Portland Trail Blazers’ All-Star guard Damian Lillard posted an interesting image on his Instagram story that hinted at his NBA future, only to delete it soon after.
Courtesy of Brady Hawk, you can see the screenshot of the following story that was posted, then deleted, by the future Hall of Famer. The post hinted at Lillard soon joining the Miami Heat, the team he’s reportedly the most keen on playing for.
Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers earlier this offseason, and multiple reports have stated that the Heat were atop his wish list. But so far, there aren’t any indications that the Heat and Trail Blazers have gotten close on a Lillard deal.
The 33-year-old Lillard has been admirably loyal to the Trail Blazers for his entire career, but the team is nowhere close to contention as he nears the end of his prime years. Last year, Portland finished a disappointing 33-49, one year after posting a woeful 27-55 record.
In 58 games for Portland last year, Lillard averaged 32.2 points (a career-high), 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He has averaged at least 24 points per game every year since the 2015-16 campaign.
Portland will begin the 2023-24 season with a road contest against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 25, with their home opener taking place against the Orlando Magic two days later.
