(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard are going through a bit of a power struggle right now.
Lillard has made it loud and clear that he only wants to play for the Miami Heat, yet the Blazers insist that they’ll only trade him at the right price, as they should.
With that in mind, fellow All-Star James Harden shared his thoughts on the situation, as there are few people who could talk about that kind of stuff with more firsthand knowledge than him.
Harden told USA Today Sports (via ClutchPoints) that he actually understands both sides of the story, as he’s often been a disgruntled player looking to handpick his next team, yet the franchises also need to do what’s best for the future.
“I wouldn’t want an organization to send someone somewhere where they wouldn’t [want to] be… But then you don’t want to give that player away for nothing. So I get both sides.”
James Harden on the Damian Lillard trade saga 🗣️
(via @usatodaysports)pic.twitter.com/1WNMmYCW8O
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 25, 2023
Notably, this whole feud has taken a bit of a toll on Lillard’s reputation, as he predicated loyalty for more than a decade just to force his way out to a specific destination as soon as he requested a trade.
It’s nice to know that players are more empowered nowadays, but that’s what free agency is for.
As things stand now, it seems like players want to have it all, and that’s simply not realistic.
You don’t get to make that kind of money while also getting to choose where you play if you already signed a contract; there has to be some kind of compromise, especially when you’re leaving a small market team that will struggle to get any player of his caliber in free agency.
NEXT: Kevin Durant Links Up With 2 Young NBA Stars In The Gym
]]>
Read full post on NBA News, Rumors, & Highlights (Updated Daily)
