Damian Lillard talked more about whether he wants to finish his career in Portland in an interview with Erick Savage on Showtime’s “The Last Stand” (video link).
Lillard has said numerous times that he prefers to remain with the Trail Blazers, but only if the team is able to compete for a title. He noted the good fortune that the organization received by landing the No. 3 pick in this year’s lottery and seemed to send a message to Blazers management to use it wisely.
“I want to have an opportunity to win in Portland,” Lillard said. “… We got an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete. If we can’t do that … then it’s a separate conversation we would have to have.”
Lillard made a statement after the end of the regular season that he’s “not interested” in rebuilding and wants the front office to seek out veterans rather than add more young talent in the draft. The Blazers are widely reported to be doing just that, shopping their first-rounder to see what they can get in return.
While Lillard has never directly asked Portland’s management for a trade, rumors that’s he’s unhappy with the direction of the organization have persisted for a long time. The team has missed the playoffs the past two years, even though Lillard is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career.
In the interview, Savage asks Lillard if it’s time for the Blazers to move him to a contender.
“I think that’s a loaded question,” Lillard responded, “because they could trade me to somewhere that we all say, you know, ‘This is a contender.’ But what is it going to cost for me to get there? What is it going to cost that team that we’re saying is a contender for me to get there? And how is it a guarantee that we’re gonna be playing in June when I get there? How do we know if everybody’s gonna be healthy? How do we know if it’s gonna work out?”
Lillard stated that he doesn’t want to end up in a situation like Russell Westbrook did with the Lakers. Although there was optimism when Westbrook arrived, he quickly became an outcast in L.A. and Lillard said the team “had him coming off the bench like he’s not a Hall of Famer.”
Lillard admits nothing is guaranteed no matter where he goes, but added that he has made his wishes clear to Blazers management.
Then switch teams lol
/is on a last place team
/the team in first is in the Finals right now, thus proving they are a massively better team than Dame’s team, and will be as long as Jokic is active.
Dame: “???”
Denver has had this title gift wrapped for them. In the playoffs, they played the #8 seed, a play in team, MIN in RD 1, Rd 2, #4 Seed-PHX,(w/o CP 3 & an injured Ayton) WCF- another play in team, #7 seed Lakers, and in the finals, yet another playin team, #8 seed Miami. No team has ever had an easier path to the NBS Finals, and they haven’t won it yet!
I find it humorous when a guy signs for four more years at 50 to 60 million dollars that says I only want to be here IF the team is building a roster that is able to win. You should have played out your contract and went to a team that is able to win on your own.., unless of course money mattered first.
In today’s League you can’t have both unless your owner is Joe Lacob or Steve Ballmer. Not going to happen so get your head out of your rear end and think. These guys are such Hypocrites at times and yes I’m talking about Damian Lillard here.
They act like they’re so loyal to their City and yes Damian Lillard has been loyal to his City but then don’t cry when you’ve got Bank and then tell ownership how to run their team. They’re between a rock and a hard place at this point and you knew that would be the case when you signed the brand new contract.
Especially when you knew things hadn’t, and probably weren’t, going to change, ie the front office is mediocre and the owner sucks. How can you complain about a situation you knowingly and purposely put yourself in (while also being paid handsomely for it)?
It’s unfortunate because it would be nice to see Dame play for a real contender, but he can’t have his cake and eat it too.
Not easy to switch teams. In real life changing companies you work can often be like starting over. From scratch. Build a new book of clients. Work additional hours like a rookie.
In NBA basketball a new town, a new team, new fans to get. Like DL said Russell Westbrook shows how things can spiral badly.
It’s not like that come on. You still get your money
If they swipe Jaylen Brown, I think they are in the convo.
Prospects are hit or miss. If you hit at #3 ok you have a guy essentially for 9 years around 250M all said and done.
If they trade for Brown they’ll get him for 6 years at a normal max figure (if hes extended by Portland). Likely still to touch 275-300M over that time with the 30M for next yr.
But you know exactly who Brown is.
A highly overrated player that isn’t a great passer, shooter, or ball handler?
I don’t want Jaylen Brown in Portland at all.
Primarily because of his defense, but also Portland needs to get a lot of assets, or quality in return.
I don’t feel like a deal with Boston for Jaylen Brown, or any of the Celtics other pieces addresss Portland needs in a trade involving Lillard
Then who are you trading for?
Right now your best lineup is Dame, Sharpe, Simons, Grant, Nurkic.
You take Scoot at 3 and he sits on your bench behind Dame and Sharpe.
Thybulle and Little combine to a meh SF starter.
Dame, Sharpe, Brown, Grant, Nurkic is an an upgrade.
