Damian Lillard recently requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers after 11 years of service. Lillard has made it clear that he only wants to be traded to the Miami Heat.
Former NBA player turned analyst JJ Redick recently explained why Damian Lillard may not be traded to his preferred destination. Redick shared his views on a recent episode of the ‘The Old Man & the Three’ podcast.
“So now we’re in a position where Damian Lillard has requested a trade, and I find this situation so fascinating,” Redick said. “Dame has been loyal, and Dame has tried his best to be a winner, to build a winner. He’s represented the city and the franchise in an excellent way, but it’s very unlikely that one of his preferred destinations provides the best deal, and so you have to act in the interest of what is best for the franchise.”
He added: “Dame has done everything right, but on the other hand, you have to go out and seek the best deal. Does that mean Miami or Brooklyn will have the best deal, maybe, but I would venture to guess there are some teams that could put together a better trade package than those teams.”
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Lillard has made his intentions clear to play for the Heat, but there are other teams that have shown interest in landing the disgruntled superstar. According to reports, the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans are all interested in trading for Damian Lillard.
The 32-year-old averaged 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG in the 2022-23 NBA season. So it’s obvious that there’s a league-wide interest in his services.
Should The Trail Blazers Abide With Damian Lillard’s Request To Be Traded To The Heat?
The farthest that the Trail Blazers went under Lillard’s leadership was the Western Conference Finals in the 2019 NBA playoffs. However, they were swept by the Golden State Warriors.
Despite the lack of playoff success, Lillard has given his heart and soul to the franchise throughout his career. Keeping that in mind, NBA analyst Ryen Russillo believes if the Trail Blazers do not trade him to his preferred destination, it could impact how other NBA All-Stars view the organization in the future.
“There will not be an All-Star caliber player that requests a trade in a few years that says, ‘I was leaning L.A. or Miami, but I really like the way Portland handled the Dame situation. I demand to become a Trail Blazer.'”
Will Lillard get traded to the Heat to compete for an NBA Championship? Or will the Trail Blazers trade him elsewhere? We will find out very soon.
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