NBA GM on Blazers' Damian Lillard: Loyalty Is Easy When You're Getting Paid That Much

In the eyes of at least one NBA general manager, the loyalty of Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard might be conditional.

"It's easy to be loyal when they're giving you that much money," the GM said to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

Lillard still has three years remaining on his four-year, $176.3 million contract, and then his two-year, $121.8 million extension will go into effect in 2025.

The GM certainly seemed to be drawing some conclusions about what motivates the seven-time All-Star. And even if he's right, this is how the system is supposed to work. Bird rights and the supermax contract are supposed to help teams retain their best players, with the latter in particular geared toward that end.

Whether Lillard is genuinely loyal to Portland or simply wants to earn as much as possible, the end result is the same. He can potentially end his career with the Trail Blazers having never suited up for another team.

The GM's comments also elide how max contracts haven't exactly been a great equalizer in terms of slowing the pace of player movement.

This past trade deadline saw Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant bolt the Brooklyn Nets. Durant is in the first year of the four-year deal he signed with Brooklyn.

James Harden made the same play as Irving and KD last year and engineered a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers. He could leave some money on the table again by walking away from the Sixers and reuniting with the Houston Rockets.

Time and again it has become clear that money alone often isn't enough of an incentive for the elite of the elite to stay with their current team.

Maybe Lillard is an exception, or maybe he simply enjoys life in Portland.