The NBA world was taken for a wild rate on Saturday night when Damian Lillard officially made his trade request public. The long-time Portland Trail Blazers star is now seeking a new home after staying with the team for 11 seasons. After years of talking about loyalty, what made Dame change his mind? As it turns out, Lillard was willing to give Portland a chance… until he saw their initial offseason moves, per Sam Amick's report.

“The Blazers had held onto the No. 3 pick in the draft that had come four days before, taking Lillard’s eventual replacement in Scoot Henderson and ignoring the message he had sent about his desire to use the asset as a way to land another high-level veteran player. According to a source who was involved in the situation, Lillard was still hopeful that the Blazers would find the kind of deal that would make him want to stay. But nothing of substance would emerge.”

Damian Lillard actually wanted to make his trade request to the Blazers last Monday. The star clearly wanted to compete for a title, but GM Joe Cronin's draft day decisions (taking Scoot Henderson instead of trading the 3rd pick) made the team's intentions clear. Dame waited a few more days at Cronin's request to see what other moves materialized, but nothing that moved the needle for Portland happened.

Lillard's trade request now makes the Blazers star one of the most coveted names in the market, right next to James Harden. The star has cited the Heat as his preferred destination, but Portland isn't obligated to acquiesce to his exact request. We'll see which team will be able to land the multiple-time All-Star as the offseason continues.