Insider Report: Lillard "Took Some People By Surprise" In His Meeting With Blazers

June 27, 2023


It was the big pow-wow on Monday between Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. The big confrontation would obviously discuss the team essentially going against his wishes by hanging on to the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft and taking 19-year-old Scoot Henderson and other later picks. Dame wants more veterans brought in to help him contend. 

So what came out of the big meeting? No, not a trade demand, which was everyone's assumption. Not now anyway. 

"This was the meeting that the rest of the league was watching to see if Damian Lillard requested a trade. He absolutely did not," said ESPN's plugged-in NBA Insider Brian Windhorst.

"From what I understand, the tender of the meeting was that he doesn't want to put pressure on the Blazers... He wants to see what they do in free agency, and he's going to give them time to do that. This is an interesting strategy move. 

"(But) it did take some people... by surprise that he didn't go forward with what everyone was expecting him to do."

Lillard's goals in free agency for Portland would start with them re-signing their own sought-after forward Jerami Grant. He'll be commanding at least $30M/year on a four- or five-year deal. 

The next order of business, if Dame the defacto GM had his way, would be to make a huge free agent splash and sign Draymond Green away from the Warriors. That would likely take another $100M. 

But Dame's patience will likely only last another week or two, with free agency beginning on Friday. We'll quickly find out just how serious the Blazers are about competing this season—and just how serious they are about keeping Lillard. Without moves like the aforementioned, he will undoubtedly ask to be traded.

Photo: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports



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