LAS VEGAS — The talk at Summer League around a Damian Lillard trade is about how little talk there is around a Damian Lillard trade.
The situation remains at an impasse — Lillard only wants to go to Miami but the Heat’s offer doesn’t thrill the Trail Blazers — and while some teams have been discussed as potential third-team facilitators to get a deal done, nothing substantive seems in the works. Portland General Manager Joe Cronin drove that point home Monday when talking about the trade, saying he will do what is best for the franchise. Here are some quotes, via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report.
Joe Cronin: "In any deal, the goal is to come out with the best outcome. It could be more of a win-now player. It could be a young player and picks. It could be just picks. There's no set parameters."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) July 10, 2023
Joe Cronin: "We're going to be patient. If it takes months, it takes months."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) July 10, 2023
Cronin also said he has not spoken to Lillard since the trade request was made on July 1.
Cronin’s comments and other recent reports on the trade confirm things have not changed, and the idea this could drag out until training camps start is not crazy.
Reports have come out that Portland expects four first-round picks plus a couple of quality players back in a Lillard trade. That may be an optimistic viewing of the marketplace for Lillard — while he is a 30-point-a-game, All-NBA player right now, he also is 32-year-old small guard who doesn’t play a lot of defense and is owed $216 million over the next four seasons. The number of teams willing to take on Lillard’s contract, because his presence vaults them to contender status, is limited — and may just be one, the Miami Heat. Brooklyn and its picks get mentioned, but Lillard on the Nets makes them Blazers East (a nice team that is not a contender). Same with the Utah Jazz, who are just on a different timeline than Lillard. Oklahoma City has picks, they also have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is better than Dame right now, they don’t want to take the ball out of his hands. Only a win-now team willing to pay the tax to win will make a trade for Lillard, and that market is small.
Cronin and Portland want more than is on the table right now. Lillard only wants to go to Miami but things could open up if he expanded that list. Both sides have dug their heels in, and this could take months.