From the owner’s refusal to entertain offers for the team to reports of the front office refusing to speak with the star, it’s clear that all is not well in Portland and quite frankly, this latest report doesn’t help.
Damian Lillard & the Blazers aren’t communicating
As you probably know by now, the Portland Trail Blazers selected point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Now, while you might think that would have direct implications for the future of Blazers star, Damian Lillard, what we can say is we simply don’t know. According to reports, Lillard, who previously made it known that he has no desire to be part of a rebuild, has not had any recent contact with the franchise’s front office about the Draft, free agency, or his situation.
Of course, when it comes to the narrative we’ve been given, it remains the same. Following Thursday night’s Draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stated what we’ve been told for some time: Portland intends to continue to build around Lillard this summer unless he himself decides he wants to leave, something the 32-year-old has never indicated. For the moment, Jerami Grant is a priority, while it’s also been reported that the Blazers are leaning toward a Lillard and Henderson pairing in the backcourt. We also previously reported on the rumors of a move for the Heat’s Bam Adebayo.
So, what can we expect from the Blazers & Damian Lillard?
Well, for the moment what we can say is that reports indicate that right up to Draft night, teams were in contact with the Blazers to inquire about the status of their star. It’s understood that Portland was having none of it and promptly cut any conversation about the topic. That being said, were Lillard to actually ask for a trade, it’s almost certain that the franchise would acquiesce. If you’re wondering, Lillard averaged a career-high 32.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game last season. As we always say, watch this space.