Former Trail Blazer asks Damian Lillard to make him GM if Bucks star buys Portland WNBA team
Before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard built strong roots in Portland. Following some big news regarding the city's sports landscape, one former teammate of his is throwing out big hypotheticals.
On Wednesday morning, the WNBA announced that Portland is getting an expansion team. They are set to launch in two years at the start of the 2026 season.
In the midst of this news, Evan Turner reached out to Damian Lillard regarding a job. If the All-Star guard were to ever buy the franchise, he would want to be hired to work in the front office.
Lillard spent 11 seasons in Portland after the Trail Blazers drafted him sixth overall in 2012. He had some success there, leading the team to the conference finals in 2019. However, after numerous injuries and short postseason runs, the two sides decided to part ways.
Last summer, Lillard informed the Blazers that he would like to be traded. The organization granted this wish, sending him to the Milwaukee Bucks to join forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In his first season with his new team, Lillard averaged 24.3 points,4.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists. The newly formed star duo had high expectations to contend but saw themselves eliminated in the first round of the postseason.
Damian Lillard has long been an advocate for the WNBA
While Evan Turner might have made that bold claim, Damian Lillard has never expressed interest in buying a WNBA franchise. However, the All-Star guard has long been an advocate for the league and its players.
During the 2018 offseason, Lillard sat courtside with DeMar DeRozan to catch some WNBA action up close. Following the matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun, the Bucks star was asked a few questions about the women's game. Lillard admitted that the WNBA deserves more recognition and that the players should be paid more.
"They deserve a lot more respect," Lillard said. "They deserve to make a lot more money than they do. I think it's time people start recognizing that they professional athletes and they should be treated like it."
Damian Lillard is a prime example of how drastic the pay gap is between NBA and WNBA players. This upcoming season, Lillard is set to make $48.7 million. Meanwhile, the top 10 highest-paid women players combined make $2.29 million. There are many factors that go into this, but the drastic difference in pay scale is undeniable.
Between his close ties to Portland and thoughts on the women's game, it's not out of the realm of possibility for Lillard to explore a venture like Turner said. That said, with his career still ongoing, it likely won't be anytime soon.