Damian Lillard recently requested a trade after more than a decade with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, things are not as simple as he might think. His current team cannot trade him without getting anything in return, and if they do not receive a fair deal, things could become more complicated than necessary.
The Blazers no longer need Damian Lillard, as it is clear that he does not want to play for the franchise anymore. They now have Scoot Henderson, who could easily become the star player they need for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.
While there is still plenty of time to find Lillard a good trade, the Blazers could find themselves in an unfortunate situation. They might not be able to find a trade partner for Lillard, and he could become a distraction if he remains in Portland.
What did two NBA GMs say about the situation in Portland?
According to NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne, things could get more complicated for the Blazers than they think. She recently spoke with two general managers who expressed their concern about Lillard. She revealed the conversation with the executives: “I just talked to 2 GMs this morning who said we might be looking at another Ben Simmons situation here. Dame has 4 years left on his deal. POR can take their time. Let’s see if he shows up for training camp. If they wanna wait till February to trade him they can.”
Lillard has options. He is a relatively young player who could still play 3-4 good seasons for any franchise that is willing to pay what his contract says.