By: Chris Cheng

The Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard requested a trade after spending eleven years with the team. The seven-time All-Star player wants to compete in a Championship but sees that happening elsewhere.

“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,” Portland general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement on Saturday, July 2. “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 is generating interest for the Nets, and especially for the Heat, the Eastern Conference Champion of this year. Per Charania, Lillard “specifically wants to play with the Heat.” He hopes to play with Heat stars like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. He notes how much he enjoyed playing with Bam in the Tokyo Olympic Games when they brought back a gold medal. These three would make an unforgettable trio. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnaroski also reported that the 76ers and the Clippers were interested in trades.

Lillard is coming off the season with an average of 32.2 points per game for the Trail Blazers. He was picked into the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

Lillard is Portland’s highest scorer and also their top shooter for three pointers and free throws. He led the Blazers into the 2018-2019 NBA Western Conference Champions.