Damian Lillard put the Portland Trail Blazers under a lot of pressure with his latest comments. He made it clear that he doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild, and even admitted he’d like to play for the Miami Heat.
Lillard pretty much told the Blazers that they need to build a championship-contending team now or they must trade him, and that’s no easy choice, all things considered.
However, according to NBA insider Kevin O’Connor, it seems like the front office has made up its mind already, and they’ll look to trade Anfernee Simons and the No. 3 pick to put another star around Lillard.
Blazers Still Want To Build Around Damian Lillard
“My league sources say that Portland’s interest in building around Lillard is genuine,” O’Connor wrote. “The front office is exploring deals for the no. 3 pick, and it’s also open to moving Anfernee Simons.”
“Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, or Mikal Bridges would make sense as potential targets via trade, but it’s unclear what level of appetite the Blazers have for that kind of trade,” the report continued. “Come draft night, they might just pick.”
Truth be told, the Blazers might need more than just another star to be a legit contender, but it’s nice to see that they’re at least trying to get better rather than giving up and rebuilding.