Report: Lillard requests trade

[Who]

I think we're trying to re-write history here. Dame wanted the Blazer to trade the pick for a vet so he could try to win in Portland. Instead, they used the pick to draft his replacement. Any story about Dame wanting to be traded needs to include that, otherwise it's ignoring the facts.

Comment from a Blazers fan.

What about the other facts, like Portland committing to Grant for 5 years despite him not fitting the rebuild narrative at all?

Or the fact that the Blazers were very actively shopping the pick, but there was no equitable value in star return for it. Again, Dame wanting them to take 50 cents on the dollar for a premium asset all for his benefit.

I think his reputation (outside of Miami) will take somewhat of a hit after this debacle. He looks like a spoiled child trying to have his cake and eat it too. He chose the money and long-term security knowing full well it limits his flexibility moving forward, yet now he wants to try and dictate that, too.

Luckily, I’m seeing more and more NBA people come out about this nonsense that they “owe it” to Dame to send him to Miami. Get out of here.

I don't recall Lillard ever taking less money to try and enable more financial flexibility on a team that would struggle to lure talent

I thought the Blazers fan was on the right track.

Portland need to pick a direction either go with youth and rebuild or trade the youth and get vets to win-now with Lillard. Portland's GM wasn't willing to make a decision. Lillard was right to intervene and force his hand. If the GM won't make the decision, then Lillard has to take matters into his own hands.

How do we know Portland wasn't willing to make a decision? They seemed to be actively shopping the pick - Lillard's own petulant behaviour would have devalued that pick, lessening the likely return. The Portland GM is perfectly fine in not accepting a poor offer on a good asset in Scoot.

If you don't like the return for Scoot and/or A Simons, then trade Lillard. Pick a direction. Make a decision.

[Quetzalcoatl]

If Lillard has such a love affair with Miami, maybe he shouldn't have signed that supermax extension. There is the old adage, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

I mean no he earned that money and then some for the team in ticket sales and would have for any other team he was signed to.  It's his money that he earned.  I just think it's not going to end well for him there. 

The Heat lost a bunch of role players.  With him they don't beat the Nuggets.  They will not be favored vs us.  If Giannis is healthy they probably lose to them too.  I mean I'd like $70 million to live in Miami too so I get it but he's got 2 years left in his peak.  If he wants legacy it would be suboptimal.  "Undrafted Role Players got us to the Finals but Dame can't get us out of the 2nd round!"

[gouki88]

I think we're trying to re-write history here. Dame wanted the Blazer to trade the pick for a vet so he could try to win in Portland. Instead, they used the pick to draft his replacement. Any story about Dame wanting to be traded needs to include that, otherwise it's ignoring the facts.

Comment from a Blazers fan.

What about the other facts, like Portland committing to Grant for 5 years despite him not fitting the rebuild narrative at all?

Or the fact that the Blazers were very actively shopping the pick, but there was no equitable value in star return for it. Again, Dame wanting them to take 50 cents on the dollar for a premium asset all for his benefit.

I think his reputation (outside of Miami) will take somewhat of a hit after this debacle. He looks like a spoiled child trying to have his cake and eat it too. He chose the money and long-term security knowing full well it limits his flexibility moving forward, yet now he wants to try and dictate that, too.

Luckily, I’m seeing more and more NBA people come out about this nonsense that they “owe it” to Dame to send him to Miami. Get out of here.

I don't recall Lillard ever taking less money to try and enable more financial flexibility on a team that would struggle to lure talent

I thought the Blazers fan was on the right track.

Portland need to pick a direction either go with youth and rebuild or trade the youth and get vets to win-now with Lillard. Portland's GM wasn't willing to make a decision. Lillard was right to intervene and force his hand. If the GM won't make the decision, then Lillard has to take matters into his own hands.

How do we know Portland wasn't willing to make a decision? They seemed to be actively shopping the pick - Lillard's own petulant behaviour would have devalued that pick, lessening the likely return. The Portland GM is perfectly fine in not accepting a poor offer on a good asset in Scoot.

