Former NBA Champion Explains Why Damian Lillard Has No Control Over His Trade Destination

Brian Scalabrine gets real on Damian Lillard trade saga.

4 Min Read

Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

  • Lack of a no-trade clause means Lillard has limited leverage in trade request
  • NBA sent memo warning Lillard to cool his demands
  • Trail Blazers will hold Dame until suitable offer is made

Damian Lillard has not wavered in his quest to join the Miami Heat. Despite having very little to offer in the way of assets, Lillard is committed to doing everything he can to ensure that he forces a trade to South Beach.

Most fans are with Lillard on this and feel that the Blazers have an obligation to their franchise guy. But speaking on Sirius XM NBA Radio, former league champion Brian Scalabrine explained why the Blazers can and should do what’s best for the team.

“Where were all the people that were killing Joe Cronin and the Portland Trail Blazers that they have to do this and they have to do it now… Where are all those people after the NBA sent out the memo? You can’t do that. You can’t dictate where you wanna go and say you’re not gonna report because that hurts the Portland Trail Blazers. They have the right to make a trade and do whatever they want. If Damian Lillard had a no-trade clause, then that’s a different story. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause.”

As much as Lillard has done for the Blazers over the past 11+ years, it wasn’t performed out of the kindness of his heart. Thanks to contracts that Lillar himself signed, he’s earned over $400 million over this career and is due to make tens of millions more before his current deal expires.

So, in the eyes of GM Joe Cronin, his team doesn’t owe Dame anything and they cannot just give away their best player in decades for a meager plate of assets in return.


Is Lillard’s Trade Request A Good Thing For Blazers?

It’s obviously sad to see such a great era come to an end for Portland, but trading Dame does give the franchise an opportunity to reset its timeline and build up its already attractive young core.

According to Scalabrine, trading Lillard in the near future is actually the best course of action for them.

“There are timelines in the NBA… give me a player and five first-round picks,” said Scalabrine. “What do they want, Dame Lillard to sit there and be the 10th seed… there are times when the superstar player can move on and the team can get a bunch of assets for him, it’s much better for the team.”

Like it or not, Damian Lillard does not have full control over this situation. With years still left on his deal, there’s no rush for Portland to accept anything less than a king’s ransom for the 7x All-Star.

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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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