NBA Rumors: Taking a closer look at the Damian Lillard saga and dissecting whether he’s done enough to force the Portland Trail Blazers’ hand.
Counting down the days to the start of NBA Training Camp, there is still one unstable situation that remains very much unsettled. And that’s the impasse that has taken place between Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard demanded a trade (to the Miami Heat) practically two months ago and the Blazers have done little to appease said request. The start of the season is just around the corner, and there’s no guarantee that a trade will be found before then. This is a reality that Lillard and his camp are likely beginning to realize.
But it’s not like Lillard hasn’t tried to force the issue. Over the last couple of weeks, he’s played the social media game in which he unfollowed the Blazers on Instagram. He followed that up by doing a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Marc Spears in which it was evident he was unhappy with the Blazers. During that interview, he also confirmed his trade request.
The big question is, has Lillard done enough to help force the Blazers’ hand toward a trade before the start of the season? If not, is there anything else he can do to help achieve his goal to be moved to the Heat?
Is there anything else Damian Lillard can do?
It’s hard to imagine that Lillard is going to go torch-the-earth mode as James Harden has recently, but you can’t help but wonder if there’s another move that he can do in an attempt to force the issue. Considering he’s already done the sit-down interview, and didn’t say much when given the opportunity, it’s clear there’s only one move left – if Lillard is going to be proactive one final time in an attempt to force a trade, it likely has to come by deciding to not report to camp or agree to now show up.
If Lillard doesn’t elect to do that, there’s really not much else he can do to force the issue. He’s under contract for the foreseeable future and the Blazers pretty much have all the power – unless Lillar is willing to make things uncomfortable when it’s time to report to training camp.
Many don’t believe he would do such a move but perhaps he’s gotten to the point where he’s ready to make things a bit uncomfortable. At least for now, it doesn’t appear as if Lillard has done enough to force Portland’s hand. Does he have another move left in him?