Damian Lillard wanted to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers if he couldn’t get traded to the Miami Heat, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. However, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin didn’t want to keep Lillard.
“Lillard then said if a deal couldn’t be worked out with the Heat, he would prefer to rescind his trade request and return to the Trail Blazers,” Haynes wrote. “Cronin’s response to the seven-time All-Star was that there was no coming back. Lillard was shocked, sources said. He said it was discouraging to hear he couldn’t return, but added that he didn’t want to be somewhere he wasn’t wanted, and he ended the meeting.”
Lillard started showing up at the Blazers’ practice facility to work out starting on September 11. The future Hall of Famer went in for eight days and Cronin did not address him once.
“I went into the facility because I was still on the roster and usually that time of the year is when team activities start to pick up as a group,” Lillard told Haynes. “I wasn’t confident I would be moved so I showed up to be in the mix. I didn’t go there to cause any problems. That’s not my character. If they felt that way, it wasn’t my intent. I was just trying to get acclimated and everyone was happy to see me. Every single person except Joe. He never spoke to me. And when I noticed that, I made up in my mind that I’m not going out my way to speak to him.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season. He has career NBA averages of 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
Once Lillard was convinced that joining the Heat was virtually impossible, he became open to the prospect of playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, who now have a Big 3 of Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
“I’m just letting it sink in,” Lillard said. “I’m just trying to process it all. It’s a lot to think about. Never been in this situation before.
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