The Portland Trail Blazers are facing a crossroads in the offseason.
Damian Lillard has made it known that he has no intention whatsoever of being a part of a rebuilding team, putting a lot of pressure on the front office to start making win-now moves right away.
However, they recently got the No. 3 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, so they could choose to go the other way around and move on from their veteran superstar to hit the drawing board again.
That’s why Lillard made it clear to the fans that if they want him to be gone, they should be the ones making a petition, as he’s not going to force his way out of the organization.
If the fans wana trade me … start the petition and send it in 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/zOjGRBh8rD
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 18, 2023
Lillard has repeatedly shown his loyalty and desire to play his entire career in Rip City.
He’s talked about winning a championship the hard way instead of teaming up with stars somewhere else.
Nonetheless, he also understands this is a business.
He knows he’s entering the backend of his prime and he might not be able to produce at the same level for much longer, so it makes sense that he doesn’t want to waste his last good years on a team that’s not looking to win a championship.
But at the end of the day, the front office will have the final say on this situation.
Trading Lillard or trading the pick both come with risks, and it’s not like they have to make that call before the NBA Draft anyways.
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