Damian Lillard continues to look to force his way out of Portland, having requested a trade from the Trail Blazers. Lillard has reportedly set his sights on joining the Heat, but it doesn’t appear every NBA player is a fan of the veteran point guard’s decision.
Austin Rivers chimed in on Lillard’s situation during a recent episode of his podcast, calling the seven-time All-Star’s trade request “bad for the league.”
“If you’re a free agent then you can choose where you’re gonna go. That’s the business. But when you’re not and you sign a deal ... that’s part of the business. If you get traded somewhere, you gotta go play,” said Rivers.
"If you were a free agent, then you could choose where you were gonna go… This started with James [Harden] and Ben [Simmons] and all these guys doing this sh*t. It's bad for the league."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 24, 2023
Austin Rivers on Damian Lillard's trade demand
(via ringernba/TT)pic.twitter.com/IsBfRAlace
“This started with James [Harden] and Ben [Simmons] doing this s---. It’s bad for the league,” Rivers added. “It’s a scary dynamic when stars start acting like this. And I’m not a big fan of it.”
Rivers went on to compliment Lillard’s game, calling him “one of the hardest players I’ve had to guard in my entire life,” but maintained his stance that he’s not a fan of stars forcing their way out of a team, despite having signed a contract.
In Lillard’s case, he signed a two-year max extension with the Trail Blazers just last year, and will be under contract through the 2026-27 season. Despite recently committing his future to Portland, it’s unclear if he’ll actually suit up for the Blazers this coming season.
