Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is one of the NBA superstars who are frequently mentioned in various trade speculations. The rumors surrounding Lillard have started to heat up when the Trail Blazers were eliminated by the short-handed Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
With their inability to surround him with a title contender, most people believe that Lillard would finally follow in the footsteps of other superstars and start finding his way out of Portland.
Damian Lillard Says He’s Not Going Anywhere
Lillard isn’t the type of superstar who chooses to remain silent when he’s the subject of trade rumors. Whenever reports about his desire to leave Portland pop up, Lillard immediately steps up to deny the rumors and tells everyone in the league that he remains committed to helping the Trail Blazers end their decades of title drought.
In an Instagram live that he held on Tuesday night, Lillard was asked by a fan if he’s going to part ways with the Trail Blazers.
"I’m not leaving PDX," Lillard said, as transcribed by CBS Sports. "Not right now at least."
Damian Lillard Growing Tired Of Addressing Rumors
In an interview with Christopher Kamrani of The Athletic, Lillard admitted that he’s already growing tired of addressing the same topic about him over and over.
"You get to a position where it’s like, ‘Do I defend myself or do I just say nothing?’ For me, when I’m just hearing stuff that’s not the facts, I’m going to say I didn’t say that," Lillard said. "Some things I’ve just got to let it be said. I know what the truth is. I know where I stand."
Have The Trail Blazers Done Enough To Keep Damian Lillard Happy?
The Trail Blazers must be pleased to hear that the face of the franchise currently doesn’t have an interest in leaving the team. However, it remains a big question mark if the Trail Blazers have really done enough to keep Lillard happy in Portland.
When they suffered another huge embarrassment in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, most people were expecting the Trail Blazers to be more aggressive in upgrading their roster. Unfortunately, since the 2021 offseason started, the only roster moves that the Trail Blazers made were bringing Norman Powell back and signing Ben McLemore, Tony Snell, and Cody Zeller in the 2021 free agency.
Teams Closely Monitoring Damian Lillard’s Situation With The Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers’ roster, as currently constructed, definitely has a chance of making their ninth consecutive appearance in the playoffs in the 2021-22 NBA season. However, it may not be enough to help them fully dominate the loaded Western Conference and win the 2022 NBA championship title.
If Lillard sees that the Trail Blazers aren’t serious about building a title contender, there remains a big possibility for him to change his mind about staying in Portland. As of now, several teams are closely monitoring his situation with the Trail Blazers, including the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Golden State Warriors.
