3 Years After Bizarre Exit From $1.67 Billion Worth Franchise, 4x NBA Champ Chimes In on the Damian Lillard Saga

After over a decade of playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, NBA superstar Damian Lillard is finally open to a new challenge. At a time when it’s very rare to see an athlete finish his whole career with one franchise, Lillard really wanted to do it. However, things have not worked out on the court. As the Blazers missed out on the playoffs last season, the point guard requested a trade. But the front office has not managed to make it possible with the training camp on the horizon. Amidst this, a 4x NBA champion who once decided to stay away from his team gave his take on the saga.

The Miami Heat was expected to be Lillard’s next destination. Even the 7x NBA All-Star spoke about playing for the Heat during an interview. Also, last year’s NBA Finalists are also apparently interested in the star. However, the trade has not materialized so far.

Warriors legend’s take on the Damian Lillard trade situation

Andre Iguodala played a crucial role for the Golden State Warriors and won four NBA championships. His performance in the 2015 NBA Finals earned him the Finals MVP award and he will be forever remembered as a Warriors legend. However, Iguodala’s short stint with the Memphis Grizzlies was an interesting one. In 2019, the Warriors traded the 2012 All-Star to the Grizzlies. However, he chose to not report to the team despite getting paid.

Iguodala recently made an appearance on the Aarthi and Sriram podcast where he answered a variety of interesting questions. In one instance, the host asked him about the Damian Lillard saga. And Iggy gave his honest opinion.

Iguodala said, “Dame Lillard is one of the top players in the NBA and he wants to win. And if his organization isn’t putting him in a position to win, then why should he have to suffer? And I’m not saying they aren’t trying to win. But that’s normally what it is if your star players like, ‘Are we in a position to legitimately have a shot at winning?’. And right now, the Portland Trail Blazers, I would say they aren’t.”

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He then noted that the team did not make the playoffs last season. He added the player can’t be criticized for requesting a trade and can’t be blamed for the team’s failure if it is not set up for him to win.

Andre Iguodala’s time with the Grizzlies

After his trade from the Warriors, Andre Iguodala somehow reached an agreement with the Grizzlies that would allow him to not report while the $1.67 billion worth franchise tries to find a suitable team for him as per SB Nation.

Notably, young Grizzlies stars like Ja Morant showed their discontent about Iguodala’s decision to stay away from the team as the front office struggled to find a deal. After months of sitting out, Iguodala was finally traded to the Miami Heat.

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Interestingly, Iguodala returned to the Warriors in 2021 and won his fourth chip.