Damian Lillard has repeatedly stated that he intends to stay faithful to the Portland Trail Blazers and pursue an NBA championship at Rip City. Nonetheless, some around the league don’t think that’s going to hold on for long.
The Blazers look lost. Chauncey Billups has left a lot to be desired as a coach and firing GM Neil Olshey has further exposed the franchise’s lack of direction. That’s not the ideal setting to try and keep a disgruntled star.
Unsurprisingly, Lillard is once again tied to multiple trade rumors, with Sam Amick of The Athletic even reporting that he wants his team to make a run at Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons.
Lillard Wants To Play With Ben Simmons
“Lillard intends to give the Trail Blazers organization time to find its next leader of basketball operations,” Amick wrote. “But beyond the front office component, the face of the franchise still wants significant changes to the roster. Multiple sources have told The Athletic that Lillard would like to play with Philadelphia 76ers three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. The Trail Blazers’ league-worst defense would instantly improve, and sharing a backcourt with a non-shooter could work given Lillard’s high-volume usage.”
Needless to say, trading for Simmons wouldn’t be as simple as that. Daryl Morey is demanding a steep price for the former first-overall pick and chances are that he won’t entertain the thought of trading him unless Lillard is also included in the package.
Dame Wants A Record-Breaking Extension
Moreover, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN recently reported that Lillard wants to become the league’s highest-paid player by signing a massive extension next summer. In that passive-aggressive hit-piece, Woj explained how no one was willing to do that:
“Lillard wants a two-year, $107 million extension in July, and he and his agent need the next general manager to sell ownership on the idea,” Wojnarowski wrote.“As much as anything, this cuts to the core of the Blazers’ search process. His desire for an extension into his advanced NBA years has turned into a battle for the franchise’s future, an existential threat to reshaping and redirecting the organization in a post-playoff reality.”
“The prospects of Portland extending Lillard, 31, beyond his $48.8 million in 2024-25 to pay him $51 million at 35 years old and $55 million at 36 threatens to turn an asset of a contract into an albatross,” he added.
Sixers, Two Other Teams Want To Trade For Him
Woj added that Lillard is more likely to be traded than extended by whoever takes charge of the Blazers’ basketball operations. And, per his report, the Sixers and two other unnamed teams have already reached out waiting for that to happen:
“Three teams with interest in Lillard told ESPN that they are waiting on him to make an offseason trade demand before calling Portland,” Woj added.“If Lillard asks out, they know the Blazers will lose some leverage in the asking price — and are waiting on it. Philadelphia made an offer, but New York never did, league sources said.”
Lillard is one of the best players in the world and he’s proven to be a solid, loyal leader as well. He may never be able to take the Blazers team to the NBA Finals but he’d turn any other team into a contender right away. Should he become available, we expect dozens of teams to pursue him.
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