Damian Lillard has been one of the most-loyal players in the NBA, but it appears those days might be over.
According to a report from Yahoo! Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Portland Trail Blazers could be dealing with a trade request in the near future.
“The backlash from Portland Trail Blazers’ coaching search and his concerns over whether a championship contender can be built have become major factors that could force Damian Lillard to request out,” he reports.
Yahoo! Sports had more about the hiring of former NBA star point guard Chauncey Billups and the backlash Lillard has received from the fan base over it:
“Lillard has remained loyal to Portland in large part due to the tremendous fan base. But over the last few days, he’s seen some of those same fans attacking him on social media for a pending coaching hire he played no part in consummating…”
“The coaching search was conducted by Neil Olshey, the team’s president of basketball operations. None of the candidates who were interviewed were from suggestions from Lillard, sources said.”
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Haynes also said that even though Lillard had a prior relationship with Billups, the Blazers point guard “had no prior knowledge of the past sexual assault allegations against him from 1997.”
Back when Billups was just a rookie with the Celtics, a woman accused him and Ron Mercer of rape at the home of Antoine Walker. Billups and Mercer settled the suit with the unidentified woman, paying her an undisclosed amount out of court.
