"Dame has made it clear" - Chris Haynes said Damian Lillard has given an ultimatum to the Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are at a crossroads entering Thursday’s NBA draft. They are currently stuck in between a retool around superstar point guard Damian Lillard and a rebuild around their upcoming No. 3 pick.
According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Lillard has made it clear to the organization that he wants to compete for a championship next season. Likewise, he has let it be known that he doesn’t want to play with any more young prospects.
Haynes outlined Lillard’s thought process on a recent episode of his podcast '#thisleague UNCUT':
“Dame has made it clear that he wants to compete for a championship, and he wants to continue and he wants a roster that can get him there.”
“He wants that now, he does not want to wait, he does not want to go to a rebuild, doesn’t want to continue to play with younger guys to help them grow and get to that point he wants to win,” Haynes added.
“Dame has made it clear that he wants to compete for a championship and he wants to continue and he wants a roster that can get him there. He wants that now, he does not want to wait, he does not want to go to a rebuild, doesn’t want to continue to play with younger guys to help… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/Kab3Y0GMul
Lillard giving Portland an ultimatum has led some to speculate that he could be made available this offseason. However, up to this point, the Trail Blazers have shown no indication that they want to trade Lillard, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer:
“Lillard, by all accounts, prefers to remain with Portland, and the Trail Blazers have not shown any willingness to discuss the seven-time All-Star with inquiring teams.”
So, it’s looking increasingly likely that the Trail Blazers could deal their No. 3 pick for an established veteran come Thursday night.
Trail Blazers are interested in Bam Adebayo
One established veteran that the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly have their eyes on is Miami Heat star center Bam Adebayo. According to Fischer, Portland is preparing a massive trade offer for the star big man:
“Portland has been exploring avenues to deal the No. 3 pick, but in a draft that scouts have deemed holds three top prospects, the Blazers are strongly valuing their selection in talks with opposing teams," Fischer said.
“Portland appears unlikely to part with the No. 3 choice unless the Blazers are getting back one of a select number of premium targets to pair with Lillard.
"According to one source with knowledge of the situation, Portland is preparing what the team believes to be a compelling package for Miami to part with All-Defensive centerpiece Bam Adebayo.”
The Blazers are prepared to make a significant offer to the Miami Heat for Bam Adebayo 🤯, per @JakeLFischer https://t.co/5e5k6DWuPz
Adebayo would likely provide a massive boost to the Trail Blazers' defense. This comes as Portland finished 28th in team defensive rating (118.0) this past season. He is also coming off an NBA Finals run with the Heat.
However, it remains to be seen if Miami would be interested in giving up Adebayo for any package the Trail Blazers can offer without including Lillard.
Adebayo averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game on 54.0% shooting over 75 games this past season.
Also read: NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard covets Zion Williamson joing him on Trail Blazers