Ira Winderman: Blazers have their buzz, with potential Heat-Lillard marriage in the balance

MIAMI — If you put your ear against the NBA, you can hear it, almost as if on cue.

After a summer of silence, amid a league seemingly with an understanding that the Damian Lillard situation was one for the Portland Trail Blazers to broker with the Miami Heat, suddenly there are reports of interest, robust interest, from numerous potential suitors for the All-Star point guard who has made clear that he wants out and that he wants out to Miami.

Scan the web and where, since news of Lillard’s trade request first became public on July 1, there had been crickets, there now is chirping.

“Chicago Bulls Reportedly Interested in Trading for Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard.”

“Damian Lillard Could Be A Los Angeles Laker By NBA Trade Deadline.”

“Toronto Raptors Connected to Damian Lillard Trade Rumors.”

That was a Thursday morning Google search from the previous 24 hours.

Elsewhere, reports, or at least speculation, of the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans entering the equation.

The latter is both particularly interesting and telling.

In July, during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Pelicans President David Griffin spoke of the art of the trade when asked about the Lillard situation and the lack of tangible movement at the time.

Griffin’s point of reference was his own team’s similar bind with Anthony Davis at the start of the 2019-20 season, when Davis not only wanted out of New Orleans, but only wanted to go to the Los Angeles Lakers.

At the time, Griffin was dealing in a vacuum, the lack of expressed outside interest sucking the life out of a tangible return for his Pelicans.

And, then . . . voila, a report of Davis interest from the Boston Celtics.

“The deal we made with L.A. was fueled by all of the noise around other teams,” Griffin said during that July radio interview. “It gave us leverage that we probably didn’t deserve.”

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That leverage turned into a deal where Davis got his preferred deal to the Lakers and the Pelicans received Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and three first-round picks.

And now here we stand in September, with the Blazers attempting similar leverage — and with teams that previously had been spectators to the process suddenly, supposedly stoked into serious surveillance.

Perhaps.

Because logically there should always be a robust market for a seven-time All-Star coming off the highest-scoring season of his career.

And unlike Davis, who was entering the final season of his contract when dealt from the Pelicans to the Lakers, and therefore had the implicit threat of walking away a year later, Lillard is under contract for four more seasons.

Of course, Lillard also is 33.

Is due more than $200 million.

And had attempted, when this all was far quieter, to call in his decade-plus of sweat equity with the Blazers for a move to his preferred contender, unlike Davis, who at the time of his deal, was merely seven years into his Pelicans tenure.

For now, there is civility with Lillard’s approach, as the Blazers’ Oct. 2 media day looms, with their training camp to open the following day.

Perhaps it is because of the threat of a significant NBA fine. Perhaps it is because there is a reputation to protect as civic icon.

And, for now, as best can be gleaned from a franchise where a subtle smile often is the only tell offered in such high-stakes games, there does not appear to be anything as significant being put into play by the Heat in relation to what the Lakers offloaded for Davis.

But the impending unease is real. This is a season, based on the entire franchise blueprint, for the Blazers to be developing the emerging backcourt talents of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, not to have a 33-year-old icon biding his time. It also is a season for the Blazers’ to be building value with their 2024 first-round pick (protected Nos. 1-14, otherwise to the Bulls) to further augment Henderson.

In an interview with NBA.com, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups addressed the situation and his own lack of clarity on the eve of training camp.

“Obviously it’s unsettling, it’s difficult,” Billups said. “But for me, all I can do, I’m responsible for giving my best to who we have. I don’t know how it’s going to play out. There’s nothing I can do to control it.”

He added, “Figuring out what happens with Dame? Everybody knows how I feel about Dame and my opportunity to coach him. We’ll just see. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ll be ready to do the best I can.”

No, not the most optimal way for a third-year coach to be heading into work, as the buzz, real or manufactured, swirls.

And then there is the other swirl, the one created by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has created his own recent buzz with comments questioning his future commitment to the Milwaukee Bucks, as he seemingly questions Milwaukee’s commitment to winning. That is similar to what could soon emanate from Luka Doncic if the Dallas Mavericks can’t find their way with Kyrie Irving.

The mere possibility of either or both eventually coming to market could cool the interest of offloading assets now for Lillard — at his age, and his price tag.

That is the other side of trying to benefit from the buzz. Sometimes the buzz can become a buzzsaw.

Of which the Heat, perhaps seeking to protect some of their own assets for an eventual Antetokounmpo or Donic gambit, are well aware.

As the Pelicans’ Griffin forecast, the Blazers finally have sowed their speculation. The question is whether that supplants what for months had stood as a limited reality.