The Los Angeles Lakers signed four new players on Thursday. Forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon and guards Damion Baugh, Bryce Hamilton and Scotty Pippen Jr.  Valerio-Bodon (6’9’’, 200) recently appeared in 30 matches (all starts) for Sopron KC of the Hungarian NBIA during the 2022-23 season, averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.7 minutes per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from 3-point range and 87.9 percent from the free-throw line.  He previously played for DEAC of the Hungarian NBIA in 2021-22, appearing in 28 games (24 starts) and averaging 5.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. Valerio-Bodon participated in one game for the Boston Celtics at 2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, recording 13 points (4-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one block in 25 minutes. Baugh (6’4’’, 194) began his professional career after spending the past four seasons at TCU (2021-23) and the University of Memphis (2019-21). Collegiately, the Tennesse native appeared in 117 career games (88 starts), registering averages of 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.8 minutes. In his last season as a Horned Frog, Baugh played in 29 matches (all starts) and averaged 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 35.0 minutes per game, earning him All-Big 12 Second Team honors. He ended the season ranked third in the conference in total assists (169) and 13th in the NCAA in assists per game (5.8). Hamilton (6’4’’, 205) showed in 29 regular season games (27 starts) as a rookie last season for the South Bay Lakes, averaging 14.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assista in 28.2 minutes per game. He played four collegiate seasons at UNLV (2018-22), appearing in 119 games (69 starts) and averaging 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.0 minutes per contest. His career-high 21.8 points per game average as a senior lead all conference players. Hamilton secured a spot on three successive All-Mountain West conference teams, plus two first team selections in 2019-20 and 2021-22. Pippen Jr. (6’1’’, 185) as as rookie in 2022-2, joined in 19 NBA G League regular season games (four starts) for South Bay, posting averages of 21.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 27.9 minutes per game. The 22-year-old was chosen to participate in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend and was named NBA G League Player of the Week on December 19. In addition, he played in six games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, averaging 2.3 points in 5.3 minutes. In three collegiate seasons (2019-22) at Vanderbilt University, he appeared in 90 games (89 starts) and averaged 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.6 minutes. Pippen Jr. earned all All-SEC First Team honors after his sophmore and junior campaings. More From The NBA: Stan ‘Whitey’ Von Nieda, oldest NBA alumnus, dies at 101.

Stan ‘Whitey’ Von Nieda died Thursday at 101 years in Elizabethtown, PA. Von Nieda was not just the oldest living former NBA player, but he was also the only one to reach 100 years. He got a certificate verifying that on June 19, 2022, the date he reached age 100, from the National Basketball Retired Players Association. Stan, a 6-foot-1 swingman, broke into the NBA with the NBL Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1947 and was a member of the NBL’s All-Rookie team.  After his second pro season, Von Nieda logged his one “official’’ NBA season, the NBAL and BAA merged in August 1949 with Tri-Cities and Baltimore. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.4 assists per game in 59 matches before an eye injury in January 1950 ended his basketball career. “I could play either (guard or forward),” Von Nieda was quoted in Lancaster (Pa.) Online’s obituary. “Sometimes I’d take my man down inside and hook it over him.” October 29, 1949, He scored 14 points in the inaugural post-merger NBA game pitting Tri-Cities vs. Denver. His coach with Tri-Cities? Red Auerbach. The Tri-Cities franchise has operated uninterrupted, relocating to become the Milwaukee, St.Louis and eventually became Atlanta Hawks. Interestingly, Von Nieda’s nickname was shared by his uncle, Harry Von Nieda. Why did the native of Ephrate, PA, become a 25-year-old rookie? After his freshman year at Penn State, Von Nieda enlisted in the Army and became a paratrooper during and after World War II. He parachuted behind German lines during the Battle of the Bulge. After his NBLA/NBA stint, He coached three seasons at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County. He later had a career in advertising sales and worked as a bartender.  Stan and his first wife, the late Dorothy, raised six children. He reportedly continued to play basketball, semi-pro, and recreationally, into his 60s. Von Nieda’s widow, Arlene, told Lancaster Online that they were many social occasions where people would ask, “Is that Whitey Von Nieda? I saw him play years ago … he was great.” Related NBA News: Los Angeles Lakers sign four new players.

Fans in 20 countries and territories can enjoy the FIBA World Cup 2023 live in the NBA App and NBA.com with Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass. See below for everything you need to know about how to purchase and watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup, starting Friday, August 25th. How Can I Watch The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023? Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass will provide access to live and on-demand games, including replays, extended highlights, and top plays. Learn more. “For fans watching in the U.S., games are also available on ESPN platforms, including ESPN2 and ESPN+. Six games will air exclusively on ESPN2, including three in the First Round featuring Team USA. All other 86 games will be carried by ESPN+.” Who Can Purchase FIBA World Cup Pass? Fans in these countries and territories can purchase Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass: Angola Argentina Cape Verde Cote D’Ivoire Czech Republic Dominican Republic Greece Indonesia Israel Latvia Lithuania Mexico Poland Puerto Rico Serbia Slovenia Spain Thailand Turkey United Kingdom. How Can I Purchase FIBA World Cup Pass? Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass can be purchased NBA.com/WorldCup. Only fans residing in the countries or territories listed above will be able to buy it. Other fans will see the NBA League Pass package page, which is different from (and does not include) World Cup Pass. What Devices Are Compatible With World Cup Pass? Fans can watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 from their favourite devices after subscribing to the FIBA World Cup Pass at NBA.com/WorldCup. Here is the list of supported devices for the NBA App: Android TV. Supported Devices & Requirements. Android and Android Tablet. Amazon Kindle Support. Apple TV. Chromecast. Comcast Xfinity Flex Platform and XClass TV. Hisense. iPhone and iPad. Playstation. Roku. Xbox. Related News: Lakers to unveil Kobe Bryant statue in 2024.

The Los Angeles Lakers will pay tribute to Kobe Bryant by mounting a statue in front of the arena where he played for half of his career. They announced the plan on Thursday, to honor Bryant, the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history and beloved mainstay of the Lakers for 20 seasons, with a statute that will be unveiled on February 8th, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena. This announcement was made on August 24th dubbed as “Kobe Day’’ since the eight-month and 24th-day tie into his jersey numbers with the Lakers (Nos. 8, 24). Byrant’s wife, Vanessa talked about the statue being unveiled at Star Plaza outside the stadium before the Lakers’ game that evening against the Denver Nuggets (10 p.m. ET TNT). He is the sixth former Los Angeles player and seventh team employee to be immortalized with a statue at the arena, which has housed the franchise since 1999. “As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,” Vanessa Bryant said in a video to fans posted at 8:24 this morning. “Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels. On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as the house that Kobe built, we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever.” Bryant and his daughter, Gianna died in a helicopter crash in January 2020. The 2/8/24 date of the unveiling is a conspicuous one: Kobe wore No.8 and No.24 during each half of his Lakers career, while Gianna wore No.2 while playing youth basketball. They were flying together to a basketball competition with seven others when their helicopter crashed in fog in Calabasas, California. After his retirement, Kobe Bryant participated in the initial planning of the anticipated statue to be put at Star Plaza, the Lakers said. This is the first in a series of physical tributes to honor his legacy. Bryant joins the list of Lakers with statues outside the arena like Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Chick Hearn. Star Plaza also includes statues of the Los Angeles Kings Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Dustin Brown and announcer Bob Miller, alongside champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya. The statue was designed by renowned sculptor Julie Rotblatt Amrany of the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany. “Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles,” Jeanie Buss, Los Angeles Lakers governor, said in a statement Thursday. “There is no better place for Kobe to be honored with a statue than here, at the center of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements.” The February 8th ceremony will happen outside the arena. Details will be released in the coming months. “Kobe’s transcendent spirit is always and forever in our hearts — inspiring us every day,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement Thursday. “And now, with the unveiling of this powerful and beautiful statue, he will have a physical presence, too. A place on the hallowed ground Kobe created, where we can all gather and pay honor to a mighty and great man.” Kobe Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star, retired as the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single franchise. Renowned for this “Mamba Mentality’’ he guided the Lakers to win five NBA titles (2000,’01, ‘02, ‘09, ‘10) and earned Finals MVP honors twice (2009, ‘10). Voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2028, Bryant received All-NBA honors 15 times, including 11 First Team selections and was named to 12 All-Defensive Teams throughout his career, including All-Defensive First Team honors. The Hall-of-Famer and two-time Olympic gold medalist stands as the Lakers’ all-time leader in regular season games played (1,346), points (33,643), 3-pointers made (1,827), steals (1,944) and free throws made (8,378), while owning franchise playoff records for games played (220), points (5,640), 3-pointers made (292) and free throws made (1,320). Kobe, a two-time scoring champion, Bryant scored a career-high and franchise-best 81 points on January 22, 2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors. The Lakers retired his No.8 and No. 24 jerseys on December 18, 2017. More From The NBA: How to watch FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

