How Much Loyalty Do The Blazers Owe Lillard - If Any At All?
Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The narrative around Damian Lillard for years is that he is loyal at all costs, almost to a fault. Fans have long been pleading with him, begging him even to ditch the Portland Trail Blazers, and move on to a team that is better fit to compete for a championship. Year after year his front office has failed to put a winning team around Lillard, yet the star point guard from Weber State continued to stick it out and hold his head high. That was, at least, until a few days ago when the 32-year-old finally requested a trade. Now, the Blazers are in the awkward position of trying to move their superstar and start a complete rebuild. However, some people, including Dame himself, are calling for the loyalty he showed to be repaid in full.
The problem the front office currently faces is that Lillard very much has his mind set on going to the Miami Heat. He believes that the team from South Beach is his best shot at winning a ring, and he is dead set on playing basketball for them come October. Unlike the recently traded Bradley Beal, Dame does not have a no-trade clause in his contract. But, that hasn’t stopped him from trying to dictate his landing spot. It has become increasingly clear to the public that he views the situation as Miami or bust. Damian Lillard’s agent has even gone as far as calling other teams interested in trading with Portland, and advising them that they best stay away from his client, or else they will have an unhappy superstar on their hands. Calling this act a sabotage on the Blazers is putting it lightly.
Perhaps Lillard and his circle feel they have the right to act this way, considering how much leeway they have given the organization over the past 11 years. While other big-name players were asking out and demanding trades all over the place, Dame stood pat and tried over and over to make things work in Portland. He gave his front office every benefit of the doubt imaginable, yet they always failed to deliver a team capable of winning a championship. So maybe it is all these seasons of failure and disappointment in the face of loyalty that have caused the 32-year-old to try and force the team’s hand when it comes to trading him. Some might say this is a justified approach; Dame can’t play nice forever, can he?
But on the other hand, is it fair to the Trail Blazers to give in to their departing superstar? Damian Lillard is an extremely valuable asset in the NBA, yet the only team he wants to go to does not have much they can offer in return. The current rumors suggest that the best offer the Heat could cook up is Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and some picks. That isn’t nearly what Lillard is worth, especially since the front office does not seem that interested in adding Herro to their roster. A third or even fourth team could get roped into the trade to make things work better, but why should Portland have to trade with Miami at all?
Credit: Alika Jenner/Getty Images
It’s the team management’s job to do what is in the best interest of their organization, which isn’t always in line with the best interests of their players. In this case, it is the opposite. Selling Lillard for pennies on the dollar might set the Trail Blazers back years in their rebuild, and doom them to many seasons of mediocrity. Is it right to ask the front office to willingly do that? Is it right to subject the fans to a lengthy and painful rebuild when there could be a better avenue to success? Damian Lillard seems to think so (and his agent CERTAINLY does).
And this difference of opinions is what has created this Mexican standoff that we are left with at the moment. Lillard and his team think they have the right to force a move to Miami, while the Trail Blazers management is trying everything they can to get a fair price for their star player. Who’s right, and who’s wrong? It’s impossible to say; situations like this typically call for some give and take between both parties to achieve a satisfactory outcome for both sides. However, it seems as though Dame is done cutting the front office slack, while the team is just worried about getting the best possible return on value. Eventually, someone will have to give, and only then will a trade actually get done. But for now, Damian Lillard remains a Portland Trail Blazer, and only time will tell how this saga finally reaches its much-awaited conclusion.
