While the NBA sits and waits for the Trail Blazers to trade Damian Lillard, Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin shared some of his behind-the-scenes experiences when he was in a very similar situation regarding Anthony Davis.
Back in 2019, New Orleans was shopping Davis, who wanted out, and Griffin said all the noise around the eventual trade helped them get leverage over the Lakers and resulted in a bigger haul for Davis when they traded him. Griffin says the best thing that can happen to Portland is if the rumors grow so powerful that the Heat feels pressured to offer more for Lillard.
The point guard and his agent have been clear that he wants to play in Miami, but he doesn’t have a no-trade clause, so the Trail Blazers will send him wherever they get the best deal.
"The deal we made with L.A. was fueled by all of the noise around other teams…it gave us leverage that we probably didn’t deserve”
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 12, 2023
David Griffin compares the Damian Lillard situation to the Anthony Davis trade to LA with @TermineRadio & @DarthAmin at NBA Summer League pic.twitter.com/NyjVBLmmut
“The best thing that can happen to you when you’re in Joe Cronin’s situation, and I know because I lived this, is for the noise to be as loud as possible, for the people to make up as many things as possible,” Griffin said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “I want people to invent as many different scenarios as they can and put them out into the universe because it gives you leverage.
“If there’s actually a chance that you would trade him somewhere other than Miami, you get a much better deal,” he continued.
Griffin went on to explain that the Pelicans were “blessed” they got their deal from the Lakers because it was “fueled by all of the noise around other teams.” He specifically named the Celtics as one of the potential landing spots for Davis.
The Lakers ended up trading Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. If Portland were to get a similar deal for Lillard, it would almost certainly be the best-case scenario.
