- The Blazers star is feeling frustrated over unanswered trade demand
- Portland still holds all the cards with Lillard under contract
- Lillard is not expected to wreak havoc in the Blazers locker room
Damian Lillard has been nothing but loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers, but they have done him no favors in his ongoing quest to get traded. In fact, as reported by league insider Marc Spears, Lillard is frustrated over Portland’s continued struggle to strike a deal.
“I do sense there is some frustration with Dame,” reported Spears. “He wants this over with. Portland holds the cards. He has to wait. But it’s kinda playing with fire on this. Even if they play with fire, Dame ain’t James Harden. He’s not gonna start a fire. At least I don’t think he will.”
“I do sense there is some frustration w/ Dame. He wants this over with. Portland holds the cards. He has to wait. But it’s kinda playing w/ fire on this. Even if they play w/ fire, Dame ain’t James Harden. He’s not gonna start a fire. At least I don’t think he will”- @MarcJSpears pic.twitter.com/A6Roj23g3i
— Dru (@dru_star) September 7, 2023
It’s no secret that Lillard prefers to move on from the Blazers. Despite 11 good years with the franchise, they let him down this past summer when they failed to make any win-now moves.
When they drafted Scoot Henderson in the draft, instead of swapping him for veteran talent, it was the final straw in the eyes of Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwill. The problem is, Dame only wants to go to one team and his choice has severely limited trade options for the Blazers.
Miami Heat Making No Progress In Trade Talks
With Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat shocked the world by making a run to the NBA Finals in 2023. Sadly, they weren’t able to do much against the Nuggets and they were sent home with their tail between their legs.
So when Damian Lillard suddenly became available, Miami jumped at the chance to snag him and become Eastern Conference favorites overnight. Of course, the Heat have been unable to pull off the trade so far, mostly because of their lack of assets.
Unless they can find a third team to include in the deal or swap some of their own players for pieces they can send to Portland, the Heat may never be able to make the trade happen and Dame might never get the opportunity he so desperately desires.
Will Damian Lillard Start A Fire To Force A Trade?
Lillard was supposed to be a Blazers lifer, but things may never be the same for him again after this ordeal with Portland. It’s been over a month now since his initial request, and things are no closer to a resolution than they were when it all started.
For Lillard, the best way to get what he wants might be by going the James Harden route and making things as toxic as possible in the locker room. So far, Dame has been unwilling to follow that path.
“As of now, they expect the All-NBA PG to be in Portland opening night,” per NBA Trade Report. “Lillard has no plans to sit out any games if he remains in Portland to start the season.”
For now, Blazers fans can rest easy knowing that, at worst, Damian Lillard will show up to training camp and make things awkward. But it’s way better than the alternative, which is what’s going down in Philadelphia right now with James Harden.
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