It’s been a few weeks since Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, and in that time, two things have become clear: Lillard wants a trade to the Miami Heat, and the Blazers aren’t going to just send Lillard to Miami. As such, there’s been a bit of a stalemate in this entire situation, with Portland general manager Joe Cronin telling the press that the team’s plan is to be patient, going as far as to say “if it takes months, it takes months.”
While we’ll see if the Blazers ultimately decide to just do a deal with Miami, but it appears that Cronin is practicing what he preached. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Portland hasn’t been acting like a team that is desperate to make a trade with the Heat happen.
As of midweek, Portland had been unmotivated to engage with Heat or try to get this done. Maybe they hope this plays out like Durant last summer & they cajole him to start season with team. If so, then it’s in Dame’s hands, whether he reports to camp,makes public comment etc https://t.co/CCZOZBYRuV
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 14, 2023
Miami’s big issue is that the Blazers aren’t really under any obligation to make a trade with them, as Lillard’s contract doesn’t possess a no-trade clause and, as Jackson noted, the All-Star guard hasn’t indicated that he’ll turn to a nuclear option, like not reporting to training camp if he’s still in Portland by the time that rolls around. That, obviously, would force Cronin’s hand a little bit, but for now, he can sit, wait, and tell the Heat (or any other team) that they need to bring their best offer to the Blazers.