Damian Lillard is a superstar that’s seemingly featured in trade rumors every single offseason. While a trade obviously hasn’t ended up transpiring yet, after the Portland Trail Blazers lost to an undermanned Denver Nuggets team in the first round, there was a lot of talk about Damian Lillard potentially leaving the Trail Blazers. It would certainly be a huge blow for the franchise, as he has been the most loyal star that they have ever had.
Despite all the speculation, it seems as though Damian Lillard has no plans of leaving. He has previously rebuked a report that suggested he had asked for a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, he has posted a photo of himself with Trail Blazers fans on his Instagram, with the caption “Back for more… Rip City is my city”. This post seems to suggest that Damian Lillard wants to run it back with the Trail Blazers, and he has emphasized his connection to Portland once again.
There is no doubt that Damian Lillard loves the city of Portland and the Trail Blazers franchise, but the team has a ways to go before they are able to win a championship as he desires. They made some solid moves to improve the team, such as adding Larry Nance Jr. and retaining Norman Powell, but there was no groundbreaking win-now move for a co-star for Damian Lillard. Star power generally wins championships, but it seems as if the Trail Blazers are willing to bank on their continuity and the chemistry that exists already within the team.
Hopefully, Damian Lillard is able to win a championship before he retires, and perhaps it will be with the Trail Blazers. They made the Western Conference Finals only 2 years ago, and perhaps they can get even further in the future.
