For the majority of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Portland Trail Blazers were in contention for a playoff spot or play-in spot. With the roster they had compared to the rest of the Western Conference, that was a huge testament to how good Damian Lillard is. As the season began to wind down, however, the Blazers looked more destined for a lottery finish. In order to placate Damian Lillard, the Blazers reportedly asked him to sit the final ten games of the season so they could acquire a top draft pick to use in a potential trade for a veteran star as per Chris Hayes of Bleacher Report. The fact that the Blazers did not do so only hastened Damian Lillard requesting a trade.

“According to sources, Portland had asked Lillard to sit out the final ten games of the 2022-23 regular season to help the franchise improve its lottery odds,” Haynes reported. “He was told the higher the draft pick, the better chance they had at using the pick to facilitate a trade for a proven veteran player. He reluctantly acquiesced to being shut down, citing a ‘calf injury'.”

The Blazers would end up finishing with the No. 2 overall pick which they used to draft Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite. If Damian Lillard was led to believe the Blazers were going to use the pick to bring in a veteran star, then he probably was justified in asking for a trade.

Lillard would have probably been content with remaining with the Blazers but it seems as if they were more focused on a rebuild than building a contender around Dame.