Damian Lillard is still a member of the Portland Trail Blazers…for now.
As Portland scours the league to find the best available trade package for one of basketball's most dynamic playmakers, though, it's not Joe Cronin and the front office who have drawn the ire of some especially vocal Blazers fans. A subset of Rip City faithful has turned on Lillard instead, ostensibly feeling betrayed by the notoriously loyal superstar finally deciding to move on from the Blazers after 11 years.
Responding to that apparent criticism on Twitter, an incredulous Lillard asked what he'd done for those frustrated fans to be upset with him.
Lillard publicly requested a trade from Portland on Saturday, the morning after his longtime team failed to make a major splash on the opening day of free agency. Though initial reports indicated the Blazers would work to accommodate Lillard's desire to play for the Miami Heat, Portland now plans to cast a league-wide net in trade discussions, Cronin insisting in a statement that his team would only make the deal that best serves its pursuit of winning.
Article Continues BelowSo much for the Blazers showing Lillard the same loyalty he did over the past two years, when they outright tanked for draft position in back-to-back seasons and drafted a pair of teenage guards with successive high lottery picks.
There's definitely a case to be made that building around Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe is Portland's best path forward. But the team also could've honored Lillard's wishes by pushing those massive trade chips in for another star or two leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, giving him his best chance yet to compete for a ring.
Instead, the last couple seasons of Lillard's late prime basically count as a waste when it comes on-court success, the Blazers fully committed to the long rebuilding game despite knowing his goal of winning a title.
Trade requests are never rosy for any parties involved, but Damian Lillard's certainly shouldn't mar his reputation in Portland. The Blazers made this bed themselves, deserving all the fan scrutiny that's foolishly being directed at the greatest, most dedicated player in franchise history on his way out of town.