By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A new destination for Damian Lillard is pending with multiple NBA teams expected to be interested in securing his services.
Lillard, 32, requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and noting the willingness of the franchise to work alongside the explosive point guard in finding a new home.
Clearly, the team based in Oregon will be heading in a new direction. The 19-year-old point guard Scoot Henderson was selected with the third pick of the 2023 draft, and leading the charge is the step into the future.
Lacking the NBA championship, presumably the main goal down the stretch of his career, banking in success got seven All-Star Game nods leading to winning the 2023 Three-Point contest. More individual accolades extend to the All-NBA First Team in 2017-18 alongside multiple appearances in the Second and Third Teams.
Lillard, 32, was picked up back in 2012 with the sixth selection of the draft. Logging 830 games played and leading the Blazers to eight consecutive berths in the Playoffs between 2014 and 2021, the longest run was reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2019 and falling to the Golden State Warriors.
In 2022-23, the former Weber State standout averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game over 58 appearances. Pouring 71 points against the Houston Rockets in late February and 60 points versus the Utah Jazz in late January were the biggest highlights.
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