Why did the Heat fail to land Damian Lillard? Reasons behind Pat Riley's hesitation

Damian Lillard is now a Milwaukee Buck after a massive trade this week finalized the longtime star's departure from Portland.

Although Lillard had made it clear for quite some time now that he wanted to play for the Miami Heat, a deal failed to materialize. But what exactly went wrong with the negotiations between the Blazers and Pat Riley's Miami Heat regarding Damian Lillard? Let's take a look.

This postseason started with Lillard and his agent making it clear that he wanted to play for the Miami Heat.

At the time, indications were that Lillard would only accept a trade to Miami, with reports indicating he wouldn't report to training camp if he was traded elsewhere.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wasn't happy with the comments, creating an air of uncertainty around Pat Riley and the Heat trading for Lillard.

While he was contractually obligated to play wherever he was traded, it sounded as though behind the scenes he and his team were adamant about going to Miami.

Despite that, reports continued to indicate that the Blazer's asking price was too high. The team had several assets, notably Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Nikola Jovic, and a number of first-round picks, however they were reluctant to include every available piece.

As such, talks between they and the Trail Blazers remained at a standstill while fans anxiously awaited news regarding how things would play out. As the Blazers front office maintained, they would find a suitable trade when the time was right.

Looking at what the Portland Trail Blazers have said about Damian Lillard's trade request to the Heat

Many felt as though the Trail Blazers owed it to Damian Lillard, who gave his all to the team from the time he was drafted, to send him where he wanted. Despite that, the front office had a different strategy when it came to approaching the trade.

In July, a report from Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that with talk between the Blazers and the Heat at a standstill, it could take months for progress.

As Woj explained at the time on SportsCenter, the Blazers were looking to include a third team in order to facilitate the trade.

"It's going to take some time for this marketplace to develop and to get a real sense of what is available to [the Trail Blazers] out there, but they're certainly in no rush to go do a deal with Miami—it would need a third team to take on Tyler Herro. I think it's just going to take time."

When the trade report emerged this week, signifying the end of the Damian Lillard trade talks, Pat Riley and the Miami Heat weren't included.

Now, with Lillard and the Bucks set to contend in the Eastern Conference, they could find themselves being rivals with the Heat when the upcoming NBA season starts.