Damian Lillard and Blazers management aren’t speaking so what happens now?

It’s now clear that it’s just a matter of time before the Blazers star begins a new adventure with another team, but it’s also clear that his departure could take some time as the franchise looks to get the best offer for its biggest star name.

Blazers GM Joe Cronin admits he hasn’t spoken with Damian Lillard

It’s the biggest story of the offseason: Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, the team that drafted him into the NBA more than a decade ago. Since that time, we’ve seen several teams linked with the star, we’ve had his agent state that he only wants to play for the Miami Heat, and we’ve also seen said agent reiterate the idea that it would be a mistake for other teams to bid for his client. This is all to say, that Lillard’s trade saga is far from its conclusion and that’s before we touch on the idea that we now know that the 32-year-old has not had any conversation with management since his request.

Speaking on Monday, general manager Joe Cronin explained that the franchise is in no hurry to see a deal done. “We’re going to be patient,” Cronin said. “We’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see, you know, how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.” Now, this is where context is key. Cronin’s comments were made during a press conference surrounding the Blazers’ new five-year, $160 million contract with forward Jerami Grant, but more importantly, it was also the first time that he was talking with the press since news of Lillard’s request first broke back on July 1st. Further to that, Cronin also admitted that he has not spoken with Lillard since the trade request was made.

Did the Blazers fail Damian Lillard?

As mentioned above, we know that Lillard has his heart set on Miami, however, by all accounts Cronin and Portland are “open for business everywhere in the league.” What that means is that as much as Lillard would like to head down south, it may just be that he ends up going to another team, something that he allegedly claimed he would simply refuse to accept if it came to pass. At any rate, it’s interesting to note that Cronin appeared to accept some degree of accountability where Lillard’s situation is concerned as he lamented not winning “as quickly as possible.”

“I didn’t get done what I needed to get done. In that sense, I do feel like I failed Dame,” he said before stating that he understood why Lillard “would like to go elsewhere.”

Are Damian Lillard and the Miami Heat a good fit?

Realistically speaking, yes. On the other hand, the real issue is about whether both franchises can actually negotiate a deal that leaves either side satisfied. Consider for a moment that Lillard’s most recent campaign saw him average 32.2 points, which is to say that the Blazers would be losing a major offensive contributor. That’s to say that the Heat would have to offer up the family jewels if they hope to compensate Portland for the loss. “In any deal, the goal is to come out with the best outcome. It could be more of a win-now player. It could be a young player and [draft] picks. It could be just picks. There’s no set parameters,” Cronin said on Monday.

Now, it’s worth noting that as much as Cronin didn’t go into specifics, previous reports have suggested that the Blazers are looking for four first-round picks and two quality players. With that in mind, such a deal could well require the participation of a third team. Whatever the case, what we can say is that we’re no closer to seeing an end to Damian Lillard’s situation and realistically speaking even more so now that we know that he and the franchise haven’t been communicating with each other.