Pelicans general manager David Griffin, no stranger to superstar trade requests, has shared his perspective on the ongoing Damian Lillard trade saga. The 32-year-old superstar, after 11 years with the Trail Blazers, has expressed his desire to join the Heat, but finding a suitable trade package has proven challenging.
Griffin, who dealt with a similar situation when Anthony Davis requested a trade in 2019, emphasized the value of noise and speculation in negotiations. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Griffin noted that the more noise surrounding trade talks, the better leverage the team gains. Creating the perception of multiple landing spots outside of Miami could result in a more favorable deal.
Reflecting on his experience with the Lakers, Griffin praised their approach, acknowledging the importance of not rushing into a deal and maintaining leverage. He highlighted the need for Portland’s general manager, Joe Cronin, to ensure he doesn’t make a deal that could be perceived as unfavorable.
“The best thing that can happen to you when you’re in Joe Cronin’s situation – and I know because I lived this – is for the noise to be as loud and just the cacophony of voices that are involved to be as loud as possible, for people to make up as many things as possible,” Griffin said.
“I want people to invent as many different scenarios as they can and put them out into the universe because it gives you leverage. If there’s actually a chance that you would trade him somewhere other than Miami, you get a much better deal.
“And we were blessed that the deal we made with L.A. in large part was fuelled by all of the noise around other teams Boston is one of them, that was out there as a potential landing spot and it gave us leverage that we probably didn’t deserve. And I think in this situation they’re going to need to create a landing spot that’s not just Miami because it could be difficult to make that.”
While luck can play a significant role in trade negotiations, Griffin emphasized the importance of strategic maneuvering. Crafting potential scenarios and conceptual conversations allows for better decision-making and favorable outcomes.
“I think you can approach these things a lot of different ways,” Griffin said. “Joe Cronin’s not going to make a deal where he’s made look like he made a bad deal. I’m certain of that. Whatever ends up happening in the way the deal comes together, it’s going to really upon a lot of things that Joe can manufacture some of them. Quite frankly in our business it’s better to be lucky than good and we were lucky in the L.A. situation.”
