The Heat didn’t make their best offer for Damian Lillard and have only themselves to blame for it

Damian Lillard’s trade request shook up the NBA. Yet another star talent was about to be on the move.

The consensus was that he’d be playing ball this year in a Miami Heat uniform. That’s quite literally what Lillard requested. The Heat also seemed to initially be the only team making legitimate offers — partially because Lillard nuked Portland’s leverage in trade talks with his demand for the Heat.

Well, now, he’s a Milwaukee Buck. And the Heat are without a legitimate starting point guard.

This all could’ve been avoided for Miami had the team just simply made its best offer for Lillard before frustrations boiled over with Portland. That doesn’t seem to be what happened, though.

Miami was “prepared” to make a substantial offer for Lillard between July and August, according to the latest from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, that included “up to three” first-round picks, expiring contracts, pick swaps, Nikola Jovic and more.

But from the language in Charania’s latest article, it doesn’t seem like the offer was ever truly made.

“For their part, league sources say the Heat were prepared in July and August to offer up to three first-round draft picks — with Tyler Herro going to a third team — and multiple second-rounders and swaps along with expiring contracts and 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jović. But the Blazers were disinterested, with each side developing a level of contentiousness.”

We don’t know if Miami ever made this offer — especially considering what the initial trade market for Lillard was when the Heat were thought to be the only team exploring a trade.

Remember, the same thing happened with the Knicks last season after all of New York’s flirtations with the Jazz surrounding a Donovan Mitchell trade. The Cavaliers actually made a legitimate offer and snatched him away. New York said it would’ve done it, but never actually did. The same vibe is here.

Plus, we don’t know what the protections surrounding those first-round picks were nor do we know what expiring contracts were being included. On the surface, this seems like a great deal. But it’s probably not better than what the Blazers actually got, which amounts to Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, two pick-swaps and a 2029 first-round pick.

RELATED: Check out our trade grades for the Damian Lillard deal

Maybe the Heat could’ve had Lillard if the offer was better. Or maybe it never actually came to fruition. We’ll never actually know because Lillard is a Buck now.

But fans are roasting Miami, regardless, for missing out on a huge opportunity.