NBA Trade Rumors: Damian Lillard reveals why he demanded a trade from Blazers

NBA Trade Rumors: Damian Lillard breaks his silence and explains the reasoning behind his trade demand. 

It was somewhat surprising, to some, when it was reported that Damian Lillard had demanded a trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers at the beginning of the NBA’s Free Agency period. Even though there were rumblings, there were still many who couldn’t envision Lillard ever asking out. Until it happened, of course.

And with the lack of traction on a deal this summer, you can also make the argument that the Blazers didn’t even anticipate Lillard asking for a trade – which they have to be blamed for if true.

Interestingly enough, Lillard went on the BACKONFIGG Podcast and explained the reasoning behind his trade demand.

This quote can sum up why Lillard believed that the trade demand was the only path forward for himself at this point in his career:

"You don’t want the same thing no more and you show me that you don’t want the same thing. We don’t want the same thing.”"

Basically, the Blazers want to rebuild and Lillard wants to win. The two sides are on a path in which they want different things.

You can read between the lines a bit here. Lillard didn’t all of a sudden switch up on his stance of loyalty. Ideally, Lillard would win in Portland. Or would at least have the chance to win in Portland. But over the last couple of seasons (between trading CJ McCollum, and Josh Hart, and then drafting two raw teenagers with lottery picks) something changed. It quickly became clear that the Blazers were no longer in win-now mode and Lillard, at this point in his career, wasn’t willing to go down another rebuild.

When you think of it from that perspective, it’s completely fair. If there is anything Lillard has down “wrong” in his effort to be traded to a contender, it was probably naming the Miami Heat as his only preferred destination. But even then, there could be some reasoning behind that.

Less than two weeks before the start of NBA Training Camps, a deal is going to have to come to fruition pretty quickly. While there is some optimism that the Blazers are at least negotiating or talking with teams, there doesn’t appear to be a deal close to completion just yet.

Lillard has probably played his last game in a Trail Blazers uniform. At some point, we’ll get the whole story. It’s just unfortunate how this has all fallen apart between Lillard and Portland this offseason.