Damian Lillard Refuses To Speak About The Trail Blazers

Maybe he feels like he's already a former member of the team and doesn't want to be charged with tampering? In an interview this week with NBA Insider Marc Spears, Damian Lillard refused to talk about the Portland Trail Blazers—who do still, by the way, employ him. 

Damian Lillard refuses to speak on the Trailblazers

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"What was the final straw that brought you uncertainty about the future of the Trail Blazers franchise?" Spears asked Lillard. The response:

I'm not gonna speak on the Blazers. There's a lot of love and respect, but I'm not gonna speak on the Blazers.

Can he talk, then, about his trade request in which he asked Portland to send him to the Miami Heat?

I can say that there was (a request). And I would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers. 

One factor that could be contributing to Lillard's cold response is the recent report that trade talks have gone quiet and Portland "hasn't shown any interest" in discussing a Lillard trade with the Heat.  

But the other main contributing factor for Lillard's unwillingness to speak about the team he has spent the entirety of his 11-year career with, is most likely a recent edict that came down from the NBA, stating that any player (or agent) who makes public or private comments indicating he won't "fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade" will be subject to league discipline. 

James Harden was slapped with a $100,000 fine earlier this week by the NBA for his public lambasting of his GM Daryl Morey in Philadelphia, saying he "would never play for a team that Morey was part of" again. 

Lillard, though he's set to earn $45M in the coming season, still isn't interested in donating $100 grand or so to Adam Silver's pockets. 

In the meantime, the Blazers/Dame stalemate continues.

Photo: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports