Now that the trading of Damian Lillard by the Portland Trail Blazers has come to an end, fans must certainly want to know what his relationship now looks like with his former team. To those who might not have heard, Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers several months ago.
Although trade discussions appeared to have come to a standstill, the Milwaukee Bucks swooped in at the last moment and managed to acquire Dame in a three-team deal. By doing so, they have all but guaranteed being legitimate contenders or even favorites to win the NBA title for the next few years.
But what of his present relationship with the Portland Trail Blazers? While NBA fans know that Lillard has expressed loyalty towards the team that drafted him over the last decade of his career, his recent actions and response from the Blazers’ management might have done some damage. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
Is Damian Lillard unhappy with the Portland Trail Blazers for trading him to the Milwaukee Bucks?
Upon first hearing that Dame had been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, several members of the basketball community presumed that he was happy with this trade. After all, being paired up with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Bucks undoubtedly gives him a very good chance to go deep in the playoffs and compete for an NBA title.
However, fans are quick to forget that Dame made it very clear to the Portland Blazers that he wanted to be a part of the Miami Heat. The entire fanbase was eagerly awaiting his arrival and looking forward to making another NBA Finals trip this upcoming season.
Joe Cronin and the Portland Trail Blazers initially indicated that they were willing to cater to Dame’s request as a form of gratitude for the many years of service Dame gave the Blazers. Be that as it may, the Blazers soon revealed that they would take the best offer on the table even if it meant going against Dame’s desires.
As a result, Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Although he has shown quite a lot of respect and admiration for Giannis Antetokounmpo over the years, we have no reason to believe that Lillard actually wanted to be in Milwaukee.
Since Portland traded him to a place where he did not want to go, many NBA experts feel that the relationship between Dame and the Blazers has ended messily and on a bad note. After all, he most certainly expected his former team to care about his wishes and find a way to trade him to the Miami Heat.
Regardless of his current feelings on the Blazers or his new team, there is no denying that Dame got quite a good deal with the Bucks if his goal is to win a championship. We look forward to finding out what his relationship with the Blazers franchise looks like when he inevitably makes a return to Portland as a part of the Bucks.
