"Why are we playing basketball?": Gary Payton is perplexed at the backslash Damian Lillard has received over trade request
Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton has shown support to Damian Lillard over his trade request amid the backlash the latter has received. Critics have been all over Lillard since reports emerged of him demanding a move to the Miami Heat.
Lillard spent 11 seasons with Portland but could only achieve one conference finals run with the team. The former Rookie of the Year wants to win a chip and has Miami as his preferred destination. He reportedly only wants to play for the Heat.
However, Portland has been reluctant thus far to send him there. The Heat don't have the assets other teams could package for Lillard. The All-Star guard still has four years left on his contract, so the Trail Blazers have the leverage to be patient on getting the right price.
The Heat are being patient in its pursuit of Damian Lillard, for good reason.
Blazers have maintained a high asking price, but that tag is destined to eventually decline. Miami knows they are the only preferred destination. The more time passes by, the more leverage Miami has.
In the meantime, Damian Lillard has caught some negative attention amid this saga, but Gary Payton doesn't seem to be a fan of it. He's instead promoting the idea of Lillard joining Miami, saying (Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman):
“Everybody should chase a championship. Why are we playing basketball? That is the whole object of playing basketball. If you want to go somewhere else, if you’ve got a chance to win a championship, go there."
Payton cited his own example of securing his desired move to Miami, saying:
"And that’s what I saw when I came to Miami. So I came here, look what happened."
Gary Payton was a free agent, though. He signed a $1.1 million veteran minimum contract to join the Heat on a one-year deal in 2005. They won the championship in his first season there. He played 81 games, starting 25 times and averaging 7.7 points per contest.
Payton was in the twilight of his career, while Lillard is currently in his prime. Fans and critics are never fans of stars looking for favorable situations to join a contender, so it's not uncommon for Lillard to face criticism at this point.
Austin Rivers sounds off on Damian Lillard's trade request
Veteran free agent guard Austin Rivers sounded off on Damian Lillard's trade demand. He laid out the points that have agitated several critics over Lillard being adamant about joining the Heat instead of playing elsewhere if he gets traded there, saying:
"If you were a free agent, then you could choose where you were gonna go... But when you're not and you sign a deal man, that's part of the busisness. If you got traded somewhere, you gotta go play man… This started with James [Harden] and Ben [Simmons] and all these guys doing this sh*t. It's bad for the league."
Austin Rivers on Damian Lillard's trade demand:
"If you were a free agent, then you could choose where you were gonna go… This started with James [Harden] and Ben [Simmons] and all these guys doing this sh*t. It's bad for the league."
(via ringernba/TT, @ClutchPoints) pic.twitter.com/PnPI1scOCM
Rivers suggested that potential trades like Lillard's to Miami are a disadvantage for mid-level exception players. They end up signing veteran minimum contracts because the team's biggest stars earn nearly $50 million a year.
Austin Rivers claims Damian Lillard must play wherever he is moved to restore the NBA's dynamic and keep the business side of things as they should be.