According to a report by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Trail Blazers may take their time in trading Damian Lillard, potentially waiting until February before making a move.
Lillard recently requested a trade after spending 11 seasons with the Blazers, expressing his desire to join the Heat. However, Miami has yet to assemble a trade package that meets Portland’s demands, leading to a potential delay in the deal.
Shelburne’s comments on NBA Today indicate that the Trail Blazers, holding Lillard under contract for another four years, are not in a hurry to make a move. The situation has drawn comparisons to the Ben Simmons trade saga, where the 76ers were patient in their approach.
“I just talked to two teams this morning who said essentially we might be looking at another Ben Simmons situation here,” Shelburne said, via Erin Walsh @ Bleacher Report. “This guy’s got four years on his contract. They don’t have to do anything. They can take their time and let’s just see if he shows up for training camp. If they want to wait until February to trade him, they can.”
Analysts believe that while a trade seems inevitable, it could take time for the right deal to materialize. Portland has the luxury of waiting until February, assessing Lillard’s commitment to the team during training camp and evaluating potential trade offers that align with their objectives.
