When Portland picked up Scoot Henderson in the draft this year, everyone knew what it meant. Unless they could somehow find a star right away (which they didn’t), it was likely that Damian Lillard would walk for a team that could help him compete.
That’s exactly what he ended up doing, and while nobody is surprised by the move, the Blazers are still a little salty over how it all went down. Remember, it leaked almost immediately that Dame only wanted a trade to the Heat and it put Portland in a tough position. Apparently, their frustration in this process is what’s holding up the deal from progressing.
“I do think Portland’s just upset with the fact that it came out so quickly & so adamantly that [Dame] wants to go to the Miami Heat. I think there are people in the Blazers organization that are still bothered by that. I think that’s the delay,” said Marc Stein on his podcast.
In defense of the Blazers, they have to do what’s best for their franchise and trading your franchise player for Tyler Herro and low-end first-round picks is far from ideal. And while they may have planned to work with Lillard on getting him to the Heat, it seems Pat Riley is unwilling to offer the assets required to make a trade.
With no real way to get the leverage back, Portland’s only option now is to wait this out and hope that Miami comes back with a better package down the road. Fortunately, they have all the time in the world to sit on this.
What’s Next For The Blazers?
At this point, it’s Portland GM Joe Cronin who needs to make the next move. While we still aren’t sure what has been offered for Lillard, Cronin has already made it clear that he intends to seek the best possible return.
“Here’s the reality: On a Lillard trade, the Blazers are nowhere. Miami, Lillard’s preferred destination, has made an offer. Portland doesn’t like it. The Blazers have encouraged other teams to make offers. So far, there haven’t been any, at least not serious ones.”
This is the ultimate waiting game now, and it will e interesting to see which team cave first. And considering how desperate Miami is getting for Lillard, it seems like they are really starting to feel some pressure to get the negotiations over with.
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