After starting his career with the Portland Trail Blazers and playing for them for the first 11 seasons, guard Damian Lillard has asked to be traded.
Portland general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement on Saturday, “We have been clear that we want Dame here but he alerted us today he wants out and he’d like to play somewhere else. “What has not changed for us is that we are committed to winning, and in pursuit of that goal, we are going to do what is best for the team.”
According to sources speaking to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, the Miami Heat, LA Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers are three clubs who may be interested in investigating deals for Lillard.
According to a source who spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Lillard prefers to be dealt to the Heat. According to insiders, Lillard also has a high regard for the San Antonio Spurs franchise.
Sources informed Wojnarowski that front offices that spoke to Portland on Saturday came away with the notion that Cronin is looking for a star-level return package for Lillard and that the GM intends to search far outside of the Heat to obtain one.
It is anticipated that the Blazers would place importance on trades that will send them young players and draught assets.
Lillard had thought about asking for a trade when he met with Cronin and the Blazers on Monday, but he wanted to give them every chance to strengthen the squad when free agency started, sources said, so he stayed as quiet and encouraging as he could this week. He decided to request a trade on Friday night.
Lillard has remained with the team that selected him with the No. 6 overall choice in the 2012 NBA Draught despite Portland missing the playoffs in each of the last two years after eight straight appearances. But once the Blazers decided to choose guard Scoot Henderson with the third overall choice of last month’s drafting, the team’s destiny was made obvious.
Despite the fact that official free agency agreements cannot be made until Thursday, sources tell ESPN that Portland still plans to sign Jerami Grant to the five-year, $160 million deal the two parties reached on Friday.
Should Lillard decide to go, it would cap off a stretch in which he was selected to seven All-Star and All-NBA teams, helped Portland reach the Western Conference Finals in 2018–19, and more. He is the Blazers’ all-time leader in points, 3-pointers, and assists.
Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, had a career year in 2016, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists, although he only participated in 58 games due to a one-month absence. Lillard’s 71-point performance on February 26 against the Houston Rockets was the season’s high point.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, his points per game were the most by a player who changed clubs the following season.
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