The 2023 NBA Christmas Day schedule will be graced by the latest edition of the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and a game between the last two champions; Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. As usual, the will be five marquee games running through out the day. In the event, the Milwaukee Bucks will travel to Madison Square Garden to play against the New York Knicks, while the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks will meet the Phoenix Suns. This will be seventh season in a row that Boston has played on Christmas, and the fifth time overall they’ve played the Lakers on the day. The most recent Christmas showdown between the age-long rivals was in 2008, when Los Angeles scored a 92-83 win behind 27 points, nine rebounds, and five assists from the late Kobe Byrant. online pharmacy buy stendra no prescription with best prices today in the USA The Celtics later had the last laugh of that season, when they went ahead to win the Finals over the Lakers in six games; they will hope to repeat this history. Denver and Golden State on the other hand, have both been staples on the Christmas schedule in recent years, this will be the 11th consecutive time they are participating, but they have never played each other on the day. They have had many thrilling matches since their respective cores have been together, and this has the makings of being the most exciting game of the day. The Milawukee Bucks trip to New York to play the Knicks, will be rematch of the 2018 Christmas game, which Giannis Antetokounmpo and his team easily won. Madison has favoured Antetokounmpo throughout his career; he mad his NBA debut there, jumped over Tim Hardaway Jr. for a dunk and shot the game-winner in 2017. It is curious that the 76ers and Heat are scheduled to play on the 2023 NBA Christmas Day especially since both clubs are presently in limbo about a few key players. online pharmacy buy rogaine no prescription with best prices today in the USA Philadelphia is figuring out what to do with James Harden, who has requestd a trade and wants to play for the Los Angeles Clippers. online pharmacy buy kamagra gold no prescription with best prices today in the USA While Miami is hoping for a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers to buy Damian Lillard. These two teams could look different by December. Fans can expect a great basketball day when Dallas and Phoenix get placed last. This will be a rematch of the teams’ intriguing 2022 second-round series, which the Mavericks won in seven games. It will also be the first time that they have ever played a match on Christmas. With Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal set to make an appearance, the game should be a high-scoring fixture. Related News: 2023 NBA opening night schedule features Lakers vs. Nuggets and Suns vs. Warriors.

The 2023 NBA opening night schedule for the 2023-24 season has been released, and it will feature four of the best teams in the Western Conference on October 24th. The defending champions Denver Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers in a Western Conference Finals rematch, while the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors face off, per report by Shams Charania. Additionally, No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama is ready for his official debut for the San Antonio Spurs on October 25th against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, according to Marc Stein. Nikola Jokic missed being MVP last season, but he got a reward when he led the Nuggets to their first title in franchise history, and was named Finals MVP. On opening night, he will get his first ring, and witness the banner raised to the rafters of Ball Arena with all his teammates. Then he will play to defeat the Lakers again after booting them off the playoffs last season. Although, Jokic will not care much for all the glamour of ring night, it will still be a special moment for him, the team, and Denver. The Nuggets have existed since 1967, and have never had someone like Jokic or won a championship before last season. This will provide an opportunity for them to celebrate this accomplishment again before beginning their title defense. The other match, will largely center around veteran point guard Chris Paul. After three season at Phoenix, Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards this summer in the Bradley Beal blockbuster, then later joined the Warriors in exchange for Jordan Poole. This matchup will be both a debut with the Warriors and a first shot at revenge on the Suns. No matter, the 2023 NBA opening night will be a chance for both teams to indicate where they stand in the West after shorter playoff runs than they may have hoped and big offseason changes. Can Phoenix hmake the perimeter-heavy trio of Kevin Dutant, Devin Booker and Beal with limited depth? And how will the Warrios, intergrate Paul as they wish to cling to contender status. Another interest thing about the 2023 NBA opening night is that no Eastern Conference team will be featured. The defending champion is always in action, but the league usually splits the event up with one marquee game for every conference.  Maybe the uncertainity following the defending East champions, the Miami Heat, is responsible for this. If they had gotten Damian Lillard, then they’ll surely they’ll be shown, but this has not happened yet, and the NBA does not seem excited about how the whole thing is playing out. Howver, it is still strange that no East team will be making an appearance. Related News: 2023 NBA Christmas Day schedule: Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry renewed; Nuggets to host Warriors.

