Trading superstars is never easy for a franchise to stomach, and that is the predicament the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in now.
Damian Lillard’s time in Portland is coming to an end after he asked for a trade, an event that felt like a long-time coming considering how poorly the team has performed the past couple of seasons.
Lillard asked to be traded to the Miami Heat, though the two sides have been unable to find a suitable deal that works for both of them.
The Heat’s interest in Lillard makes sense as he could turn them into favorites to win the Eastern Conference again, though other teams are surely interested in acquiring him as well.
Although Portland has a deadline of getting a trade done before training camp, there hasn’t been much traction.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Lillard’s trade value is more complicated than it looks on paper.
Why has Damian Lillard not been traded yet?@WindhorstESPN tells @BGeltzNBA and @SamMitchellNBA moving someone like Lillard is harder than it sounds. pic.twitter.com/R8HMvh6UOI
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 23, 2023
Windhorst explains that the first snag is Lillard’s contract as that he is owed about $94 million over the next two seasons.
The other factor to consider is that a team trading for Lillard will have to give up valuable draft assets and good players which would gut the roster and leave the star without much to work with.
However, for any team that might feel like they’re close to a championship, gambling on Lillard is worth the risk as he is a true game-changer.
With training camp coming up in the next couple of weeks, expect to see more offers get reported.
NEXT: Former NBA All-Star Offers Advice To Damian Lillard
