One of the top sports stories in the last 24 hours involves Damian Lillard, who requested a trade in June and has now joined Milwaukee. Joe Cronin, the General Manager of the Portland Trailblazers, gained increased media attention following an article by Chris Haynes on the Portland team’s tumultuous summer, especially after the trade became official.
Haynes revealed that Cronin and the Blazers had not spoken with the Miami Heat since summer league, mainly due to the Heat’s unsatisfactory offer of Tyler Herro and draft picks in exchange for Damian Lillard. Despite the Heat’s attempts to arrange an in-person meeting with Portland during their time in Vegas, it failed to materialize. Meanwhile, Portland publicly stated their intention to accept the most favorable trade offer. Simultaneously, Dame’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, communicated with other NBA teams if they traded for Dame, he would not play.
“How this summer played out definitely left a sour taste in my mouth,” Lillard told Bleacher Report.
The NBA got involved to shut down Goodwin’s comments. Reports indicate that at the start of September, the Blazers halted all communication with Lillard and Goodwin, electing to figure out the situation in-house. It was the only way they felt they could keep Goodwin from affecting the deals from behind the scenes. Goodwin communicated on September 5th that Lillard, himself, and Cronin should get together to mend the fence as training camp was less than a month away, and the conversations with the Heat were nonexistent.
Reports have emerged suggesting that Damian Lillard was requested to sit out the final ten games of the season, with the assurance that a better draft pick would facilitate finding a suitable trade partner to pair with Dame. Of course, that did not happen. During a meeting at Lillard’s home, he expressed his desire to rescind his trade request and remain with Portland if he couldn’t join Miami. However, Cronin told him there was no turning back and he would not be welcomed back this upcoming season.
Shocked and hurt, with good reason. Dame’s loyalty in Portland ran so deep it was foreign to get cold shoulder treatment from the organization that he bled and sweated for. However though, its important to keep in mind that throughout the summer, when you request a trade, it’s unrealistic to expect that everyone will maintain the same level of camaraderie with you or your agent by the end of the season.
Indeed, the business side of sports can sometimes cast someone in the role of the “bad guy.” It’s a reality that comes with the territory. Oftentimes, those who make tough decisions are eventually recognized for their success, and people reflect on the consequences of the initial trade.
As Lillard and Cronin go their separate ways it’ll be an interesting season in Portland and Milwaukee.
