In life, fighting to earn your position in a hierarchical structure is sometimes a noble thing to do. Mostly, though, those actions can turn into a source of frustration if the inevitability of not getting our way sets in. Damian Lillard faced the same from the Portland Trail Blazers, as the interested party of Jimmy Butler started looking elsewhere.

Despite the point guard being the face of the franchise for over a decade, they refused to change their stance on his situation. This prompted Butler and Co. to find other potential solutions.

What is going on with Damian Lillard?

The Blazers ended their previous season yet again in misery following their 13th-placed finish in the Western Conference. They failed to get into the play-in and playoff contention for the second time in a row after another disastrous campaign. Amidst all these, the team’s talisman demanded a trade reportedly on July 1st.

What followed was a series of dramatic events, as the NBA even sent a memo on Dame and his agent to all the 30 teams. The league’s commissioner Adam Silver publicly commented, “Don?t like them, as a league,”?as the controversies escalated. Still, there seemed to have been no clear winner in the entire situation.

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Due to this, the NBA recently introduced a new rule that would prevent the long-term shutdown of the star players of the teams. They considered it an act of dishonesty that affected “the integrity of the game”.?This came as a huge blow for the Blazers, as could no longer ask Lillard to sit out while they sort out a favorable trade offer.

This would force all the parties involved to reach a conclusion faster as the Miami Heat showcased interest in landing the 33-year-old. Jimmy Butler’s team is the preferred destination of the 7-time All-Star but the Heat might opt for a Plan B soon. After playing a three-month-long tug of war, the organization could well sign some other point guard. This raises the question.

Would much are the Blazers willing to risk?

The Heat want to have the 14th man on their roster as soon as possible, with the training camps drawing closer. So, the ball is entirely on the Blazers’ court.

With no other franchise showing clear interest in Lillard, the downside of holding out could be huge. The franchise surely does not want to risk playing with an unhappy superstar. At the same time, they do not want to give in to an unfavorable deal.

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The situation reached a new complexion as everyone involved was thinking about their long-term future in their own way. With self-interests taking precedence, Dame might need to sacrifice once again. That’s the brutal reality as of now.