Portland is scheduled to face Miami after the trade deadline and the big question is this: which jersey will Damian Lillard be wearing?
Here we go again! The NBA schedule has been released, and fans are buzzing. During the offseason, most players prepare for upcoming matchups, but for others, uncertainties still loom large. Most notably, Damian Lillard.
Earlier this summer, the NBA buzzed with rumors of a potential Damian Lillard trade to the Miami Heat. However, since Lillard's request for a trade, the Portland Trail Blazers haven't made any progress toward getting Lillard to his preferred destination. Now, as the NBA season approaches, a certain matchup set for after the deadline is raising eyebrows.
Portland's only nationally televised game of the season will be against Miami, which coincidentally occurs after the trade deadline.
Per Portland-based journalist Sean Highkin's Twitter:
NBA Rumors: Heat-Blazers matchup adds fuel to Damian Lillard trade fire
Could this mean that after the trade deadline, Lillard will be joining the Heat? According to reports, the Heat are the only ones bidding and Portland is in no rush to dump Dame.
Let's face it, less than two seasons ago Lillard was named one of the top 75 NBA players of all time. Portland hasn't and probably will not see a prospect of Lillard's caliber for a long time. (Prove me wrong Scoot.) So, Joe Cronin, Portland's GM, is in absolutely zero rush to make a deal.
Since Lillard insists on the Heat, Portland's only option is to extract the most value from Miami in return. Portland knows that they have something Miami is interested in. In light of this, Portland's lack of urgency regarding Dame is only further evidence of their stance. They want to be wooed. According to Dave Deckard of SB Nation, Portland wants Miami to do the legwork on this deal.
A similar situation occurred before with the Nets and Kevin Durant. After specifically requesting a trade to the Suns, KD played 39 games for the team at an MVP level before eventually getting traded to Phoenix. With that said, if Lillard is still with the Blazers on opening night of the season, that could be bad for team chemistry. Whether that's enough incentive for Portland to make a move before opening night, we'll have to wait and see.
