The Miami Heat’s trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo may not vault the team into the NBA Finals after his first year in South Beach, like the acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh did in 2010-11, but make no mistake — the ring hunters are on their way in short order.
That was the sentiment of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith when he predicted that Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers will end up alongside Antetokounmpo as early as the 2027-28 campaign after the duo played together for two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks (2023-25).
“I’m getting sick and tired of people just throwing Bam Adebayo’s name out there flippantly like it’s not significant. … Bam is an All Star,” Smith said on “First Take” Wednesday. “I’m not underestimating Miami by any stretch of the imagination. Giannis is in the right place. Don’t be surprised if Damian Lillard ends up there after next season.”
Injuries Hampered Bucks’ Title Chances During Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard Run
GettyDamian Lillard, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo never quite meshed in the way that some analysts thought they could have. Milwaukee finished in third-place and fifth-place in the Eastern Conference Finals, respectively, during the two years Lillard accompanied Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
However, the Bucks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs both postseasons. Antetokounmpo didn’t play at all in 2024 due to a calf strain, while Lillard suffered deep-vein thrombosis at the end of the 2025 campaign, rushed back for the playoffs and tore his Achilles tendon against Indiana.
In an attempt to salvage their championship hopes and relationship with Antetokounmpo, the Bucks made the highly-criticized move of waving and stretching Lillard, which will strain the team’s salary cap for years to come and allowed Lillard to return to Portland last offseason on a three-year deal worth $41.6 million that runs through 2027-28.
Lillard did not play at all last season while recovering from the Achilles injury, though should be ready to go come the new season in October, which he will play at 36 years old.
Damian Lillard Can Head to Miami of Own Accord After Next Season
GettyDamian Lillard, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The final year on Lillard’s contract is a player option, and while he was notably happy to return to Portland, the only team for which he’d ever played before a trade sent him to Milwaukee, the one thing missing from the future Hall of Famer’s resumé is a championship.
A nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, Lillard wanted out of the Trail Blazers organization three years ago. However, the destination he had in mind at the time was Miami.
Portland went with the better deal for itself by sending Lillard to Milwaukee, and the Bucks’ subsequent decision to send him away didn’t sit particularly well with Antetokounmpo. The team’s failure to make the playoffs and decision to sit the two-time MVP down the stretch of last season in order to secure a better draft pick all but sealed the end of Antetokounmpo’s tenure in Milwaukee.
Should Lillard decide to opt out after the upcoming season, he will be a free agent who can sign for as little as the veteran’s league minimum in Miami. Whether he would do so is an open question, but the point is that the Heat should be able to work out an arrangement to afford Lillard alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo heading into 2027-28.
Lillard, who has averaged 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game over the course of his 14-year career, will be 37 by the time he can choose to migrate to Miami.
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