Who are you using the pick on? Scoot, Brown, Siakam, DeRozan, Ingram, LaVine, PG13?
isiight or XMAXX?
My response was to isiight, so I owe no explanation to you.
You like Jaylen Brown. I don’t.
There are a hundred different ways Portland can go this off-season, and I wouldn’t be foolish to guess what some Blazer execs (who go out of their way to be secretive) have in store for the future of the Trailblazer franchise.
If Lillard is traded its rebuild time. Not waste another $30-$40 million on 1 player.
I also wouldn’t trade Lillard for a guy who is going to put, and keep Sharpe on the bench for years to come, and rob development minutes.
Portland needs to rebuild, not reboot this season into next season
I actually want to see the Portland Trail Blazers put a better team around Damian Lillard. So many people give him grief wanting to stay on his original team and being loyal and I have a problem with that.
The General Manager
Joe Cronin
The Head Coach
Chauncey Billups
I’m putting my GM hat on and also thinking about what type of team Chauncey Billups would like to coach and the players Damian Lillard would want around him.
Chauncey Billups had his best years as a player with the Detroit Pistons and them teams was built on defense and toughness and that’s what I’m going to put together for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard said he wants to be competing in June, not I want to stay in Portland. He was about loyalty in years past, but he has asked to be traded now.
There is no way Portland can do that. A finals team? That’s way too tall of an order…
This is Lillard politely asking to be traded in my opinion.
He isn’t demanding a trade, but he is setting the bar higher than is possible to expectedly achieve, therefore leaving the Blazers with his stated alternative of trading him.
Thanks for leaving my team with Annunoby too, and his albatross of a contract.
The 1st order of business should be trading Jusuf Nurkic because he’s an injury prone. He been hurt the past four seasons and just not dependable. He’s good but he’s more of a solid backup Center. He’s a okay defensive player at best and then he’s not a rim protector.
Portland Trail Blazers get
Clint Capela
Atlanta Hawks get
Jusuf Nurkic
Two Second Round Picks
I can see this trade helping both teams because Clint Capela is more durable and a better rebounder and rim protector and defensive player.
Jusuf Nurkic can be a solid backup Center because it’s time for the Atlanta Hawks to turn the starting Center position over to Onyeka Okongwu. He’s oozing with potential!!! He’s been backing up Clint Capela his first three seasons and it’s time for him to be a starter in the NBA.
I approve of this. Good idea
The 2nd order of business is to trade Anfernee Simons and get away from them small backcourts they they’ve had for so many seasons starting with the Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and the Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. Them very good backcourts offensively but defensively they struggle. In the 2022 NBA Draft they selected Shaedon Sharpe with the 7th pick and he’s exactly what Damian Lillard needs to be next to. He’s a 6’6 shooting guard with a 7’0 wingspan from Kentucky that can easily guard three positions. He has superstar writing all over him.
Portland Trail Blazers get
O.G. Anunoby
Toronto Raptors get
Anfernee Simons
3rd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
Add pascal to that
The third and final order of business is to resign Jerami Grant back and resign Matisse Thybulle back. Jerami Grant brings offense and defense and a whole lot of versatility. Then Matisse Thybulle is a great defensive player that just needs to work on his three.
So outside of Damian Lilllard you got all nice young rangy defensive players that’s very versatile.
Starters
SF O.G. Anunoby 6’7 235
7’2 wingspan 26 years old
PF Jerami Grant 6’8 210
7’3 wingspan 29 years old
C Clint Capela 6’10 255
7’5 wingspan 29 years old
SG Shaedon Sharpe 6’6 200
7’0 wingspan 20 years old
PG Damian Lillard 6’2 195
6’8 wingspan 33 years old
Bench
SG Matisse Thybulle 6’5 200
6’11 wingspan 26 years old
PF Trendon Watford 6’8 240
7’2 wingspan 22 years old
SF Nassir Little 6’5 220
7’2 wingspan 23 years old
C Drew Eubanks 6’10 245
7’0 wingspan 26 years old
That will be a team that can compete against anybody in the NBA. They got shooting and defense and they extremely long and versatile.
That team looks good.
Does it work salary wise?
A highly overrated player that isn’t a great passer, shooter, or ballhandler???
Hell, that’s 95% of the league.
We sure will keep 6’6″ Jaylen Brown! Scores 26.6 points per game, 9th in the league, 26 years old, young, not yet in his prime, still getting better and already voted in as All-NBA. Came in as an elite raw athlete & defender. Learned to drive, and with his developed power & strength, now finish. Has built a superb turnaround, mid-range game and can get hot from three. Us Celtics fans think he’s great, not overrated. Yes, he can get better.
