NBA
After seeing Portland drafted Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard has to decide if he still wants to play for the Blazers
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated23 Jun 2023
For a while now, a lot of false information has been floated out on all-star PG Damian Lillard. It’s hard to know what to believe when it comes to his future with the Trail Blazers. League sources speculated they would trade him before last night’s draft, but that did not happen. After drafting Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard has to decide if he still wants to play for Portland.
The seven-time all-star just finished his 11th season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He’s at a crossroads in his career and nobody knows what his future is going to hold. Lillard has had chances to leave the team in the past, but he’s remained loyal to the franchise.
Lillard has asked the Blazers to try and build a championship contender around him. He’s expressed that he’s not interested in staying around for a rebuild. With their current roster in a tough Western Conference, it will be hard for Portland to be a legit contender next season.
“Damian Lillard has to decide if he wants to grow with this young group. This team is not going to be a championship contender this season.”
– @wojespn
(Via @GetUpESPN ) pic.twitter.com/5YnxKrdWP7
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 23, 2023
Damian Lillard is at a crossroads this offseason with the Portland Trail Blazers
ESPN’s Adrain Wojnarowski was very blunt about Portland’s current situation. He said they’ve done a nice job with the draft picks over the last two seasons. However, the Blazers are just not ready to be a serious contender in the West. Wojnarowski said that Lillard has to choose if he wants to be a part of their rebuild or not.
After last night’s draft, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report had more news about Lillards’ situation. He expressed that the all-star PG has not had any contact with the organization involving the draft, free agency, or his future. Other league sources reported that Lillard is not going to rush into making a decision.
He could carry his decision into the start of free agency that begins on July 1. Lillard has been vocal that he wants to remain with the Blazers, but he’s competing for championships at this stage in his career. That’s where Portland doesn’t fit into his future. His best chance to win an NBA title is not with the Portland Trail Blazers next season.
