As of Monday evening, Damian Lillard remained a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
No movement was made Monday on the Blazers executing Lillard’s trade request and an NBA source has told The Oregonian/OregonLive that negotiating a deal could take weeks.
Lillard, after 11 years with the Blazers, on Saturday requested a trade to the Miami Heat. However, the Heat’s best reported offer so far – Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and two first-round picks – does not meet the Blazers’ expectations.
A third team could be brought into the equation to help complete a deal. Or the Blazers could seek a trade package from a different team altogether.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported Monday that Boston, the LA Clippers, Minnesota and New Orleans have inquired about obtaining Lillard.
Moving Lillard elsewhere, however, would require convincing Lillard to play somewhere other than Miami. According to a source, that could prove to be a difficult ask.
Things went south between Lillard and the Blazers when the franchise failed to upgrade the roster by executing a trade on draft day or during Friday’s start of the free agency period.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts