Damian Lillard might not request a trade even if the Trail Blazers are unable to trade the No. 3 overall pick before the NBA Draft.
It seems like Damian Lillard might not leave Portland after all the talk that he would if the Trail Blazers did not make a move this offseason.
In a recent batch of news by Chris Mannix, the SI writer indicated that Lillard is not the kind of player to request a trade.
So what happens if the Blazers can't find a deal that improves their short-term chances? There won't be a trade demand; that's simply not Lillard's style. Lillard has said repeatedly—including to me back in March—that if Portland can't put itself on a path to contention, he will sit down with GM Joe Cronin and have a frank discussion about what is best.
Mannix reported that the Trail Blazers are open to trading for O.G. Anunoby or Pascal Siakam but they have not offered the third overall pick in any deal so far.
Damian Lillard isn't going to force the Trail Blazers to trade
It seemed like this would finally be the summer for something to move between the two sides. This would be horrible asset management for the team due to the fact that they are most likely not going be a title contender this season or the next, pending something unexpected.
With that in mind, the Blazers should make a move with the third overall pick or decide to trade Lillard. The number of assets that the Trail Blazers could get from the Nets or Heat in a possible trade would help this team undergo a direct rebuild.
Even if Lillard doesn't request to get traded, it is finally time to make a move. Lillard is about to turn 33 and has four more max years on his contract.
The Blazers did not even make the playoffs this season and will probably not again if they do not trade for All-NBA players. They will have an outside shot of winning the title if they trade for a star depending on what they would lose in the trade.
If the third overall pick or Lillard does not get traded this offseason, it would be a real bummer due to the fact that there have been many rumors saying that one of these things will happen.