Joe Cronin Wanted Damian Lillard Gone
Joe Cronin Wanted Damian Lillard Gone
In a bombshell report by Chris Haynes, fans are blown away that the Portland Trail Blazers were officially done with Damian Lillard – their franchise player.
It appears Lillard wanted to rescind his trade demand but it was denied by general manager Joe Cronin. Cronin said there was no going back and ignored Lillard on multiple occasions, even when they met in person several times.
“Cronin’s response to the seven-time All-Star was that there was no coming back,” Haynes reported. “Lillard was shocked, sources said. He said it was discouraging to hear he couldn’t return, but added that he didn’t want to be somewhere he wasn’t wanted, and he ended the meeting.”
On September 11th, Lillard started showing up to the team facility for the preparation of training camp. He was there for 8 days, and despite being there for an entire week, Cronin did not talk to Lillard once. According to Lillard, the general manager gave a nonexistent reaction to seeing him since their conversation.
This was the moment Lillard knew it was time to go through with the trade demand, which is something Lillard would have taken back if Cronin wanted him back. However, Cronin stiff-armed Lillard and decided to end their relationship on a sour note.
Remember this Blazers’ fans, Damian Lillard was ready to come back after the Miami Heat trade talks stalled out. Now, Cronin’s own ego and poor judgment landed him with the Milwaukee Bucks and made their own conference even harder to compete in.
Lillard was respectful during the meeting, showed up after the meeting to get training, and was ready to return. This falls onto Joe Cronin completely.
