https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...il-blazers-star-damian-lillard-requests-trade Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has requested a trade and the franchise is expected to work to accommodate him, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. Lillard has stuck with the franchise that drafted him with the No. 6 pick in the 2012 NBA draft through two years in which Portland did not make the postseason following eight consecutive trips. But after the Blazers opted to use their No. 3 pick in last month's draft on guard Scoot Henderson, the future direction of the franchise was clear. Lillard met with Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin on June 26 to discuss the future of the team. Latest free agency buzz and news • Marks: Ultimate 30-team guide • Pelton: Best available free agents • Explaining big changes in new CBA • Grading every offseason trade • Every free agent | Available cap space Should Lillard leave the Blazers, it's after 11 seasons in which he made seven All-Star and All-NBA teams and led the franchise to the playoffs eight times, including a Western Conference finals appearance in 2018-19. He ranks first all-time in Blazers history in both points and 3-points and second in assists. Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, had a career year last season, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists but played just 58 games as he sat out the last month of the season. The highlight of Lillard's season came on February 26 against the Houston Rockets when he exploded for 71 points. His 32.2 points per game would be the most by a player to change teams the following season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
This seems surreal right now even though we all knew this was a possibility specially after Scoot was drafted but to now know this is the reality of the situation it breaks my heart but I do wish Dame the best and at least he will be out east. I will go on a rant later about Jody and the way she screwed this up but not the place for it now outside of please sell the team now. There are only 2 spots Dame could land and both have packages that are not the best but one does have an edge but after seeing the moves of one team I think I know where Dame is going. The two teams we both know are Miami and NJ and I would prefer the Blazers trade him to the Nets but after watching the Heat lose there starting backcourt this kind of indicates they knew something before Woj did and would not be surprised if the request came in during that meeting last week. I wrote this before seeing Dame prefers Miami
pretty disappointed...not real surprised I guess 11 years of olshey-->Jody&Vulcans<--cronin was too much incompetence and ambivalence and pinched pennies and missed opportunities to overcome I sure the fuck hope Grant turns into a S&T by July 6 or that he's traded before the season. And that Nurkic and Ant are traded. People have been screaming about the 1st-round-exit-lousy-draft-pick purgatory the Blazers were in for years. Trotting out Ant as the new MeJ with one of Scoot/Sharpe assigned to the bench, and Grant taking 18 shots a game with Nurkic being his inconsistent self will be just more years of purgatory....more years of fence-straddling...more years of maybe-next-year treadmill
Absolutely no need to accommodate Dame by sending him to one of his preferred destinations. For the good of the franchise send him anywhere where the team can maximize the return. Period.
If Lillard is specifying that he will only be traded to one team and he's not staying of course, then that is an a****** move!
I hate that I'm at work and I have to process this professionally because I'm feeling anything but professional in my thoughts lol
I personally hope he never sniffs a championship. What a sellout. All the years of talk about wanting to be the best blazers ever and how he would never want to go form a super team and here he is going against everything he ever preached.
I think it's way more likely that it's ownership that's the problem than Cronin. It starts from the top.
I thought Joe had something lined up when he signed Grant yesterday, but when nothing came down I figured we were screwed. If Cronin doesn't get a great return for Dame, it's tar and feathers time for Joe. Who do we like in the next three years' lotteries?
Firstly, thank you Dame. You were a great representative for the Blazers and the city of Portland. Having said that, loyalty only goes so far. It’s a reminder that people will always choose what’s best for them first. I hope the Blazers remember that moving forward. We have two cornerstones in Scoot and Shae, plus the potential assets from the Dame trade. This was for the best, and thankfully we’re in a good position to turn the page.
