Damian Lillard trade talks expected to mirror Ben Simmons saga?

“I just talked to two GMs this morning who said, essentially, we might be looking at another Ben Simmons situation. [Lillard] has got four years on his contract. [The Blazers] don’t have to do anything. They can take their time. Let’s just see if he shows up for training camp. If they want to wait 'til February to trade him, they can,” Shelburne told Malika Andrews.

Simmons requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers in August 2021 following his infamous postseason meltdown against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Two months after the trade request, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told fans to “buckle in” as he was going to wait for a better trade return than those that were currently present. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has already made a similar declaration.

The Sixers eventually landed James Harden before the trade deadline of that year, bordering on six months after Simmons asked out.

It’s hard to imagine the Lillard trade saga similarly dragging on until the February trade deadline. But it appears as though some informed people around the league wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen.