On July 1, Damian Lillard formally submitted a trade request to the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard, who was drafted sixth overall by the Blazers in 2012, has reportedly grown increasingly unhappy with the direction of the franchise. Despite Portland making the playoffs every year between 2014 and 2021, five of those runs ended in the first round. Furthermore, the Blazers have missed the playoffs in the last two seasons, tallying just 60 total wins in that time. Furthermore, Lillard made it clear that his preferred destination was the Miami Heat.
While the Blazers announced that they would honor the request, the team also acknowledged that they hold all the cards. Lillard has two years left on his contract and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. “We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he’d prefer to play someplace else. What has not changed for us is that we’re committed to winning. We are going to do what’s best for the team in pursuit of that goal," Blazers GM Joe Cronin told ESPN.
Lillard's Fate In Portland's Hands
Speaking on July 2, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reiterated this sentiment. Though Lillard has made it clear he would prefer to join the Miami Heat, he does not have a no-trade clause and does not get to control where he goes next. Portland is going to try to find the best deal it can. [That will be] a combination of draft picks, young players, and salary compensation for a star of Lillard's magnitude," Woj explained. The no-trade clause element of the deal is vital. It means that Lillard has no recourse in the event of a trade that he doesn't like.
However, a trade shouldn't be expected anytime soon. "This will not be a quick process and Miami does not have any advantage," a league source further told ESPN. In fact, Miami could be at something of a disadvantage in trade talks. With Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo presumably off the table, a trade involving "star-level" talent, would likely involve Kyle Lowry or Tyler Herro. However, sources have previously indicated that the Blazers don't have too much interest in Herro. That means that the Heat would have to go heavy on the draft capital, which could ultimately backfire in a number of ways. This is a developing story and we'll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.
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