Damian Lillard had seemed destined to end up with the Miami Heat.
The Portland Trail Blazers star had named the Heat as his preferred trade destination early in the summer, and the two teams had tried to negotiate a deal.
Whatever might have been, or almost happened, is irrelevant now, after Wednesday’s news that Lillard is headed to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade involving the Phoenix Suns.
How did the Heat miss out? Fair or not, Miami media, Heat fans and NBA insiders are pointing the finger directly at Heat president Pat Riley. The 78-year-old executive began trending on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday, and the overwhelming majority of comments were negative.
One report suggested Riley made an initial offer on Lillard but never offered more when it got rejected.
Damian Lillard’s agent Aaron Goodwin gave a strange statement to the Miami Herald, thanking Riley, team GM Andy Elisburg and team owner Micky Arison, but saying “it takes two to get a deal done.”
“They did everything they could to acquire Dame. It takes two to get a deal done,” Goodwin said (via the Herald). “I appreciate all that Pat, Andy and Micky did to try and make this happen.”
Whatever the reasons behind the trade falling through, Heat fans are livid, and they vented their anger on X.
In consecutive offseasons, four superstars had the Heat on their shortlist of preferred destinations: Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Damian Lillard.
For Miami to somehow not land any of them is a failure of epic proportions.
It’s time to rightfully criticize… pic.twitter.com/W4pxdBJG0c
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) September 27, 2023
https://twitter.com/yourrageupdates/status/1707247855944020072
Do you still believe in Pat Riley? pic.twitter.com/gjssZ5IPvR
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) September 27, 2023
Miami fans when they see Pat Riley https://t.co/HgVtIczjid pic.twitter.com/1w9fUdpkpL
— 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 (@Tsunamidrako) September 28, 2023
Pat Riley has now failed to acquire Lillard, Beal, Mitchell, Kyrie and KD.
He has failed Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo for the 3rd year in a row.
Dwyane Wade got Lebron in Miami, Pat Riley has never done anything to help this franchise. Absolutely embarrassing.
— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) September 27, 2023
Yo I’m crying 😭😭😭😭 Heat fans are done with Pat Riley pic.twitter.com/7TmcqeixME
— Trav ‘97 🇹🇹🇭🇹♒️🗽 (@travbryanmusic) September 27, 2023
When he wakes up from his nap and finds out😭
— robyn🤗 (@robynhoodww) September 27, 2023
