Will the combination that star Damian Lillard hopes to have with Stephen Curry blow up?

Although Damian Lillard’s future with the Portland Trailblazers is uncertain, there is a growing likelihood that he will be sent to the Miami Heat. Lillard believes it’s time to go somewhere else and try his hand at the biggest prize where he has higher possibilities, having spent the last 11 seasons being devoted to the team.

According to reports, Dame has decided to join Jimmy Butler in Miami and depart the Blazers, despite offers from all throughout the league. Prior to free agency upsetting his plans, Dame reportedly desired to collaborate with none other than Stephen Curry, according to a recent story.

One move destroyed the prospective marriage between Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard.

Rumors circulated that Dame might leave the Blazers prior to the start of the NBA free agency period. The 32-year-old player and the Blazers agreed to a $225 million deal extension last year. But after June 30, when teams began adding players to bolster their squads, Damian Lillard made an announcement about his “Dame Time” and made it clear that he wanted to be traded. Apart from their draft night selection of Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Heat have not appeared to be active this summer. In addition, they lost guard Gabe Vincent, a rotational player, to the Los Angeles Lakers, who signed him as a free agency following his strong postseason run.

Conversely, the Golden State Warriors did not stop moving parts left and right on the opening day of free agency. Warriors were searching for a top player to join Curry on a squad. On June 22, nine days before Blazers general manager Joe Cronin approved Lillard’s trade request, the Warriors made a trade for Paul. One day after free agency opened, Lillard made the trade request that had been rumored to be made this summer.

The Golden State Warriors would have had an opportunity to acquire Damian Lillard if they hadn’t made the trade for Chris Paul, claims ESPN insider Ramona Shelburne, who made an appearance on the Bay Area radio program Willard and Dibs. Shelburne stated that Bay Area native Lillard had shown interest in joining the Warriors.

The Warriors would have been on Lillard’s list of favored teams had he asked for a trade. However, the Dubs had already extended the $100 million contract of four-time champion Draymond Green, thus it was too late for them to even consider his proposal.

Dame’s ties to the Dub country

Lillard attended Oakland High School and grew up in the East Bay. He is under contract for the next four years. In 2023–24, he will make $45.6 million; in 2025–26, he will make roughly $58.5 million; and in 2028–29, he will make $48.8 million. In addition, he has a $63.2 million player option for 2026–2027. When his contract expires, he will be thirty-six years old.

Lillard and Steph Curry, the guard for the Warriors, respect one other. But the Golden State front management put more emphasis on making the most of Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson—the team’s championship core. They moved quickly to recruit Chris Paul for this reason. But it would have cost more to sign Dame than it did to acquire Chris Paul.