(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Most NBA teams are keeping tabs on Damian Lillard and what he may or may not do this summer.
The All-Star guard has hinted at leaving the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time in his career, even stating that he would like to play for the Miami Heat or Brooklyn Nets.
However, as much as multiple teams would love to at least have an opportunity to make a run at Lillard, Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently reported that he doesn’t think he actually wants to leave.
In his most recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Windhorst explained that the Blazers are trying to go to great lengths to reinforce their squad around Lillard.
“As of right now, I think he wants to be a Blazer. I think the Blazers are trying to make moves to support him.”
Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) discusses the chances Portland trades Damian Lillard this offseason.
Brian’s full appearance: https://t.co/GWMEKsVfX8 pic.twitter.com/ZhJGvu5MA9
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 16, 2023
As of now, the Blazers have the No. 3 pick, Anfernee Simons, and some decent veterans like Jerami Grant, Justise Winslow, and Jusuf Nurkic.
They could still look to make some tweaks to give Lillard a better supporting cast and make another postseason run, but it seems unlikely that they’re able to get it done with that core.
The Blazers could instead look to try and rebuild around Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and that No. 3 pick, not to mention the fact that they could land plenty of first-round picks if they give up on Lillard.
For years, fans have urged Lillard to take his talents somewhere else, as his chances of winning an NBA championship in Portland are close to none.
But he’s not cut from the same cloth as most superstars nowadays, and that stubbornness might cost him a ring.
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