Dame

Hey Dame, It’s Time to Leave Portland

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After 11 seasons full of early playoff exits, injuries, and a soft rebuild that hasn’t given expected results, it’s time for Damian Lillard to leave Portland. The last couple of seasons has not been kind to Lillard. He missed the majority of the 2021-22 season due to an abdominal injury and saw his backcourt brother in CJ McCollum traded after eight and a half seasons together in Portland. The 2022-23 season has had its own problems for the Lillard and the Blazers as well. Lillard has missed a handful of games including Friday night’s game against the Bulls. Near the end of March, the Blazers sit at 32-40, 13th in the West. Earlier this week, Lillard accepted the fact that the Blazers were out of the play-in tournament, while also acknowledging his current frustration:

 

“We pretty much fallen out of the race for the 10th spot… I love to play, I love the competition and I haven’t been ready to give that up. But it does come a point in time when do you stop putting your competitive nature out front.”

 

In his 11 seasons in Portland, the team has not seen much post-season success. The Trailblazers have reached the Western Conference Finals once. The Blazers have also seen five first-round exits. With it being very unlikely that Portland makes the play-in, this will be the second season in a row and third time in Lillard’s career that Portland will miss the playoffs. With Portland already rebuilding once during the Lillard era, Dame had the following to say when looking at the offseason and another potential rebuild for the Blazers:

 

“That’s not what I’m interested in. That’s what the frustrating part of it is. Talking about what’s going to happen next season, and us building, that’s not what I’m here to do. Especially at this stage of my career.”

 

This offseason, Dame will turn 33. Already spending over a decade in the league, Dame has spent his best years in Portland on a team that has not been able to build a championship-contending team around him. Lillard has proven his loyalty to Portland for over a decade, signing a two-year extension during 2022 free agency. Signed through the 2026-27 season, there is no telling if Lillard will be in a Portland uniform by the time that contract expires. 

 

This is the best time to trade Damian Lillard. While it has not been decided if Lillard will sit out the remainder of Portland’s season, he’s had a career season up to this point. Averaging 32.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 4.8 RPG and having a 60-point and 71-point game, Lillard’s value has never been higher and may never be this high again. There are numerous teams that would be willing to trade everything for Damian Lillard. After the two monster deals for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the 2022 offseason, a package for Lillard could be bigger than both of those. Teams like Milwaukee have come up with many wanting to see Lillard play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Teams like the Knicks and Lakers would be in the hunt for a player like Lillard, being big markets and attractive destinations for free agents. 

 

With the end of the season only a couple of weeks away, the speculation on Lillard’s future is only going to get louder. The future does not look bright for Portland, especially in a tough Western Conference full of young and hungry teams. The frustration is there for Dame and that puts Portland in a tight spot. He may be signed for four seasons, but this offseason could finally see Dame request a trade from the Blazers. Only time will tell what Damian Lillard does regarding his future.

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