’s ended up with a playoff road kill. For example, he needs to eat vegetables. Spoelstra had worn Harden down, too tired for his wings and thighs in the King of Diamonds game after dark. Brainwashing him into a more democratic offense will be the biggest challenge yet for the Heat cult, but they’ve shown an incredible ability to weave talent into the roster. Getting Harden back to midseason form by October and keeping him in shape will be critical.
Harden gives them a larger lineup than the small-ball lineup they deployed against the Nuggets, and his pecs will come in handy defending bigs in the paint.Slamming the ball makes Harden a defensive pariah, and he’s showing a rushing allergy But when PJ Tucker does all the cleaning, he thrives in Houston. Conveniently, Miami is full of Tucker replicas.
Harden may be difficult to work with, but he’s listened to the whims of coaches before.In Chris Paul’s first year in Houston, he voluntarily gave up part of the heliocentric ball handling Chris Paul’s duty, that kind of unselfishness got the Rockets one game away from an NBA Finals berth.
Meanwhile, the Clippers will benefit from Lillard’s ability to shift gravity The range and floor spacing of the leading guard position. Except for four seasons at Weber State north of Salt Lake City, he has spent his entire life on the West Coast. The Clippers need Dam to embody the underdog spirit under their bloated payroll. Both of their stars are Los Angeles natives who rose from the obscurity of the major leagues in the Pacific, and the Clippers are rebels in their own arena. Ballmer even goes back decades to the late Blazers owner Paul Allen. The Microsoft visionary who helped guide Microsoft from its infancy in the early 80s was also Allen’s mentor.
Lillard and Harden were two boats in the same boat, passing each other in the night, but they were going the wrong way.
Follow DJ Dunson on Twitter: @brain exercise