Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has requested a trade and the franchise is expected to work to accommodate him, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Lillard has stuck with the franchise that drafted him with the No. 6 pick in the 2012 NBA draft through two years in which Portland did not make the postseason following eight consecutive trips. But after the Blazers opted to use their No. 3 pick in last month’s draft on guard Scoot Henderson, the future direction of the franchise was clear.
Lillard met with Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin on June 26 to discuss the future of the team.
Should Lillard leave the Blazers, it’s after 11 seasons in which he made seven All-Star and All-NBA teams and led the franchise to the playoffs eight times, including a Western Conference finals appearance in 2018-19. He ranks first all-time in Blazers history in both points and 3-points and second in assists.
Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, had a career year last season, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists but played just 58 games as he sat out the last month of the season. The highlight of Lillard’s season came on February 26 against the Houston Rockets when he exploded for 71 points.
His 32.2 points per game would be the most by a player to change teams the following season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
This story originally appeared on ESPN
