Damian Lillard reportedly lobbied the Trail Blazers to trade for Warriors forward Draymond Green.
They’ll at least get to play together for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics.
Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
Lillard is a big get for the Americans. He’s an awesome point guard.
Putting Lillard on the team also shows USA Basketball isn’t cutting of its nose to spite its face. Managing director Jerry Colangelo indicated he was holding a grudge against players – like Lillard – who withdrew from the 2019 World Cup. But a lack of talent doomed the U.S. in that tournament. It was imperative to get better players for Tokyo.
Green’s inclusion shows Team USA won’t have its most-loaded possible roster. At age 31, he has declined from his peak level.
But not everyone wants to play in the Olympics, anyway. The NBA playoffs will end shortly before the Games, making it less practical for players on deep-advancing NBA teams to join their national teams.
Plus – with his defense, passing, basketball intelligence and passion – Green complements other stars so well. He’s a nice addition to the roster, too.
