The Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler reportedly is recruiting the Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard to Miami this offseason.
“Nonetheless, the Wizards close the Beal Era jaggedly, horribly,” The Athletic’s David Aldridge wrote. “Miami has clearly prioritized getting Damian Lillard from Portland, with Jimmy Butler a central part of the Heat’s recruiting pitch. While Washington wanted the multiple first-rounders the Heat were offering, it didn’t matter; Beal wanted to play in Phoenix. His wife and her family are from California, and K.D. and Booker are a smidge more potent offensively than Jimmy Buckets and Bam Adebayo. The Wizards couldn’t stay in a holding pattern; unwilling to wait on the Heat, they turned to Phoenix, which our Shams Charania first reported had gotten into the sweepstakes seriously on Saturday.”
