The 2023-2024 off-season was one of the most exciting the NBA has seen in a long time. Moreover, the highlight of the off-season was the trade of Damian Lillard. Making it clear that he wanted out of Portland, Dame forced the Trailblazers’ hands. They dealt him to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he now is teamed up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The move came as a shock, not because it happened but rather because of where he ended up. For the most part of the off-season, everyone was convinced that Lillard was headed for the Miami Heat. Unfortunately for Miami, fate had other plans. Speaking about the trade on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Heat star Bam Adebayo claimed to dislike it. In fact, he wished it had gone down sooner, surprisingly, for Dame’s sake.
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Bam Adebayo wished the Damian Lillard trade saga had gotten over earlier
The biggest story of the off-season was undoubtedly the potential trade of Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat. The superstar guard was intent on moving to South Beach and was ready to do anything to make it happen. However, when all was said and done, Dame had to settle for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It was quite the saga, one that took ages to find its conclusion. But this saga affected the Heat players as well. As Bam Adebayo elaborated on SiriusXM NBA Radio, some of the players on the Heat roster also worried about their futures with the Lillard trade looming. With that said, Bam wished the trade had gotten over earlier.
Not just for the players on his team but also for Dame himself. He explained that it is difficult for guys who have kids and families to uproot their lives and move to a new team. This was especially true for Lillard, who had to move to Milwaukee and get prepared for Media Day, training camp, and pre-season almost immediately.
“I wish it would have just got over earlier. Not only for guys on our team but for him as an individual. Guys got kids. Guys got families. Guys need to know what’s about to happen.”
“I wish it would have just gotten over earlier”
🔊 @Bam1of1 on why he thought the Damian Lillard trade discussions went on longer than they should have #HEATTwitter #HeatCulture@MiamiHeat | @TheJaxShowhttps://t.co/IHMBxr3V1a pic.twitter.com/tOe65RUgrh
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 16, 2023
At the end of the day, it took a while, but Bam is happy that Dame has found himself in a winning situation. That being said, it would have been fun to see him on the Heat. After all, Lillard was intrigued by the chance of working with Jimmy Butler and of course, Adebayo. Not to mention the chance to work with Erik Spoelstra, and Pat Riley and adapt to the legendary Heat culture.
Jimmy Butler was incredibly upset over Dame’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks
Unlike Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler wasn’t happy with Damian Lillard’s trade to the Bucks. He was so sure that Dame was coming to Miami that he was visibly upset once the Milwaukee trade was announced. In fact, he even asked the NBA to look into the trade, claiming that there is a chance of tampering.
It had such an effect on him that he even turned up as Emo Jimmy on Media Day. All jokes aside, the trade certainly would have rubbed Butler the wrong way. After all, it makes things significantly more difficult for him and the Miami Heat heading into the 2023-2024 season.
