Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin issued a statement Saturday in response to Damian Lillard’s trade request.
“We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he’d prefer to play someplace else,” the statement read. “What has not changed for us is that we’re committed to winning, and we are going to do what’s best for the team in pursuit of that goal.”
Lillard requested a trade on Saturday after the Blazers failed to make major additions to the roster when the NBA’s free agency/trade period began on Friday.
Exiting a second consecutive losing season, Lillard made it clear that he expected to see additions to the roster that could push the team forward. Cronin expressed seeking the same goal.
However, the Blazers used the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA draft to select Scoot Henderson, a 6-foot-2 point guard from the G League Ignite.
That move, which Cronin said came about because trade offers for the pick were underwhelming, upset Lillard and led to a meeting with the GM on Monday.
According to two NBA sources, that meeting went well but nothing changed. Lillard reiterated that he wasn’t satisfied with the team’s direction.
When no key additions were made on Friday, Lillard began considering an exit strategy.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
