When Portland Trail Blazers franchise legend Damian Lillard requested a trade on July 1 after 11 seasons of service, his value on the trade market quickly became somewhat murky.
Reports surfaced that Lillard’s only preferred trade destination was the Miami Heat, a team with modest assets to offer in return. Lillard’s agent Aaron Goodwin was even doing his best to actively tank the trade market and scare off other destinations in an effort to strong-arm his client to South Beach.
Then add Lillard’s contract reality to the mix: At age 33, as an offense-first guard — the type of player who traditionally doesn’t age gracefully in the NBA — Lillard is owed approximately $216.