"This is a team, listen, they've been very active in the trade market, they want to continue to build around Damian Lillard" – Adrian Wojnarowski gives update on Lillard’s future with Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard appears set to continue to stay with the franchise as Portland looks to continue building a team around its star.
On ESPN's "SportsCenter," NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said the Portland Trail Blazers are not looking to trade the six-time All-Star, whom they see as their cornerstone. Wojnarowski said:
"This is a team, listen, they've been very active in the trade market; they want to continue to build around Damian Lillard."
However, they will be looking to make deals to surround Lillard with the right pieces in the hunt for a championship. Wojnarowski continued:
"But this is a Portland team now that I think will continue to try to make some deals, continue to try to move to building a team around Damian Lillard."
Should Portland keep or trade Damian Lillard?
Damian Lillard is one of the best players in the NBA, an MVP-caliber talent who can take over games. His ability to finish at the rim is one of the best in the league, especially considering his height and frame (6-foot-2, 195 pounds). Lillard's range has earned him the moniker "Logo Lillard" – a testament to his unlimited range.
Lillard has struggled to make an impact like his previous seasons. He has averaged 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 40.2%, including 32.4% from beyond the arc. These are good numbers but not compared to the standards set by Lillard. This is the lowest he has shot in his career from the field and from downtown.
However, the team announced Thursday that he had surgery for the issue. He will be re-evaluated in six weeks and is expected to be out at least eight weeks. This is the first time in his 10 seasons that the six-time All-Star will miss a significant portion of the season with an injury. He has already missed 11 games because of the issue, and he has said it affected his play.
With 43 points against Charlotte, Damian Lillard becomes the 25th player in NBA history with 40 career 40-point games.
He's the 10th player on that list to have all of his 40-point games come for a single franchise. https://t.co/1lJ7pI2pXr
Another aspect that needs to be considered is if the current Portland roster is built to win a championship. Many believe CJ McCollum and Lillard cannot play winning basketball together. Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkić and Robert Covington are tradeable assets. If the Trail Blazers can strike a deal for someone like Ben Simmons by parting ways with these players, then they will have two talented players to build around.
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#DamianLillard | #NBAAllStar https://t.co/eQYoquEtwy
Another thing the Trail Blazers can do is head into full rebuild mode. Trading away all their assets, including Lillard, and building around good young players by drafting well could be the way forward for Portland.
Either way, Lillard continues to be a topic of trade conversation, and the Portland Trail Blazers have decisions to make.