Trailblazers' Matisse Thybulle and Jerami Grant avoid mic in bizarre and whacky confrontation about Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard's trade request is dominating all things Portland Trail Blazers. This summer, the Trail Blazers have acquired Scoot Henderson with the third pick of the NBA draft, retained Matisse Thybulle in restricted free agency and extended Jerami Grant.
However, during a recent press conference, a reporter asked Thybulle and Grant about Portland's future when Lillard eventually leaves. Rather than addressing the question, both players were seen sliding the microphone away from them.
Very funny moment https://t.co/1Lm0uco9VL
The Portland Trail Blazers are playing hardball with Damian Lillard, as the superstar point guard declared his wish to join the Miami Heat. However, Portland isn't impressed with Miami's trade offer and would prefer to explore Lillard's trade market with other teams.
Nevertheless, the Portland Trail Blazers have had a decent offseason, retaining two key players and adding a potential franchise cornerstone through the draft process.
It makes sense that two of Portland's more senior players would want to avoid discussing their teammate's future. Right now, there's no guarantee that Lillard will be traded before the new season begins in October.
As such, Thybulle and Grant likely did the right thing by refusing to speak on the situation the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in.
Portland Trail Blazers could 'wait months' for Damian Lillard trade
During a recent press conference, Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin fielded questions regarding the future of Damian Lillard.
Cronin talked about how the superstar point guard's potential trade away from the franchise could take months. That's because the Portland Trail Blazers will look to ensure that they get the best return possible for their star player.
"I think what I've learned more than anything is patience is critical," Cronin said. "Don't be reactive. Don't jump at things just to seemingly solve a problem.
"I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situations post-trade have been the ones that have been really diligent in taking their time and not been impulsive, or the teams that really kept their urgency under control."
He added:
"So I think that's how my approach has been with this and will be with this. We're going to be patient; we're going to do what's best for our team. We're going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months."
Damian Lillard has been vocal about his desire to win a championship with the Portland Trail Blazers throughout his tenure with the franchise.
Unfortunately, Cronin and the team's front office have been unable to construct a championship-caliber roster around Lillard, which has led the star to grow frustrated.
Stephen A. Smith defends Damian Lillard's trade request from Portland Trail Blazers
During a recent episode of Stephen A. Smith's 'Stephen A's world,' the ESPN analyst defended Damian Lillard's trade request to the Portland Trail Blazers.
"Who told you that Portland ain't say 'We never want to lose you, but when you want to leave man, we definitely gonna facilitate you moving on the way out because of the loyalty and the commitment you've given us for over a decade.'
"Who said they didn't do that? Why are we treating him like this dude's a pariah? 'Oh he's going out the wrong way.' What the hell you mean?"
Damian Lillard's future with the Portland Trail Blazers remains unclear at this point, but it's likely that we've seen the last of the star point guard suiting up for the Western Conference franchise.