Report: Lillard requests trade

[Goldstar88]

Damian Lillard’s agent warning non-Heat teams against trading for his client

As he executes the exit of the greatest player in franchise history, executives talking to Cronin describe him as devoid of sentiment. Business for Damian Lillard, business for the Blazers. As Cronin explores the broader landscape, Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners and warning against trading for his client, team executives told ESPN. Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player. As interference goes, this is a time-honored agent maneuver to depress offers and clear a path to a predetermined destination. – via Adrian Wojnarowski @ ESPN


Yes, let’s trade for this guy. 

[Neurotic Guy]

Damian Lillard’s agent warning non-Heat teams against trading for his client

As he executes the exit of the greatest player in franchise history, executives talking to Cronin describe him as devoid of sentiment. Business for Damian Lillard, business for the Blazers. As Cronin explores the broader landscape, Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners and warning against trading for his client, team executives told ESPN. Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player. As interference goes, this is a time-honored agent maneuver to depress offers and clear a path to a predetermined destination. – via Adrian Wojnarowski @ ESPN


Yes, let’s trade for this guy. 

The tactic works. 

[bdm860]

I actually don't have a problem with what Lillard's doing, yet.  He's right up against the line of it being a problem, but has yet to actually cross it, IMO.

Refusing to play for a new team other than Miami, that's a problem.

Threatening to have season ending surgery unless he's traded to Miami, that's a problem.

But so far, Lillard's team has only said he he wants to play for Miami and he'd be unhappy anywhere else.  Sure it's strongly implied that it might be a problem, putting him right up against that line, but until he's actually crossed it (refusing to report, being out of shape, giving less than max effort, etc.) it's not a problem in my book.  He's just using the tools in his arsenal to get the situation he wants.  Personally, I think he's bluffing, so that's a big reason why I don't have problem with it.

To me, this is very similar to a rookie refusing to work out for certain teams before the draft, or an agent calling teams and asking them not to draft his player, or when an RFA asks his team not to match his contract.

This is more like the pre-Lakers Anthony Davis situation.  He didn't say he wouldn't play for a team that traded for him, just that he wouldn't re-sign with them.

Things that I think are worse for the league than what Lillard has done so far:

Harden reporting late to training camp, being out of shape, and not giving max effort to force himself out of Houston.
Possibly Ben Simmons holdout in Philly (though maybe he really did have back problems).
Kyrie saying he'd have season ending surgery to force the Cavs to trade him,
Vince Carter openly loafing his way through games in Toronto until he was traded.
Alonzo Mourning and Kenny Anderson refusing to report to Toronto when traded there.
Steve Francis pouting about being drafted by Vancouver and forcing a trade.
Scottie Pippen waiting to have surgery during the season because he was unhappy with his contract with the Bulls.
Danny Ferry going to Europe instead of reporting to the Clippers.

[kraidstar]

This sort of conduct is detrimental to the league. Grow a pair, Adam.

And Lillard is a POS. I hope he fails hard wherever he ends up.

[BringToughnessBack]

I am so loyal to Portland that I will make sure on my way out after signing the supermax with them, I will tell all teams but one, I will not be happy going to them. So in essence, screwing over the team by lowering their leverage for a deal and setting them up for a long winter for many years to come.

Portland, trade him to the team that offers the most. Enough is enough....

[Who]

Damian Lillard’s agent warning non-Heat teams against trading for his client

As he executes the exit of the greatest player in franchise history, executives talking to Cronin describe him as devoid of sentiment. Business for Damian Lillard, business for the Blazers. As Cronin explores the broader landscape, Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling prospective trade partners and warning against trading for his client, team executives told ESPN. Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player. As interference goes, this is a time-honored agent maneuver to depress offers and clear a path to a predetermined destination. – via Adrian Wojnarowski @ ESPN


Yes, let’s trade for this guy. 

The tactic works.

Yes it does. This is leverage.

How many years left on your contract or a no-trade clause are not the only forms of leverage.

Players can create as much leverage as they want so long as they are willing to live with the negative blowback.

[BringToughnessBack]

Lillard in his 30;s
Before 2019, he would play between 72-80 games per year

2019, 66 games played
2020-67
2021-29
and last year, 58

He is trending in the wrong direction. Yes, when he plays, he is awesome but that body is a huge risk for that supermax contract as well.

Would I like him on our team without giving up Brown,, most certainly but this could become a Kemba situation or IT with that 6'2 body of his.

[kraidstar]

I actually don't have a problem with what Lillard's doing, yet.  He's right up against the line of it being a problem, but has yet to actually cross it, IMO.

Refusing to play for a new team other than Miami, that's a problem.

Threatening to have season ending surgery unless he's traded to Miami, that's a problem.

But so far, Lillard's team has only said he he wants to play for Miami and he'd be unhappy anywhere else.  Sure it's strongly implied that it might be a problem, putting him right up against that line, but until he's actually crossed it (refusing to report, being out of shape, giving less than max effort, etc.) it's not a problem in my book.  He's just using the tools in his arsenal to get the situation he wants.  Personally, I think he's bluffing, so that's a big reason why I don't have problem with it.

To me, this is very similar to a rookie not working out for certain teams, or an agent calling teams and asking them not to draft his player, or when an RFA asks his team not to match his contract.

