Blazers brass willing to wait to trade superstar Damian Lillard
One of the overlaying storylines around the NBA offseason concerns star point guard Damian Lillard’s future. Lillard has requested a trade out of Portland, but there hasn’t been any movement toward finding him a new team. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin further complicated the situation by voicing that the situation could take months before it all pans out.
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“I think what I’ve learned more than anything is patience is critical,” Cronin said in a news conference at Thomas & Mack Center on Monday afternoon via ESPN. “Don’t be reactive. Don’t jump at things just to seemingly solve a problem. I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situations post-trade have been the ones that have been really diligent in taking their time and not been impulsive, or the teams that really kept their urgency under control.
“So I think that’s how my approach has been with this and will be with this. We’re going to be patient; we’re going to do what’s best for our team, we’re going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”
The Blazers are clearly in a rush to move Lillard, especially if the trade package they are looking for isn’t there yet. Portland reportedly wants four first-round picks and two quality players in any trade.
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The Miami Heat are Lillard’s desired landing spot, but they don’t possess enough assets to meet the Blazers’ criteria. That will likely force them to acquire additional draft picks and talent in other trades first before approaching Portland about acquiring the seven-time All-Star.
Lillard will eventually get his wish to play elsewhere, but it doesn’t look like it will be happening any time soon.
