https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1675176002207510528
The Portland Trail Blazers have been informed that Damian Lillard wants a trade specifically to the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, multiple sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium .
As a Blazer fan who has thoroughly enjoyed watching Dame and thinks he’s been a model star for the franchise and the league this needed to happen and I don’t understand why it came to the point that Dame had to make the request. Ownership/management is so out of touch with actually building a winning team and has instead been stuck on trying to scrape together the best possible team every year to the detriment of the franchise actually being able to move forward.
A real rebuild was required when Lamarcus left and instead they half-assed it trying to produce a successful team immediately and could never get over that screw up.
Glad for the franchise and for Dame that someone came to their senses and will force the correct move for once.
Any ideas on what the difference is for the franchise signing Grant to potentially trade him vs not signing him at all? I really thought resigning Grant was the sign that everyone was in on running it back to at least start the season and look for potential trade deadline deals to pull in a star so I’m surprised this announcement comes out today.
Great to get a Blazer fan’s perspective. I really thought he’d be a lifer, despite all the more recent rumors this season.
I think it’s been a slow buildup to this and it was either Dame ripping off the band-aid or the ownership doing it. But with the way I’ve seen things going as an outside fan’s perspective is that management would never want to make that call.
It’s really puzzling to see the Grant signing and then for this trade demand to come out, cuz I’m in the same boat where I thought that meant there’d be at least another season to find the right pieces. That contract was huge though, really wish that was more of a 4yr deal on a reduced salary…
I thought Dame said he wanted Draymond to join the blazers, but obviously that didn’t work out
This year’s FA is just all over the place. Likewise, I thought Draymond was out unless he was getting a max from the Warriors, so Blazers with Draymond + whoever else Dame was gonna recruit.
It seems like dame really wanted at trade, but didn’t want to say it. blazers really made him ask.
I just see it as Dame getting his buddy paid and then leaving. Loyalty or not he saddled the blazers with a terrible contract.
Wow. Insiders seemed to expect that Lillard wouldn’t publicize a specific demand like this. This really hurts Portland’s chances at a good return.
Yeah it’s pretty insane. I really don’t know what kind of return they can get from the Heat.
Something like Herro, Caleb Martin, and a mix of FRP and SRPs?
I’d figure Lowry would be in the package.
Lowry could be a good mentor for Scoot, but Miami will have to send a lot of draft capital to justify paying that salary for a backup PG
Who knows what the Blazers will ask for, but the Heat should be giving up FRPs just to get off Herro’s contract let alone get a star back in return.
OKC can get involved with the MIA 2025 pick they own.
Heat moves making sense now with all the cap they have
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It would’ve been cool to see him stay. I think I’d rather watch a player stay with the same team without winning a championship than see them force a trade to a better team in order to win one. The championship has been cheapened by superteams.
I agree… It really feels like that era of staying with one team for one’s entire career is over for so many players. I’ll always value championships like Dirk’s run in 2011 that much more because of it.
I think even some fans nowadays don’t appreciate as much, they want the win, but praise players from the past that stayed.
Not a Blazers fan but grew a soft spot for ‘em after moving out here and seeing his loyalty to the city and the fans. You don’t get that in modern ball that often so I’m sure it’s a hard call on his part but they’ve made no attempts to build a winning team around him. Really surprised it took this long to get here.
Wow, actually asking for out now? It happening, off to the Heat.
On the one hand Dame is the coolest guy in Portland and it would suck to see him go.
On the other hand I live within walking distance of the Moda Center and $5 tickets close enough to air my grievances directly to the team rocks.
Never thought I’d actually see it
