Damian Lillard saga takes fresh twist following NBA Draft stalemate
Damian Lillard’s representatives were reportedly left unhappy following the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Portland Trail Blazers were awarded pick No.3 in the draft following May’s draft lottery. With their selection, the Blazers picked Scoot Henderson from G League Ignite.
Victor Wembanyama was selected as the number one overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets used the No.2 overall pick to select Brandon Miller from Alabama.
Before the draft, there was speculation that the Blazers could potentially use the No.3 pick as part of a trade involving Lillard. The rumours were heightened in May when the point guard spoke about the possibility of being traded.
When the idea of moving to teams such as Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets or the New York Knicks, the 32-year-old gave a blunt response to the hypothetical question.
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“Miami, obviously,” said Lillard, immediately, when appearing on ShowTime’s The Last Stand podcast on June 7. “Bam (Adebayo) is my dog for real, but Miami is an obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. Both of them have capable rosters."
Following the draft, reports have emerged that Lillard and his representatives were left unhappy with the Blazers after they opted to use their No.3 pick. Sean Highkin for The Rose Garden Report claimed that a “conversation” will need to take place following the draft.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has been linked with a trade this off-season (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)“When it comes to what happened in the draft, from everything I’ve heard, Dame & his people were not thrilled that [Portland] used the pick,” said Highkin.
“They had kind of been telegraphing that if [Portland] decided to use the pick, then a conversation is going to have to take place”
Nets star Bridges was recently asked about the future of Lillard in the days after the draft. And while he would not talk about potentially linking up Lillard in Brooklyn, Bridges did say that any team who looks to sign the Blazers guard would make a positive impact.
“Dame is Dame, everyone knows what he does and what he can do,” Bridges told . “He’s an unbelievable leader, unbelievable player. Everybody in the world knows that.
“He’d be key for anybody, any team he goes to. He’s one of the Top 75 already, an unbelievable player.
“So wherever he goes, if he does go, he’s gonna make an impact.”
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