Daryl Morey the Philadelphia 76ers general manager disclosed to ‘97.5 The Fanatic’ that James Harden would “rather be somewhere else’’, but said the team would only exchange him for a big-time player who would keep the Sixers as title contenders. Harden chose to execute his 35.6 million dollar contract for the 2023-24 season before free agency, with the intention of being traded.  See – 12 prospective free agents to target in 2024. His demand, according to NBA sources, is to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, where he will form a brutal ‘Big Three’ squad with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Morey who was James Harden’s general manager for eight seasons at the Houston Rockets, said he is “trying to accommodate’’ Harden’s request, but only for the right price. “If we don’t get a very good player or someone we can turn into a very good player, then we just won’t do it,’’ he told The Fanatic. “If James were to change his mind, we’d all be happy for him to stay. We’ve all heard his teammate Joel Embiid’s comments on that. But at this point, he’d prefer to be traded, and we’re trying to accommodate him,” is the official line. Embiid also wants to leave the Sixers Morey made his statements a day after a video of Embiid saying he wants to win a championship “whether it’s in Philadelphia or anywhere else’’ went viral. Philadelphia’s general manager highlighted the importance of ensuring the team stays competitive next season, no matter what happens. “We need to make sure Joel Embiid, who is one of the best players in the land, has a top teammate,” He said. “We know we need more talent, whether it’s with James continuing or what we turn James into.” Daryl also discussed a postseason where the 76ers lost three rotation players Jalen McDaniels, Shake Milton, and Georges Niang, stating the team wants to maintain flexibility moving forward. Embiid and PJ Tucker are the only players with sure money in Philadelphia’s budget for the 2024-25 season. “What we’re trying to do is have the best team possible this year, but also have the ability to be in an optimal situation next season, to be the team with the most amount of space under the salary cap,” Morey said.

The 2023 free agency coming to an end, it is time to look toward 2024. And if your NBA team missed this year’s class, it may find something good among these free agents for next summer. Some of the players listed could get their contracts extended between now and July 1, 2024, but currently, they are all potential free agents. 1. Anthony Davis & LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers LeBron’s son, Bronny James, will be eligible for the Draft next year, and his dad has a player option for 2024-25, making him a free agent that can sign anywhere. Davis may do the same via an option for early termination. Los Angeles has reshuffled their roster four times since winning the championship in 2020. The only players remaining from that squad are Davis and James. And the biggest reshuffle could happen in 2024. 2. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Next on the list of free agents for 2024 is Jaylen Brown. Brown is not a player to be cast aside, so Boston would want to sign him to an extension this summer. Although the Celtics have the most wins (regular season and playoffs) over the last six years, they do not have a championship backing this claim. And Brown’s weaknesses were exposed in the closing round of the playoffs. However, he is still a talented and dynamic player, and Boston is trying something new by adding Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason. 3. Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors With Fred VanVleet gone, there appear to be some doubts about Siakam’s future. If he does not sign an extension, then he joins the free agents, and the Raptors lose another important veteran. So there may be lots of trade talks (and/or trade) before he joins free agency. Siakam had a solid season in ‘22-23, averaging career-highs in points (24.2) and assists (5.8) per game. 4. OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors Anunoby has not quite reached the peak of his career as an all-round wing with size. But he was second-team All-Defense, shooting 38.7% from 3-point range in 2022-23.  He is also three years younger than Siakam, so Toronto would value him more if they plan on being a team of the future rather than of the present. OG has a $20 million player option for 2024-25 that he will most likely reject to secure a bigger payday. 5. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers Harden called in his player option for the 2023-24 season, and he reportedly wants a trade out of the Sixers. If he cannot sign an extension (with whichever team he is on) before next summer, he will become one of the free agents. There is no clear reason why Harden wants to leave a team that was third-best in the regular season. But Philadelphia cannot afford to regress with the reigning Kia MVP in his prime, and Harden (although his finishing ability has reduced over the last two years) plays a huge role in Joel Embiid becoming the league MVP. See also – Harden requests trade from Sixers to form ruthless ‘Big Three’ for Clippers. 6. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers Five first-round picks from the 2020 Draft have signed rookie extensions: Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Isaiah Stewart and Desmond Bane. Maxey is better than the rest, in a list that also has Devin Vassell (Spurs), Immanuel Quickley (Knicks) and Jaden McDaniels (Wolves). Any of those athletes that do not sign an extension this summer will become a restricted free agent in 2024. This may be the case with Tyrese if the 76ers want to maintain flexibility. Currently, they have only four players (including Embiid) under contract for 2024-25, with Harden, Tobias Harris and De’Anthony Melton all being unrestricted free agents (unless they sign extensions). 7. Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets Nic Claxton is one of the best bargains and most improved players in the league, on a two-year, $17.3 million contract. He led the NBA in field goal percentage and can defend inside and out. The 24-year-old is due for a big raise (as an unrestricted free agent) next summer.  However, Brooklyn (who does not have many players on the frontline) will not let him get away. 8. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls DeRozan will turn 35 at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. But he stays a bucket, he missed only 14 matches in two seasons with Chicago, and ‘22-23 was the most efficient (true shooting percentage of 59.2%) he had been in his 14-year career. It will exciting to see what DeMar will do (in terms of contention, location, and compensation) a year from now. 9. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors Gracing the list of prospective free agents, at number 9 is Klay Thompson from Golden State Warriors. The coming season will be the 11th one with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson playing together, with Green signing a new four-year contract this summer. Thompson is next up in terms of free agency, with one year left on the five-year $190 million contract he signed (with a torn ACL) in 2019. Since coming back from a two-and-a-half-year absence in January of 2022, Thompson played in 136 (84%) of an estimated 161 games. He took just 21% of his shots ( the lowest in his career) in the paint in 2022-23. But, Klay shot 41% from 3-point range. 10. Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers Hield is one of the best shooters in the world, not just off the catch. Out of 95 players who tried at least 75 pull-up 3-pointers this last season, only Curry and Malcolm Brogdon delivered them better than Hield (43.8%). Every team needs shooting and Hield still has wings attached to his feet. 11. Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets Bridges missed the whole of last season and is suspended for another 10 games to begin 2023-24. After signing Charlotte’s qualifying offer, he will join the free agents’ list next summer. The last time he was spotted, Miles was a Kia Most Improved Player candidate, averaging 20.2 ppg for

The Minnesota Timberwolves are keeping their young star swingman, Anthony Edwards, in the Pack.  According to multiple reports, the Timberwolves and All-Star Edwards have signed a five-year contract extension that may reach $260 million. Edwards, one of the NBA’s most explosive finishers and a first-time All-Star in 2022-23, averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season. He was particularly good in the playoffs for Minnesota in its first-round series against the current champion Denver Nuggets. In that series, he averaged 31.6 ppg, 5.0 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.8 spg as the Wolves lost the series in five games. Anthony’s scoring, rebound, assist, steal and shooting numbers have increased each year, and last season, there were only nine players who averaged as many points, rebounds and assists per game as him. Of those nine, he was the youngest at 21. Include the steals per game to that list, and Edwards became the youngest player to have those averages in all of those categories since LeBron James in 2005-06. Now that Edwards has agreed to this deal, he will join All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns and former All-Star Rudy Gobert as essential pieces on the Wolves who are signed on for the foreseeable future.  By bringing back Edwards, Minnesota secures another part of its young talent base. Early in the summer, big man Naz Reid signed a three-year deal worth up to $42 million. After he went undrafted in 2019, Reid signed with the Timberwolves on a two-way contract that offseason. Since then, Reid has become a key backup in Minnesota standing behind Towns and Gobert.  Forward Jaden McDaniels whom the Wolves drafted No.28 in 2020, the same class as Edwards may also sign an extension with the team. He has a team option for the 2023-24 season and the one after that. Related News: Damian Lillard asks for trade after 11 seasons with Blazers