This is more like the pre-Lakers Anthony Davis situation.  He didn't say he wouldn't play for a team that traded for him, just that he wouldn't re-sign with them.

Things that I think are worse for the league than what Lillard has done so far:

Harden reporting late to training camp, being out of shape, and not giving max effort to force himself out of Houston.
Possibly Ben Simmons holdout in Philly (though maybe he really did have back problems).
Kyrie saying he'd have season ending surgery to force the Cavs to trade him,
Vince Carter openly loafing his way through games in Toronto until he was traded.
Alonzo Mourning and Kenny Anderson refusing to report to Toronto when traded there.
Steve Francis pouting about being drafted by Vancouver and forcing a trade.
Scottie Pippen waiting to have surgery during the season because he was unhappy with his contract with the Bulls.
Danny Ferry going to Europe instead of reporting to the Clippers.

I think he's already crossed the line. Maybe he hasn't overtly suggested faking an injury or whatever - that would be a violation of the CBA - but there's still the implication he might.

Reminds me of the famous Always Sunny in Philadelphia when Dennis horrifies Mac by talking about "the implication," aka coercing women to sleep with him because he might feasibly hurt them otherwise.

[SHAQATTACK]

Lillard in his 30;s
Before 2019, he would play between 72-80 games per year

2019, 66 games played
2020-67
2021-29
and last year, 58

He is trending in the wrong direction. Yes, when he plays, he is awesome but that body is a huge risk for that supermax contract as well.

Would I like him on our team without giving up Brown,, most certainly but this could become a Kemba situation or IT with that 6'2 body of his.

Awesome player to be sure .  Wonder really what wear and tear has done.  Kemba didn’t volunteer his pains before signing , frankly it was a dirty deal pulled on Boston.  He was worn out and he knew it .  I’d be mighty shy before signing another smaller guy 34 plus years old that depends on athletic ability .  They get used up in the NBA

[bdm860]

Lillard in his 30;s
Before 2019, he would play between 72-80 games per year

2019, 66 games played
2020-67
2021-29
and last year, 58

He is trending in the wrong direction. Yes, when he plays, he is awesome but that body is a huge risk for that supermax contract as well.

Would I like him on our team without giving up Brown,, most certainly but this could become a Kemba situation or IT with that 6'2 body of his.

Those years he played 66 and 67 games were the Covid years where the seasons were only 74 and 72 games long, so he played the 82-game-equivalent of 73 and 76 games those years.

[BringToughnessBack]

Lillard in his 30;s
Before 2019, he would play between 72-80 games per year

2019, 66 games played
2020-67
2021-29
and last year, 58

He is trending in the wrong direction. Yes, when he plays, he is awesome but that body is a huge risk for that supermax contract as well.

Would I like him on our team without giving up Brown,, most certainly but this could become a Kemba situation or IT with that 6'2 body of his.

Those years he played 66 and 67 games were the Covid years where the seasons were only 74 and 72 games long, so he played the 82-game-equivalent of 73 and 76 games those years.

Ahh, forgot! thanks. I have attempted to delete the memory of covid from my memory banks.

[keevsnick]

Lillard in his 30;s
Before 2019, he would play between 72-80 games per year

2019, 66 games played
2020-67
2021-29
and last year, 58

He is trending in the wrong direction. Yes, when he plays, he is awesome but that body is a huge risk for that supermax contract as well.

Would I like him on our team without giving up Brown,, most certainly but this could become a Kemba situation or IT with that 6'2 body of his.

Those years he played 66 and 67 games were the Covid years where the seasons were only 74 and 72 games long, so he played the 82-game-equivalent of 73 and 76 games those years.

I'm not that worried about Lillard's injury history, even last year I'm guessing he would have played more than 58 if his team didn't stink and was trying to tank. He's play the equivalent of mid seventies or more games every year before the last two.

The worries about Lillard are two fold. He's going to be 33 before the start of next season and he's making 216 million over the next 4 seasons. So age decline combined with a huge contract could make him an albatross years 3+4. He is a great shooter, those guys usually retain value longer, but 6'2 guards can fall off a cliff fast when they do fall.

For comparison even if Jaylen signs the full super-max he would finish that whole contract and still be younger than Lillard is right now.

[Who]

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

The issue is not Portland.

The issue is the team that acquires him. How willing are they to deal with an unhappy player? And just how unhappy will he be? Will he be professional and show up and work hard or will refuse to show up and play? They will have given away a bounty of assets for a guy that won't play for them. Or even worse, will he show up and try to destroy the locker room from within which I am surprised doesn't happen more often with players who want out.

Portland is largely irrelevant in all of this.

[Who]

Portland only have themselves to blame for this situation. Years of mismanagement.

[jpotter33]

Portland only have themselves to blame for this situation. Years of mismanagement.

I mean, if the situation was Dame requesting a trade and the Blazers simply refusing to honor it, then, sure, you can put this mostly on Portland. But that’s not what Dane is doing. He’s trying to extort them and have them trade him to a single destination that simply doesn’t have the assets to trade for him. How is it Portland’s fault for looking out for their own self-interests and not just succumbing to this demand?  The GM and team are doing their duties, as their obligations are to the team, owners, and fans, not Lillard.