Sources – Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard requests trade
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has requested a trade and the franchise is expected to work to accommodate him, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Lillard stayed with the franchise that picked him sixth in the 2012 NBA draft for two seasons in which Portland failed to make the postseason after eight straight appearances. But after the Blazers opted to pick guard Scoot Henderson as their #3 draft pick last month, the future direction of the franchise was clear.
Lillard met with Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin on June 26 to discuss the team’s future.
Should Lillard leave the Blazers, it will come after 11 seasons, making it to seven All-Star and All-NBA teams and leading the franchise to the playoffs eight times, including a 2018 Western Conference finals appearance /19 He ranks first in both points and 3-pointers and second in assists in Blazers history.
Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, had a career year averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists last season but only played 58 games as he was out in the last month of the season. The highlight of Lillard’s season came on February 26 against the Houston Rockets when he scored 71 points.
According to a study by ESPN Stats & Information, his 32.2 points per game would be the highest score for a player who would change teams the following season.
