There has been an ongoing conversation in recent seasons on whether or not Damian Lillard would be best asking for a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. When speaking about the idea of him heading elsewhere, Lillard gave his honest take on why he isn't interested in playing for a bigger market team.
“For every person that says I want to see him on the bigger stage and I want to see him go to a bigger market, of course those places have pros but nobody ever wants to talk about the cons,” Lillard said, via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “If you take that step and you go somewhere and it’s not where it seems to be and it doesn’t work out … or an injury happens and you haven’t established as much rapport with that team and they choose one guy over the next guy and now you’re traded to a third team.”
Lillard is in his ninth season with the Blazers and he's solidified himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA. While he's led Portland to seven playoff appearances since he arrived in 2012, Lillard has yet to have an opportunity to play in the NBA Finals.
Many people in the NBA community are skeptical of the Trail Blazers being able to have what it takes to win a championship anytime soon. Given that, there are always fans and analysts conjuring up mock trades involving Lillard.
Despite having the ability to request a trade, Lillard remains loyal to the franchise that took a chance on him in the 2012 NBA Draft. Even though it would be nice to see Lillard play on a bigger stage for a team like the Los Angeles Lakers or the Brooklyn Nets, he's content with the Blazers to avoid a disastrous turn in his career.
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