Blazers GM Joe Cronin says the team is in ‘no rush’ to grant Damian Lillard’s trade request 

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin suggested team has no timeline in terms of honoring superstar point guard Damian Lillard’s trade request.

Lillard’s trade request has been described as ‘Heat or Bust’ and reports have also stated that his agent has been contacting teams other than Miami in order to deter them from trading for the 32-year-old, according to Sports Illustrated. 

‘We’re going to be patient. We’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see how this lands,’ Cronin told reporters. ‘And if it takes months, it takes months.’ 

‘As a team, you always hope that you have more options. To have limited options like that, I wouldn’t call it frustrating but it prevents you from perhaps getting the best return.’

Attempting to appease Lillard’s wish has complicated trade negotiations due to the fact that Portland is not interested in Miami’s most valuable trade asset – 23-year-old shooting guard Tyler Herro, according to ESPN.

Trail Blazers general manager has said the team is in ‘no rush’ to trade Damian Lillard 

Lillard recently requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in order to go the Miami Heat

But Herro and his four-year, $120million deal would need to leave Miami in order to make the acquisition of Lillard work financially for the Heat.

This has led to the sides looking to involve a third team in the deal, which has seen the Brooklyn Nets linked as interested party.

Lillard himself also spoke on the topic during a news conference at the Thomas & Mack CenterMonday.

‘I think what I’ve learned more than anything is patience is critical,’ he said via ESPN.

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‘Don’t be reactive. Don’t jump at things just to seemingly solve a problem. I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situations post-trade have been the ones that have been really diligent in taking their time and not been impulsive, or the teams that really kept their urgency under control.

‘So I think that’s how my approach has been with this and will be with this. We’re going to be patient; we’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.’ 

Based off the comments made by Cronin previously, it appears that if a suitable deal with Miami is not obtainable then the organization will choose the trade packages that benefits them the most regardless of Lillard’s ‘Miami-or-bust’ wish. 

The Trail Blazers are said to have no interest in acquiring Tyler Herro from the Heat in a deal

‘We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and to play someplace else,’ said Cronin.

‘What has not changed for us is that we’re committed to winning and we are going to do what is best for the team in pursuit of that goal.’

Cronin also mentioned that he and Lillard have not spoken since July 1st.

Miami is also said to be hoping to keep playoff standout Caleb Martin out of trade talks following the departures of key players Gabe Vincent and Max Strus in free agency.

If Lillard’s Miami dream does eventually come true, he, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would form one of the league’s most dangerous trios in South Beach and create a level of excitement in south Florida that hasn’t been seen since LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade formed their own big three.

Although Lillard does not hold a no-trade clause in his contract to decline any potential trade to a destination other than Miami, most teams would concur that it would not be wise to trade for a player who has $216 million remaining on his contract.

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