Damian Lillard and his Portland Trail Blazers didn’t have the best 2021/22 NBA season, struggling with injuries and pretty much rebuilding the roster mid-season with some trades. That situation sparked the rumors about a potential departure from their superstar, but Dame made sure to shut them down.
Now, the front office is ready to make some splash in the offseason and get the right help Dame needs to compete for the NBA championship. A lot has been said about the players that could join the team in the future, but Lillard is confident the organization will do a great job.
Still, rumors about his future and a possible trade away from Moda Center keep looming, and Lillard recently revealed that he wouldn’t fight if the team decides to move him at some point. Talking with Jabari Young of CNBC, Dame made it clear that he won’t say no if the team wants to trade him, but he doesn’t think that’s a likely scenario.
Lillard warned of naysayers and media speculation surrounding his future.
“Everybody is like, ‘He’s going to do this. He’s going to do that,’” Lillard said. “But the game is so watered down, and the game is so fugazi (fake) that people literally won’t believe what you say even if you say it directly to them.”
Though Lillard wants to stay with the Blazers, asked if he would accept a trade, he responded: “If they came to me and they wanted to trade me – I’m not going to fight them on wanting to trade me. I don’t want to be anywhere I’m not wanted. But I don’t think that’s the case.”
This isn’t Lillard saying he wants to be traded, but clarifying that if the Blazers think they should rebuild and send him away, he will be fine with that decision. However, it remains to be seen if they’re actually interested in that idea. Dame is the heart and the soul of the Blazers, and it’ll be extremely weird to see them getting rid of their franchise player just like that.
