Damian Lillard has become one of the hottest names in the NBA during the 2023 playoffs. The Portland Trail Blazers superstar has always been involved in trade rumors despite his desire to continue with his first and only team in the league.
Everybody has something to say about this situation, and Lillard’s former teammate CJ McCollum is the last one to sign his name on this list. The New Orleans Pelicans player, who’s currently working on ESPN, believes that Lillard is on his way out of Portland.
“The franchise is at a crossroads, they gotta make a decision. Do you wanna rebuild? Do you wanna build a roster with the younger guys there? You got [Shaedon] Sharpe, you got Anfernee [Simmons], you got the No. 3 pick,” McCollum explained when discussing the potential scenarios for the Blazers.
McCollum explains that this offseason can play a big role in Dame’s decision, and if the Blazers aren’t in a good position before and after the 2023 NBA Draft, Lillard will need to do some thinking about his future.
“The market will dictate what happens here. I don’t think he’s gonna ask out, but I will say this, based on how the draft goes, based on what happens leading up to the draft, if they’re not in a position to have what we consider a title-contending team, they’ll have a discussion where they’ll try to figure out what’s best for him… “
He also claimed that seeing how things are developing now, it’s likely that Lillard will start next season playing for a different team.
“If I was a betting man, I would say this is the last that we’ve seen of him [in Portland].”
.@CJMcCollum weighs in on Dame's future in Portland:
"The market will dictate what happens here. … If I was a betting man, I would say this is the last that we've seen of him [in Portland]." pic.twitter.com/rCFslyLSWs
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 7, 2023
A lot has been said about this situation, but as things stand right now, nobody knows what’s going through Lillard’s mind. The player keeps sending messages to the front office, urging them to assemble a competitive team, or he will make some hard decisions.
Lillard Admits He’d Like To Join Miami Heat Or Brooklyn Nets
Dame recently talked about all the teams linked with him, and the point guard named the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets as two squads he wouldn’t have a problem joining if he ever asked for a trade.
It’s fair to say that he has become a more famous name around the league than Kyrie Irving in recent days. If Lillard gets traded this offseason, it would be a big move, as he can definitely move the needle for a team with young talent looking for a superstar to reach the next level.
Lillard once again posted good numbers this season, recording 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 58 games, shooting 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc, and 91.4% from the free-throw line.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
