There will always be speculation about Damian Lillard’s future. He’s one of the NBA’s best scorers, and it’s more than evident that he’s not going to win a ring with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard has repeatedly affirmed his commitment to the Blazers organization. He’s made it loud and clear that he wants to stay with the franchise throughout the course of his entire career.
But for the first time since he made it to the league, he may have realized that the Blazers could be better off just hitting the drawing board and rebuilding. That’s why he hinted at leaving if they fail to build a contending team this summer.
Lillard Hints At Leaving Portland
“I want to have an opportunity to win in Portland,” Lillard said in an interview with Showtime. “Right now, we got an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete. That would be the No. 1 thing.”
“If we can’t do that, and I have said this for months now, then it’s a separate conversation we would have to have,” Dame continued. “We’ve got to let things take their course and see where it lands and go from there, but it’s no guarantee that I’d play in June regardless of the situation.”
“I want to have an opportunity to win in Portland… We got an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete. If we can’t do that… then it’s a separate conversation we would have to have” Damian Lillard on the Blazers' future (via @SHOsports)
He Wants To Play For The Heat
So, now that a trade seems like a realistic scenario, it seems like Lillard has already set his sight on South Florida and the Miami Heat as his potential next destination:
“Miami, obviously,” Lillard responded when asked about his preferred destination. “Miami is the obvious one. Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Miami is the obvious one, Brooklyn is the obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog.”
Damian Lillard says Miami is ‘obviously’ his first choice over Boston, New York and Brooklyn in a hypothetical trade “Bam is my dawg” (Via @Showtime )
He seems tailor-made for the Miami Heat culture, and he’d be a major upgrade and seamless fit next to Jimmy Butler. So, Pat Riley better pick up the phone to try and get this deal done ASAP.
