Damian Lillard gets full support for trade request from NBA Hall of Famer

While the initial response to Damian Lillard's decision to request a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers brought a mixture of positive and negative reactions, there was no shortage of people who believed the star guard's request was long overdue. 

However, some of those same supporters have soured a bit on the entire outlook after Lillard has reportedly stuck firmly with the fact that the only place he'd play is with the Miami Heat, per numerous reports.

That decision has created some pushback, specifically from Blazers fans, as it's likely to negatively impact the potential return the team could get for Lillard. But one name who appears to be firmly in the 33-year-old's corner is former NBA star and current Hall of Famer Gary Payton.

Payton spoke with Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel recently and praised Lillard in numerous ways but specifically made it known he had no issue with Lillard's desire to join the Heat.

“Everybody should chase a championship,” Payton said. “Why are we playing basketball? That is the whole object of playing basketball. If you want to go somewhere else if you’ve got a chance to win a championship, go there. And that’s what I saw when I came to Miami. So I came here, look what happened.”

For good measure, Payton also made it known that he believes Lillard would be a great fit in Miami and specifically that he'll do even "more" with the Heat than what he's done in Portland.

“He’s a tough guy,” said Payton, now coach at Lincoln University in Oakland. “We’re from Oakland, California. He’s going to bite into the same thing I did, the culture here. He’ll give what Pat wants, what Spo wants. He will be a great fit here.

“I’ll guarantee you, what he did in Portland, he’ll do more here. You’ll have more of a culture here of winning. So I think it’ll be a good fit for him.”

There's no question that a potential deal sending Lillard to Heat would propel them to the top of the Eastern Conference in terms of becoming the favorites to make the NBA Finals. Going beyond that, the potential trio of Lillard, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo has the upside to become one of the most well-rounded in the NBA. 

Most importantly, it's easy to envision an outcome where that potential trio is able to mesh faster than any other new group (the Phoenix Suns for example) and begin winning immediately.