It seems like only a matter of time before Damian Lillard becomes a member of the Miami Heat, but the path to getting there could turn ugly. Like it or not, Lillard still has four years left on his contract, and Portland is clearly in no rush to trade away their franchise star.
But as this situation continues to get dragged out, there is a sense that Lillard could resort to extreme methods to get what he wants. From the words of league insider Ramona Shelburne, this Dame dilemma could look a lot like the Ben Simmons saga if things keep trending in this direction.
“I just talked to 2 GMs this morning who said we might be looking at another Ben Simmons situation here. This guy has 4 years left on his deal. POR can take their time. Let’s see if he shows up for training camp. If they wanna wait till Feb. to trade him they can.”
“I just talked to 2 GM's this morning who said we might be looking at another Ben Simmons situation here. Dame has 4 years left on his deal. POR can take their time. Let's see if he shows up for training camp. If they wanna wait till Feb. to trade him they can” –@ramonashelburne pic.twitter.com/WE0DA8Y3ou
— Dru (@dru_star) July 11, 2023
Ben Simmons asked for a trade from the 76ers after a failed playoff run, but he wasn’t traded until February of that same year when Daryl Morey finally struck a deal with the Nets. Simmons refused to suit up and play for his team, and both sides were at a complete deadlock before Morey found a new home for Ben months later.
Damian Lillard is obviously a much better player than Simmons ever was, but the length of his deal and his sights for the Heat have essentially put things at a complete stand-still.
If Miami wants to make this trade happen, it will be up to them to find a third trade partner to give the Blazers the assets they want.
Will Other Teams Make An Offer For Lillard?
It may seem redundant to prolong this process, but the longer Portland waits, the bigger chance there is that some other team will step in to make a desperate offer. In that scenario, all the leverage would go to the Blazers.
“Whether it’s the Clippers, whether it’s the Celtics, those are among the two teams that have a level of interest in trading for Damian Lillard. The answer’s been a resounding no. He wants to be in Miami, period.”
Everything is up to Blazers GM Joe Cronin now. Whether he decides to wait this out for the best offer or just make a trade to get this over with, it will be interesting to see what kind of return they get. As the best player in franchise history, Damian Lillard should be someone who gets a massive return in any trade.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
