Getty Image / Rich Schultz
It’s been a few weeks now and the Portland Trail Blazers have yet to trade Damian Lillard.
There has been a ton of back-and-forth, as the superstar point guard has claimed he only wants to play for the Miami Heat.
So much so, that his agent sent a warning to other organization’s to not trade for him.
All of this has put Portland in a tough spot, as the franchise would like to receive the best offer possible in a Lillard deal.
Well, from the sounds of it, the Trail Blazers are not going to settle for a trade sending Damian Lillard to the Heat.
According to Tim MacMahon, Joe Cronin, the general manager of the Blazers, claims the team is “going to be patient.” Additionally, he states that if negotiations “takes months, it takes months.”
Blazers GM Joe Cronin: “We’re going to be patient. We’re going to do what's best for our team. We're going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”
Cronin says a deal that makes everyone happy often requires a list of more than one preferred destination.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 10, 2023
Pretty much everyone is ready for the breaking news of Lillard finally being traded. However, Portland is taking the right approach.
For the Trail Blazers to part ways with Damian Lillard, they have to receive as many assets as possible. They are reportedly asking for four first round picks and two starting caliber players.
If that’s the case, then Miami isn’t the best trade partner for Portland.
There is still plenty of speculation that a third, or even fourth team could be involved in a trade. But nothing is set in stone until it actually comes to fruition.
At this point, we all just have to wait for Adrian Wojnarowski or Shams Charania to break the news. But it could take a while.