As a Bay Area sports fan, I obviously want Dame to finish his career on GSW, hopefully backing up the ageless Curry as they win a chip together, that would be awesome for the local guy Lillard.
Lol. Backing up Curry. I’m sure Lillard can’t wait for the opportunity
the only way that happens is trading Thompson and kuminga to Portland for Lillard. I don’t see Portland trading anything to a rival.
@ARC 2 I meant like “end of career” Dame backing up Curry, who at 40+ will still be an MVP-tier player. I don’t want Dame next season, and I sure don’t want to trade Kuminga for anyone other than KD.
A lot can happen between now and 5 years from now.
You consistently demonstrate that while this may be a trade rumors board, you have no understanding of reasonable trades. Lunacy everyday.
“anything to a rival”? They gave the Clippers Powell and Covington for practically nothing.
lol, I literally wrote “I want Dame to finish his career” meaning I want him on the bench when he’s 38, not next season, as you so poorly interpreted. Please be better at reading next time.
U can re-write it 100 ways, it’s still funny.
“I don’t want to trade Kuminga for anyone but KD.” Well are you going to tell someone to get better at reading with that? Because it’s hard to misinterpret that lunacy.
Better swing a deal with the top 8 teams in the league then, because Portland is not playing in June for some time yet.
Watch the sixers…
All star level young player-Maxey
Big expiring contract-Harris
That’s the making a good start to deal
Agreed, that’s probably the best landing spot for Dame. Also can the 6ers get Lebron too? Embiid/Lebron/Dame would be terrifying next year, but not too much longer into the future than that.
If theh did a S&T Harden and 29 1st for LBJ. So technically they could.
Not sure I’m passing up a top prospect to appease Lillard. Think it may be time to convert him into multiple picks or mix of picks and a young potential star. There’s also some position plugs/swaps that make sense, such as a Kat for Dame deal.
So, he wants to go to a contender, but only if it doesn’t cost the acquiring team any talent/anything of actual value to do it..because it’d put him right back in a similar spot he’s in now. Can’t wait for news about how Portland’s FO feels about giving him away..I’m sure they’re excited though.
Dame with the Heat, given his relationship with Bam, needs to happen.
Riley will definitely be on it.
He’s be ideal for the Heat, I just don’t know if Miami has what Portland would be interested in. Herro wouldn’t be enough, and Butler and Bam would defeat the purpose. The rest of the squad is really hard to fathom that they’d come back the same as they are today. There’s a reason they weren’t drafted.
Rhetoric aside, POR hasn’t acted like a team that’s in win now mode for the last 1-1/2 years. The opposite really. Likewise, Dame hasn’t acted like a star that is prioritizing playing for a contender (I assume every player wants to). Vague statements like the one here only obsure what, if anything, Dame wants in order to commit to POR for the balance of his career. Hopefully, it involves more than just trading the 3rd overall pick; because that, while a great trade asset, isn’t going to support a trade that would reconfigure this team into a contender. POR should make their pick and leave the next move to Dame. But shush about it.
Portland made it to the WCF and then blew up the roster. They’ve proven over and over they can’t win with a little guard, who can’t defend or make his teammates better. Chauncey said at the start last season “no hero ball” and played great team ball to start the season. They did it while playing deep into their bench. Then all the sudden they start playing the starters big minutes and only went 3 deep into the bench. This brought about stagnation as Sharpe, Watford, Johnson, Eubanks and Walker got very little time. It’s like they decided Dame, Simons and Grant needed be “The Only Heroes” and then Lillard made a run at the scoring title. When he was NOT capable of getting it they shut him down and began tanking. That’s a selfish loser’s mentality. This team has athletic youth that need PT. They won the summer league and started the season playing well together (teamwork and fast breaks). I’m not sure why Chauncey put the breaks on teamwork and pursued ISO ball hog “hero ball” if Lillard really cared about winning in Portland he would have allowed the youth to shine and taken a more relaxed attitude towards his on court time and passing to his teammates. Lillard will never be a good defender, distributor or team first player, over his stats and image of “Lame-Time” Bring on the youth movement and get Lillard out of town, and maybe he’ll learn he’s a 2 guard not a point guard.
I want to win but I better get paid the super max. It’s a joke. You want to win you need to sacrifice financially to surround yourself with talent. None of them seem to want to do that
Harden did!
Why should they? Owners are the ones that wanted a salary cap, it’s their job to work around it.
Too bad you ate up all the team’s cap space.
No way out now, Dame.
Enjoy the rebuild and no playoffs.
Dame Dolla, isn’t it?
If they draft scoot then we get a cousins reaction