The Portland Trail Blazers went through a major roster overhaul before the trade deadline. They let go of Robert Covington, Norman Powell, and CJ McCollum and are reportedly looking forward to building a new team around Damian Lillard.
But Lillard is also expected to fetch a massive contract extension in the offseason. Given his age and recent history with injuries, that couldprove to be a risky move by the Blazers’ front office.
That’s why Charles Barkley thinks that it’s time to hit the drawing board and just rebuild from scratch. Needless to say, that would also mean parting ways with their franchise player and moving on from Lillard.
Charles Barkley Says The Blazers Need To Move On From Damian Lillard
“They gotta get rid of Dame first, that’s the biggest piece to go,” Barkley said. “I’ve said it before. They’ve got to trade Dame, start the rebuild.They ain’t no good. And Dame is on the backside of his career. You can’t hold on to aging superstars when they’re making $50 million a year.”
Lillard Says He’s Loyal To WhatHe Believes In
Lillard has often been linked with trade rumors. Most people feel like he’s wasting his career on a small-market team with little chanceof winning an NBA championship. However, he’s always affirmed his commitment and desire to stay at RIP City until retirement:
“I think something that’s important people realize is that it’s a business,”Lillard said in an interview with Complex.“Everybody’s like, ‘Oh this person’s loyal, that person’s loyal.’ They kind of throw that word around loosely.But, for me, I’m loyal to what I believe. I do love living in Portland. I do love playing for the Trail Blazers.”
“I’ve built this,”Lillard added.“I’ve been part of this for 10 years. I’ve been part of the change here and us being a successful franchise. I know what means something to me in my heart. And that’s winning a championship here.That’s why I’m so committed to that. And that’s my personal feelings. That’s being loyal to how I feel and how I operate. It is what it is. That’s what I want to see happen and I remain just committed to that as long as that’s the goal, that’s the plan.”
Lillard is one of the most explosive scorers in the league and every single contender would love to have him on its ranks. So, maybe, the Blazers need to listen to Chuck and just rip the bandaid off.
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