NBA Trade Rumors: Damian Lillard echoes his trade request in sitdown interview.
Damian Lillard has finally taken the next step in trying to force his way to the Miami Heat.
After nearly two months of remaining silent after he quietly informed the Portland Trail Blazers that he wanted to be traded to the Miami Heat at the start of the offseason, it seems as if Lillard’s patience may be wearing thin. And how could you blame him? Lillard has been one of the most loyal players in NBA history. After giving his all to the franchise for the first 11 years of his career, Lillard believes it’s time for a chance.
With the expectation that the Blazers were going to quickly help facilitate said change, that simply hasn’t happened so far. Instead, Portland has been adamant about patience regarding a potential Lillard trade and hasn’t seriously discussed any potential deals with the Heat.
Considering that the start of NBA Training Camps is just a few weeks away, the urgency on the part of Lillard quickly became apparent. The next step for Lillard and his camp, a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Marc Spears.
In the interview with Spears, Lillard talks about his desire to win a championship. And perhaps most noteworthy, he confirms the trade request.
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) August 24, 2023
When pressed by Spears about the Blazers specifically, Lillard declines to comment other than saying he has a lot of “love” and “respect” for them. This is not surprising. Lillard clearly wants to avoid being fined by the league and upsetting the fans. However, when watching the video, it clearly looks as if Lillard is frustrated with this entire situation.
I’m not a professional body language reader, but it sure seems like he was holding his tongue a bit when pressed on Portland.
What will happen next?
Nevertheless, this was a natural next step for Lillard. Even though he didn’t throw anyone in Portland under the bus, the video evidence tells us all we need to know about Lillard and his desire to be traded.
Lillard said plenty without saying much. You can read between the words or the lack of words that he said about Portland.
The big question is whether this will move the Blazers at all. It’s clear that Lillard has not moved off his trade demand, and he still very much wants to be in Miami – in the interview, he talks about the lure of a winning organization such as the Heat.
The next few weeks should be rather interesting. Will this finally get done? Or is this just the beginning of another chapter in the Damian Lillard saga?