Damian Lillard demanded a trade out of Portland earlier this off-season. After 11 long years, Lillard finally decided to stop his quest of pursuing an NBA Championship with the Portland Trail Blazers and shift his loyalties. The 6-foot-2 Guard is set to earn $45,640,084 this coming 2023-2024 season. According to many analysts and pundits, the Miami Heat is likely to bear the amount after acquiring the sharpshooter to their roster. Even though Dame has already expressed his desire to represent the Florida side, Jimmy Butler continues his recruitment process to bag the MVP-caliber star.
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Initially, the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics were also in the conversation to acquire Damian Lillard. However, recent activities suggest that Lillard would be unhappy if he is traded anywhere other than the Heat. Several sources have even revealed that the seven-time All-Star would skip training camp if he is sent to a different franchise. Despite Dame’s strong affinity towards the 2023 Eastern Conference champions, Butler seems to be relentless in his pursuit to recruit Dame.
Jimmy Butler hilariously mimics Damian Lillard’s iconic celebration
Currently in China for a Li-Ning tour, Butler was recently seen playing one-on-one with a fan. After finding himself wide-open on the three-point line, Jimmy G Buckets knocked down the shot. Immediately after drilling the long-distanced shot, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP mimicked Damian Lillard’s iconic celebration from the 2019 playoffs. As seen in Hoop Central’s tweet, the 6-foot-7 two-way star waved his opponent goodbye before doing the iconic “Dame Time” gesture, that Lillard has popularized in the NBA.
Fans flooded the comment section with ‘tampering’ allegations. However, the likes of @KingDami5299 and @JONS305 believed that it was about time that Lillard joined Erik Spoelstra’s boys.
Clearly, fans cannot wait for the All-Star trio of Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, and Bam Adebayo to take the hardwood together.
The Heat will become a powerhouse with the addition of Lillard
Ever since Jimmy Butler’s arrival, the Miami Heat have been a successful franchise. In the four seasons of Butler’s leadership, the Miami side has made it to three Conference Finals and two NBA Finals.
With the addition of Damian Lillard, the team is definitely going to strengthen their shooting and playmaking ability. Further, with Lillard’s never-say-die attitude resonating with the Heat’s mentality, the team’s chemistry is expected to be off the charts. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Miami Heat manages to bag the Larry O’Brien trophy following Dame’s acquisition.