If you don't like the return for Scoot and/or A Simons, then trade Lillard. Pick a direction. Make a decision.

They are. Lillard is the one trying to sabotage them by pretending he has more power than he does in reality.

Portland have failed several times in building around Lillard, but that doesn't give him the right to play GM.

[Moranis]

I'd still trade Brown for him if he wanted to be here.  Heck I might even if he didn't because he is signed long term and I don't think he'd walk away from the money or not try once he was here, but I'd be more wary of doing so.

[jpotter33]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/37964651/inside-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-trade-talks

Dame’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners & warning against trading for him, team executives told ESPN. Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player.” @wojespn

It’s time for Silver to pull a Stern and step in. This is ridiculous. How are the owners and teams not fuming over this? This is essentially extortion of the Blazers and completely bypassing some of the protections for teams in the CBA.

[celticinorlando]

Let him be unhappy. Portland has no obligation to take a bad deal just so he can go to Miami

[Neurotic Guy]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/37964651/inside-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-trade-talks

Dame’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners & warning against trading for him, team executives told ESPN. Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player.” @wojespn

It’s time for Silver to pull a Stern and step in. This is ridiculous. How are the owners and teams not fuming over this? This is essentially extortion of the Blazers and completely bypassing some of the protections for teams in the CBA.

Yes.  Silver should intervene and owners should be enraged. Tremendous disloyalty to the organization and fans in Portland. Forcing Portland to take less value than they could otherwise get so that Dame can make his 200M and play with his pal in Miami.   Intervene now as this will continue to happen - and will repeatedly happen in favor of large market destination cities. 

[wdleehi]

All it takes is one team who believes their other player (star) can convince Lillard that they can win together. 

[Roy H.]

The new CBA should have addressed stuff like this more clearly.  There's the standard language in NBA contracts about loss of skill; if a guy shows up out of shape and underperforms, the league should be the one issuing suspensions (at the team's request).  This stuff harms the product on the floor more than Kyrie and Morant.

[Neurotic Guy]

A case could be made for collusion with Heat purposefully offering lesser value knowing that competition will be reduced via interventions by the player and his agent. The benefit added of course to the Heat and to Lillard since the Heat don’t need to harm their roster trading for a superstar.

[cman88]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/37964651/inside-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-trade-talks

Dame’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners & warning against trading for him, team executives told ESPN. Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player.” @wojespn

It’s time for Silver to pull a Stern and step in. This is ridiculous. How are the owners and teams not fuming over this? This is essentially extortion of the Blazers and completely bypassing some of the protections for teams in the CBA.

yeah, this is getting ridiculous. Not sure how this isn't tampering. An agent/player purposely killing their trade value to force a team to take a mediocre package and force their way to their desired destination.

but casuals will say "they should do dame a solid!" why? they should tarnish their future and take a subpar deal because Dame stayed with them (to sign a 5 year supermax last year mind you). mr "I dont run from the grind" and "loyalty" sure isn't showing much loyalty to his former team.

[jpotter33]

Jayson Tatum is trying to figure out a way to get Damian Lillard to Boston, per @MarcJSpears

Not even sure I’d want him here at this point after this whole debacle, especially given what it’d take to get him.

[SparzWizard]

Still think we absolutely should get Dame even if he expressed displeasure with the Blazers and a whacky off-season. Stars win championships.

Dame/Porzingis/Tatum would be a ferocious trio.

[celticinorlando]

Still think we absolutely should get Dame even if he expressed displeasure with the Blazers and a whacky off-season. Stars win championships.

Dame/Porzingis/Tatum would be a ferocious trio.

I think Boston could get him without including Brown.

[Vermont Green]

Jayson Tatum is trying to figure out a way to get Damian Lillard to Boston, per @MarcJSpears

Not even sure I’d want him here at this point after this whole debacle, especially given what it’d take to get him.

This is strange to me.  So is Tatum trying to facilitate a trade of Brown?  Or of Brogdon and White?  That doesn't sound like a good vibe for the locker room if the trade doesn't happen.

I think Jayson should just stay out of this.