The summer of 2023 has been headlined by two names available on the trade market. The first is James Harden with the Philadelphia 76ers, closely followed by Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Harden was asked about Lillard’s situation and he gave an insightful answer, explaining why players tend to have fixed destinations for personal and family reasons.
“I see both sides to it because I went through it to where the organization wants to do what’s best for them. They don’t want to just give the player that’s basically is one of the best players they’ve ever had in their organization away for nothing or for less than. I get the player side of wanting to play, wanting to be somewhere because it’s the right situation for your family or yourself, whatever that person is going through. I see both sides.”
He then stressed how teams and players need to balance expectations and find a happy middle ground.
“If they can meet in the middle and come to an agreement and figure it out, that’s the best scenario. I wouldn’t want an organization to send someone somewhere where they wouldn’t [want to] be… But then you don’t want to give that player away for nothing. So I get both sides.”
“I wouldn’t want an organization to send someone somewhere where they wouldn’t [want to] be… But then you don’t want to give that player away for nothing. So I get both sides.”
James Harden on the Damian Lillard trade saga 🗣️
(via @usatodaysports)pic.twitter.com/1WNMmYCW8O
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 25, 2023
Harden has been a regular in the trade market but hasn’t held up his teams heavily over a request. Outside the Rockets’ situation in 2020, when he came to camp out of shape to force a trade, he hasn’t held talks up with limited destination choices. This time though, Harden has only the Clippers in mind and it seems talks aren’t progressing fast enough to make that situation a reality before training camp.
Will Damian Lillard Keep Waiting Or Revise His List?
It seems there’s no talking Damian Lillard off the plane when it comes to him wanting to join the Heat. Most teams know he only wants to join the Heat, which has overall tanked his value as a trade asset. In a situation like this with a veteran like Lillard, the Blazers are likely going to acquiesce at some point and send him to Miami. But if the process is slow, they may be able to get Lillard to expand his destination list and add a team or two.
The Nets are an intriguing destination, and the team has the draft assets the Blazers would value in a Lillard trade. Tyler Herro isn’t moving the needle for the Blazers, but a combination of talent from the Nets could. That is dependent on if Lillard is okay with a possible move to Brooklyn. Right now, it looks like the All-NBA star is in Portland until the team bites the bullet and sends him to Miami.
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