The Portland Trail Blazers’ star point guard, Damian Lillard, might be valued very highly by his team. But some NBA executives believe that the player isn’t worth as much as the Blazers think he is. Lillard and the Blazers have been the talk of the town this whole summer, and they are yet to reach a conclusion even after two months.
Generally, superstars request a trade, and the teams do as the player asks for. But that is not always the case, and the 33-year-old has found himself in a complicated situation. The player has told his preferred destination, but that team can not afford the package that the Blazers want. Is this trade going anywhere? Are the Blazers right in asking that amount of assets for their guard? Here is all the information you need about the scenario between the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard.
What is the preferred destination of Damian Lillard?
On the first day of the NBA transfer window, the veteran point guard who has spent his whole NBA career with the Blazers requested a move to the Miami Heat. The player said that he wants a move to the Heat only, and if he is traded to some other team, there will be consequences. But the current runner-up can not offer what the Blazers expect in return for their star.
One of the weakest arguments against Damian Lillard’s trade request is that he signed a contract extension.
Let’s revisit that 2022 summer day in Las Vegas.
Lillard made it clear that he signed because Joe Cronin, Jody Allen and Chauncey Billups convinced him they were… pic.twitter.com/wx1PnhGkKr
— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) August 27, 2023
How did Damian Lillard perform last season?
The Weber State Wildcats product played 58 games for the Blazers last season and averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds last season while shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc and 46.3 percent from the field. His two-year-long contract worth $121.8M expires next summer, and the Blazers would like to get a hefty return before he leaves for free.
According to @BrettSiegelNBA at ClutchPoints, The Miami Heat have been in contact with the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason regarding a potential trade involving superstar point guard Damian Lillard.
“While a deal does not appear to be imminent, the Heat have been… pic.twitter.com/r8TxCgeqbm
— Miami Heatle 🔥🐬 (@HeatleMiami) August 22, 2023
What is being said about the market value of Damian Lillard?
The Blazers expect 2 to 3 players and at least four draft picks in return for their point guard but NBA executives believe that not many teams afford that and even if they do they would not like to give this much assets in return for a player who is 33 years old with a huge salary.
Will we ever see the end of the Lillard saga? We hope both the player and the team find a middle ground. We’ll keep you updated.
Source: Forbes
