NBA insider reveals why Damian Lillard won’t REPLICATE Kawhi Leonard in leaving US to end hunt for championship ring

Sam Amick says unless Lillard is traded to a team like Toronto, he will play for the franchise willingly.

NBA insider reveals why Damian Lillard won’t REPLICATE Kawhi Leonard in leaving US to end hunt for championship ring

Damian Lillard (L); Kawhi Leonard (R); (via NBA.com)

Damian Lillard‘s trade saga is expanding at full speed, with no end in sight. Each week is greeted with new rumours, shocking revelations and thousands of opinions from hundreds of analysts. It seems everyone is offering their opinion on the trade. To add to this long list of opinion-givers is Sam Amick, senior NBA writer for The Athletic.

In a panel discussion, Amick offered his thoughts on what would happen if Lillard were traded to a team he did not want to go to. Some think that Lillard may attempt to pull a James Harden and force his way out of that team as well. Amick however believes that won’t be the case unless Lillard is traded to a team he has made clear he doesn’t want to go to, like the Toronto Raptors. While it wouldn’t be the Raptors’ first time having a superstar who didn’t want to play in their city – points to Kawhi Leonard in 2019 – it might not get them a championship this time, which is why they will think twice before trading for Lillard.

Amick had this to say on Lillard being traded to an undesired location, “With Dame, I think the Harden-esque escalation wouldn’t happen unless he were dealt to a team like, say, Toronto, where he clearly doesn’t want to be.”

With October rolling around, it appears that Lillard will still be with the Trailblazers by the time training camp has started. Trailblazer fans are in conundrum, not knowing what to believe. Till the time the Blazers’ front office announces something, all these fans can do is hope for the best.

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What is Damian Lillard’s preferred destination?

Since the beginning of this saga, Lillard has made one thing clear. He wants to play with the Miami Heat, which is the team he believes will be best or helping him win his first championship ring.

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Damian Lillard (via NBA.com)

Ever since that announcement, rumours have been flying. With some insiders announcing that a trade to the Heat was imminent, and others saying that Lillard is growing increasingly impatient. Lillard himself added fuel to the fire when he put out an Instagram story. The story had a photo of him and the words, “future Heat legend”. While the story was later deleted, it did raise some eyebrows.

Heat fans have made it no secret that they want Lillard in Miami. The city has never won a championship since the Big 3 era in 2013. While they did become Eastern Conference Champions last season, they fell in the finals to the Denver Nuggets in 5 games. Fans hope that the arrival of a superstar like Lillard gives them the firepower they need to win it all.

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