Damian Lillard has repeatedly said that he wants to contend for a championship. After 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, he has decided to go make that happen somewhere else.  Lilliard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers, a move that will end the seven-time All-Star’s tenure with the team, two people aware of the situation said Saturday. The team later announced that Damian was who made the request. “We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he’d prefer to play someplace else,” Portland general manager Joe Cronin said in a team statement Saturday. “What has not changed for us is that we’re committed to winning, and we are going to do what’s best for the team in pursuit of that goal.” Lillard is getting interest from clubs like the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, amongst others, according to multiple reports. One of the informants told the Associated Press that he preferred Miami; the reigning Eastern Conference champion, although this does not guarantee that the Trail Blazers will work towards this particular move. Damian is fresh off a season where he averaged 32.2 points for Portland. He is a seven-time All-NBA selection and was chosen to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team but he has never been close to winning a title in his 11 seasons at the NBA. Lilliard has met with the Trail Blazer many times in recent weeks, requesting that the roster be upgraded to the point where he can compete for a championship. But those efforts, clearly, have not been to his liking which is why he’s asking for a move. His decision was divulged on the second day of NBA free agency after Portland made a big spend on the first night to reportedly retain Jerami Grant with a $160 million, five-year deal.  As excellent as his resume is, Lilliard has not enjoyed much in terms of postseason success. The Blazers have won just four playoff series in his 11 seasons there, making the Western Conference Finals only once during that period. They went 33-49 this past season, the second successive year of ending well outside the playoff picture.  Lilliard became the all-time scorer in Blazers history, passing Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler for the mark, in a December 19 game with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dame is the only player in franchise history with seven All-NBA honours and one of three players to be named All-NBA first team while he was with the Trail Blazers (2017 -18). He is a seven-time All-Star, the 2012-13 Kia Rookie of the Year and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He also received an Olympic gold medal, alongside the Heat’s Bam Adebayo at the Tokyo Games and could not stop talking about how much he loved playing with the Heat centre. Besides being the Blazer’s top scorer, Damian Lillard is also No. 1 in 3-pointers made and attempted by a wide margin including Portland’s all-time leader in free throws made and free throw percentage. He ranks in the team’s top five in games played (769), assists (5,151) and field goals made (6,281) and attempted (14,299). Lilliard is no doubt a dynamic athlete. He averages at least 24 points per match in each of the last eight seasons, and his career average of 25.2 ppg ranks fourth among active players (with at least 375 games) behind Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and LeBron James. If that list was extended to every player without game minimums, Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson and Trae Young would be ahead of him too.  The only thing noticeably missing on his resume is a championship. And now he wants a move to change that. “I would say I want to be remembered for who I was, not as a player, but the principle that I stood on regardless of how successful I was, how major the failure was, the criticism, what people thought I should have done, what people think of me … no matter what was happening, I want to be remembered for who I was,” Lillard said in an interview with former teammate Evan Turner for the “Point Forward” podcast earlier this year. “I stood tall. I’ve stood tall in every situation and I want to be remembered for that.” It will take a team whether Miami, Brooklyn or any other place a massive haul of both players and Draft picks to convince Portland to trade Lillard. He will make up to $46 million in the coming season and may make as much as $216 million over the next four years if he uses his option for the 2026-2027 season.  Although Dame was loved in Portland, there were rumours surrounding his future with the club when they chose point guard Scoot Henderson with the No.3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft rather than package the pick for a proven player.  In an interview with Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com a day after the 2023 Draft, Cronin was questioned if the team was in danger of losing Damian Lillard, this is how he answered: “No, I don’t. I think Dame badly, badly wants to win and he’s probably being more vocal about that than ever but I don’t look at that as a negative. I look at that as he’s passionate about this, it matters deeply to him and it matters deeply to us. I think the reason you haven’t seen major issuers from us or the reason you still see Dame in our gym every day or still meeting with [coach] Chauncey [Billups] and I constantly is because he wants us to work. He’s bought in, he wants it to work here and he’s challenging us to get it done, which I think is more than fair and he’s earned that.” Related Articles: Pistons make trade for Wizards guard Monte MorrisHeat trade Victor Oladipo to Thunder