Joe Cronin reportedly studied Nets' trade model for $194M valued star Kevin Durant while negotiating Damian Lillard deal

Joe Cronin's trade of Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks this week left NBA fans stunned. Throughout the course of the offseason, Lillard has indicated that he exclusively wanted to go to the Miami Heat.

Despite that, reports continued to emerge indicating that the Blazers were willing to stay patient when searching for a trade that suited them.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who continued to keep fans updated regarding the trade talks throughout the offseason, the Blazers were in no rush.

Behind the scenes, Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin was doing everything he could to study up on other trade scenarios that yielded positive results.

While navigating the dangerous waters of the offseason trade market, Cronin took inspiration from the Nets front office, which pulled off a massive Kevin Durant trade last season. As Woj reported in a new piece for ESPN:

"Cronin talked to his staff about controlling the tempo of the talks, slowing the process, and using July and August to explore the marketplace. He studied the trade models of Brooklyn's Sean Marks with Durant, and Philadelphia's Daryl Morey with Ben Simmons.

"In those acrimonious showdowns, patience had been the pathway to incrementally increasing offers."

Damian Lillard's message to Joe Cronin and the Trail Blazers fans after trade

For years, Damian Lillard was the poster boy of loyalty for the Portland Trail Blazers. As such, the relationship between him and the Blazers front office was always very good. After he requested a trade, however, that all changed.

Once Lillard drew the line in the sand between him and the rest of the organization, Joe Cronin made it clear that there was no going back.

When trade talks with Miami stalled, Lillard relented and agreed to return to the team. According to reports, Cronin quickly told him there was no coming back.

After the trade was finalized, Lillard spoke to Chris Haynes, where he alluded to the dispute. As he explained:

"Behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth."

"But it doesn't change the amazing experiences I've had with the Trail Blazers and this city. I'll always cherish this place. This is my home. I'll always live here regardless."

In his full message to the city of Portland and the Blazers fans, Lillard didn't address Cronin. You can read his full farewell message in the screenshots below.

(Suggested Reading: Dame releases 'Farewell' song)