KEY POINTS

  • Trade rumors have hounded Damian Lillard this offseason
  • The Trail Blazers extending Norman Powell to a long-term deal is their biggest move this offseason
  • Lillard previously expressed his doubts as to whether the team can build a championship contender

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard has been making headlines this summer, but a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers is not part of it based on a recent tweet from Lillard himself.

LeBron James and his son Bronny were spotted at a Los Angeles Sparks game when Damian Lillard came through and greeted the four-time Finals MVP, leading to many basketball fans hypothesizing that Lillard was going to the Lakers.

Then came the Lakers trade rumors.

The rumors kept growing after they were able to somewhat build a team based on vets and trades, and it seemed as if Lillard also had enough of the trade rumors.

When a Twitter user asked how much would people bet that Lillard ends up in a Lakers jersey before the season starts, the player responded by saying “bet a million”.

In late June, it was reported that there was a growing rift between the six-time NBA All-Star and the Trail Blazers front office after the franchise decided to hire Chauncey Billups as their new head coach.

The team interviewed names such as Jason Kidd, San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon, Brooklyn Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni alongside Billups.

However, the candidates that team president of basketball operations Nick Olshey were not on Lillard’s list of recommendations despite him reportedly sitting in during Billups’ interview.

During free agency, the Blazers front office was under pressure to build a team around Lillard or risk losing him as there were reports that the superstar was disgruntled with how the team is constructed and has voiced out his doubts about competing for a title with the organization.

This led many to believe that Lillard will be asking for a trade sooner rather than later.

With trouble brewing in the Rose City, trade rumors started floating around that the Philadelphia 76ers were targeting Lillard in a trade that will see them essentially exchange All-Stars, with Ben Simmons going to Portland.

The Blazers were able to sign Norman Powell to a five-year deal worth $80 million as their biggest offseason move, and then Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore via free agency.

With the bloodbath that is the Western Conference, the Blazers will have a difficult time making it into the upper half of the playoff picture. But Lillard’s love for Portland seems to be the only thing preventing him from asking for a trade.

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