Much has been made of how Damian Lillard might react if the Portland Trail Blazers go against his wishes in their coaching search. For now, that does not appear to be a major problem.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Lillard “is not making demands of any kind” as the Blazers hunt for a new head coach. Instead, Portland’s front office is communicating with the star guard throughout the process, but are following their own process as they prepare to make a hire.
It’s been reported that Lillard will have “major input” on who Portland ultimately decides to hire. That may be true, but it does not sound like he’s dictating the process, or even trying to. That still hasn’t stopped rival teams from keeping an eye on Lillard’s situation in case things go south with Portland.
We do know that the coach Lillard really wanted has taken himself out of consideration for the job. The process is just getting started, and there does not appear to be a clear favorite at this point. One would have to believe that Lillard’s approval would still be sought for a new hire, even if he isn’t dictating the process.
