Bucks' Damian Lillard Talks Trade from Blazers: 'I Just Felt Like It Ran Its Course'

Damian Lillard thought the writing was on the wall when it came to his tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Milwaukee Bucks star said on the Knuckleheads Podcast the Blazers' competitive cycle "ran its course." He seemingly cited Portland's decision not to trade the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft as the point when his and the franchise's priorities diverged.

That aligns with what most thought and what was reported leading up to Lillard's trade request.

The Blazers had little salary cap space with which to sign outside free agents, and the No. 3 pick was far and away their best trade asset along with Anfernee Simons. Portland basically attempted to have it both ways by re-signing Jerami Grant to a five-year, $160 million contract but then selecting Scoot Henderson rather than using its top-five selection on veteran help.

The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress reported on July 6 that "deals were offered that would have improved the team enough to please Lillard."

General manager Joe Cronin wanted to keep Portland competitive but refrained from going all in. He might be justified in valuing Henderson more than a short-term shot in the arm, and the absence of a trade leads one to believe the offers on the table weren't that great to begin with.

From Lillard's perspective, though, there was increasingly little reason to think the Blazers could meaningfully contend now or within the next few years. And at 33, his patience and loyalty will have been wearing thin.

Dame and the Blazers both got what they wanted in the end. The Bucks are the best team he's ever played on, while Cronin can lay the foundation for Portland's future thanks to trading the seven-time All-Star and then flipping Jrue Holiday.