Damian Lillard finally was traded, from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks, late last month, capping a summer-long saga that appeared as if it never would end.
It’s no secret that Lillard preferred to be traded to the Heat, but a package suitable to Portland’s liking apparently never materialized. Now, according to Ben Mallard of Fox Sports Radio, perhaps the Blazers simply did not want to acquiesce to Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin.
Mallard discussed his intel, collected from anonymous NBA sources, Thursday on Fox Sports Radio.
“From what I’ve gathered, Portland was prepared to send Lillard to Miami,” Mallard said. “Then his agent finagled and gave some comments to the media that rubbed [several people] in Portland the wrong way. It was at that point that the Blazers pivoted. … It was at that point that Lillard’s agent had embarrassed the franchise.”
"From what I've gathered, Portland was prepared to send Damian Lillard to Miami, and then his agent gave comments to the media that rubbed people the wrong way in Portland, so they pivoted."
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) October 12, 2023
🎙️@benmaller on Dame claiming Blazers did him dirty pic.twitter.com/ELkHXh1Tx4
Lillard didn’t end up in Miami as he’d wished, but he did land with a championship contender in Milwaukee. Lillard now will team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton to form a dynamic offensive trio to contend with the likes of the Heat, Celtics and 76ers in the Eastern Conference this season.
