NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard Denies Making Trade Request, Remains Undecided – Report

KEY POINTS

Damian Lillard has cleared the air on the trade talk involving him and said the reports are not true
Lillard said he would prefer to win it all as a Portland Trail Blazer but is aware that changes are needed
He confirmed he will be a Blazer next NBA season but said he hasn't made a firm decision regarding his future

Rumors recently swirled that Damian Lillard was on the verge of asking for a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. However, it did not take long for the six-time All-Star to set the record straight on these claims and clarify that there is no truth to the reports.

Lillard addressed the NBA trade rumors after Team USA practice Friday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, saying he intended to remain a Blazer for the entirety of his career. He admitted that he wants to win it all but made it clear that he would prefer to do so with Portland, ESPN reported.

"Right now I'm not sure what I'm going to do. What I can say is my intentions and my heart has always been set on being in a Trail Blazers uniform for my entire career," Lillard stated.

He continued, "But I think over time, you want to win it all. And I want to win it all in a Trail Blazers uniform. But we all have to be making strides toward that."

Rumors of Lillard asking for a trade stemmed from a report from Henry Abbott of TrueHoop, who claimed that an unnamed source close to the player had informed him of it.

It should be noted that Lillard is under contract until 2024. He has yet to begin his super-max contract with the Blazers worth $176 million over the next four years. The fourth year is a player option.

But while he made it clear that he will continue to be a Blazer in the next season, the decision is something that the Blazers should not take lightly. Lillard said he is confident they have a good team, but tweaks are needed moving forward.

"I just think we've reached that point where it's like, OK, it's not enough. Do we actually want to win it all? Is that what we're shooting for? We've got to do things to show that. We've got to put action behind that. That desire to win at that level -- that's been my only thing this entire time," Lillard said.

For now, he is focused on doing his part with Team USA for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Trade talks involving him should simmer down for now. But if the Blazers fail to improve on their previous runs, the trade talk is more than likely to spike anew.