The Portland Trail Blazers are in a tough spot at the moment considering that Damian Lillard is one foot out the door. It has been a struggle for the team over the last few seasons. Their last deep playoff run was against the Golden State Warriors in 2019 during the Western Conference Finals. And their last playoff appearance was in 2021. Since then they have only gotten worse.
The NBA Draft Lottery took place on May 15, 2023. The San Antonio Spurs won the lottery and landed the No.1 overall pick. Charlotte was given the second pick and Portland was allotted the third slot. In this year’s draft, Scoot Henderson is the projected No.3 overall pick and chances are he might end up on the Blazers.
REPORT: The Blazers intend to trade their No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to try and build a championship team around Damian Lillard.
(via @ChrisBHaynes) pic.twitter.com/gwEdz5MUl0
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 17, 2023
But a recent update from NBA reporter Chris Haynes said that the Blazers are ready to let go of their draft pick. They intend on building a championship-worthy team around their All-Star. If they trade their pick, other role players like Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, as well as Matisse Thybulle could be thrown in as tradable assets.
Damian Lillard is uninterested to play with young players
Portland’s season ended fairly quickly after they recorded 33 wins and 49 losses during the regular season finishing as the 13th seed in the West. They’ve missed two postseason runs in a row since 2021 as they were the sixth seed back then as well. Damian Lillard battled through injuries in between suffering from a wrist, calf, and abdominal issues majorly.
“Moving up to #3 is a big win for our organization”
General Manager Joe Cronin speaks to media following the 2023 #NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/kUd5uUvbnn
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 17, 2023
But the All-Star made it clear that he wants no part of the Blazers if they choose to keep young and fresh players. He said, “I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret. I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route.” Lillard has put his foot down and the Blazers better act quickly. He has been fighting for a title for a very long time now but things haven’t gone his way.
Damian Lillard averaged a career-high in points with 32.2 per game along with 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists as well. Now if the Blazers choose to go ahead and keep young draft players, Lillard won’t stick around.
These young draft players may include Scoot Henderson as well if they selected him as their third pick. Rumors are already been circulated that Lillard may join the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets. He will turn 33 years old next season and his chances of winning a title will lessen over time.
