The future of the Portland Trail Blazers franchise could be hanging in the balance. Following the decision to fire general manager and president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, Portland could be looking at some major changes as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
According to The Athletic, superstar point guard Damian Lillard is hoping that the team makes some significant changes to the roster now that the front office has been shaken up. He will exhibit some patience as they begin their search for a new person to head the front office, but his patience is beginning to wear thin.
According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, Lillard is hoping that the team can bring in Ben Simmons. Lillard wants to reportedly play with the 25-year old All-Star and the two would be a good pairing as their skill sets mesh well.
There is a lot up in the air right now when it comes to Portland. However, things could become clearer with two key dates that the organization and teams around the NBA will assuredly have circled.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Inside Blazers-Sixers Trade Talks Centered Around Ben Simmons
The Athletic shared those dates, one being the trade deadline and the other being the deadline for when a supermax extension that Lillard is eligible for needs to be signed.
“That might have to change if he is to remain committed to the franchise.
There seem to be two inflection points coming over the next seven months. The first arrives Feb. 10, the NBA’s trade deadline. If Lillard were to finally ask out of Portland, he would presumably do so before then. The next comes July 6, when Lillard is formally eligible to sign a supermax extension worth $106.6 million over two years that would take him under contract through 2026-27. If Portland offers him that extension, will he sign it?
The only certainty is that the questions about Lillard’s future in Portland aren’t going away anytime soon.”
Lillard has said all of the right things when asked about his future. He continues to be adamant that he is committed to Portland, but even the most loyal people will have that loyalty tested at some point.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Inside Blazers-Sixers Trade Talks Centered Around Ben Simmons
As things stand right now, the Portland Trail Blazers are not a contending team. Some moves need to be made for them to achieve that. If they are unwilling to go all-in on building a contending team, Damian Lillard may have to move on elsewhere and land with a team that is.
