NBA superstar Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, but he still receives love from Portland residents.
“I love the city of Portland,” Lillard told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “Every initiative that I’ve started, I’ll continue and I’ll finish regardless of anything. The love will be that because the way I’ve said I feel about Portland is how I feel about Portland. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. It’s been fine. It’s been what it’s always been …
“[Portland-area residents] just tell me they love me,” Lillard continued. “That’s literally what they say. ‘Dame, we love you. We thank you for everything.’ That’s the dialogue. It’s pretty simple and to the point.”
Lillard requested to be traded from the Blazers to only the Miami Heat on July 1. He has spent all 11 seasons of his career with Portland, which selected him with the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. The Blazers finished 33-49 and 13th in the Western Conference last season.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Lillard is close friends with Heat center Bam Adebayo and believes he can win an NBA title in Miami playing alongside Jimmy Butler and Adebayo. The Heat have been working on a trade package for Lillard of expiring contracts, three to four first-round picks and one of the team’s younger players, with Tyler Herro going to a third team. The deal could potentially also involve second-rounders and draft pick swaps.
Lillard has career averages of 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 769 games with the Blazers. He’s never been to the NBA Finals and requested a trade from the Blazers to the Heat after Portland didn’t add several impactful veterans in free agency.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
A future Hall of Famer, Lillard was also upset the Blazers didn’t trade the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft for a star player. Portland drafted Scoot Henderson, who plays the same position as Lillard, with the third pick.
Lillard will make $46.6 million next season. He signed a two-year, $121.8 million extension with the Blazers in July 2022. The 33-year-old Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season.
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