Most of us are aware of what’s been happening between Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Over the years, both parties developed a solid sense of respect for each other. The point guard excelled in his work on the court earning himself the right to be called one of the greatest players ever. And Portland won the lottery as he ranks high in player efficiency. The All-Star has never given the Blazers a reason to frown but it isn’t the same the other way around.
After spending 11 seasons in Portland without a championship victory, Damian Lillard called it quits on the franchise. The biggest reason according to sources is that Portland hasn’t built a stable enough roster around Lillard to help him win a title.
Unfortunately for him, he isn’t getting any younger. The 7x NBA All-Star requested a trade in July and sources claimed that he has his sights set on joining the Miami Heat. Despite having conversations about a trade, both teams haven’t finalized a deal. Mainly because Portland wants more than what the Heat has to offer.
The Miami Heat are ‘daring’ the Portland Trailblazers to find a better trade for Damian Lillard in the marketplace, per Woj
“[The Miami Heat] want Damian Lillard. They just want him for as little as they’re going to have to give up and they’re essentially daring Portland to go… pic.twitter.com/OxyhoTlV1V
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 19, 2023
It could take a while before the Blazers finalize a deal. The team’s general manager, Joe Cronin has also stated his willingness to wait. Portland might be headed toward a rebuild for all we know. And to trade Lillard will be a task to deal with because of his high value in the market. The Blazers have rejected to idea of possibly acquiring Tyler Herro as well. Based on what has been going on, Portland is interested in much younger assets and draft picks.
Damian Lillard admits he wasn’t upset over the Blazers’ choice to draft Scoot Henderson
Before making the trade request official, Damian Lillard revealed that he did not want to play in Portland if they kept adding young players to the roster. Adding inexperienced players would only add more pressure on Lillard during the playoffs. And the chances of him winning a title would decrease immensely. Ultimately, the Blazers went against Lillard’s wishes and drafted Scoot Henderson as the No.3 overall pick.
Damian had suggested that the Blazers rather trade their draft picks to acquire an experienced player or veteran support for him. Having done the opposite, Lillard finally revealed what he truly felt about it. He said, “Me and Scoot, we’ve had a few conversations with him coming into the league. That wasn’t a dealbreaker for me at all. I respect his game. I think in that position, he was the best player available.”
“That wasn’t a dealbreaker for me at all. I respect his game. I think in that position, he was the best player available… I wasn’t offended at all.”
Damian Lillard on if the Blazers drafting Scoot Henderson was a dealbreaker.pic.twitter.com/A3EikEmczC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
He added, “I wasn’t offended at all because, at the end of the day, you’ve got to come in and you’ve got to play. I’ve been doing this for a long time. So to me, that wasn’t a knock on me.” It turns out Damian has nothing against Henderson as it did seem quite the opposite sometime ago. Either way, the latest update is that Lillard will only appear for training camp if traded to the Heat. Experts claim that the trade might gain traction soon but only time will tell.