The Trail Blazers used a 2-15 finish to grab the fifth-best odds in next month’s lottery, but that doesn’t mean the team will try to rebuild through the draft, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic.
Franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard made that clear after Sunday’s 56-point loss to the Warriors in the season finale. This marks the second straight year that Portland has failed to qualify for the play-in tournament, and Lillard said he’s doesn’t want to continue on that path.
“I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,’’ Lillard responded when asked about bringing in more young talent. “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route.”
What that means, according to Quick, is that the Blazers will likely try to trade their first-round pick unless they land the No. 1 selection in the draft. They have a 10.5% chance to get French phenom Victor Wembanyama, but anything else won’t be enough for Lillard, who wants the team to be aggressive in targeting veteran help this offseason.
Lillard’s friendship with Jerami Grant played a role in Portland’s decision to trade for him last summer, and Lillard indicated that’s he’s talked to other players who have expressed a desire to join the Trail Blazers.
“I know there are guys that want to do it, I will just say that,” Lillard said. “I know there are guys who really move the needle and want to do it. But knowing that and actually making something happen to make that a reality is a completely separate thing.”
General manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups expressed similar sentiments on Sunday, with Cronin stating that the organization has a “target group” of players it will look to acquire. Quick notes that Portland was among the teams that pursued the Raptors‘ OG Anunoby before the trade deadline. He names the Nets’ Mikal Bridges and the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown as other players the Blazers might have strong interest in, but they may be beyond the team’s reach.
“We have our favorites,’’ Cronin said. “The ability to get them is not easy.’’
Lillard, who’s coming off his best scoring season at 32.2 PPG, made it clear that he’s not issuing an ultimatum as he did two years ago. He remains committed to staying in Portland and now has the security of an extension that runs through the 2026/27 season. He plans to work with Cronin and Billups on moves that will hopefully turn the Blazers into contenders.
“We all want the same things,” Cronin said. “Whether we are able to go out and accomplish what we want to do … we’ll see.”
It will be like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but given the roster handed off to this FO, it is the best a small market team can hope for… a good shot at a generational talent or two FRPs in a strong draft to quickly put together one last shot for another generational talent
They need more than 1 or 2 players to join for the vets minimum or they’ll have no depth…
Too late, Dame. Enjoy yo dollas.
Bridges won’t be moved I guarantee that
Portland should trade him while he still has value. Just blow it up and start over.
They just need to rip the bandaid off and deal Dame. He’s done a lot for the organization and them having to listen to what he wants won’t help them either. They aren’t even close to a contending team and I highly doubt they’re bringing multiple all star talents to Portland to help. Best interest for all parties to move on, imo.
Who you gonna deal him to??? For what???
What team has the salaries to match Lillard without blowing up their team ??? You got like $50 million to match just with him. What team has young players willing to trade for a now aging and often-injured Damian Lillard???
A borderline contender would be willing to deal for him. Hell, Westbrook’s salary was traded twice. If a team wants him enough they’ll make it work.
Westbrook was just about moving salary, and not about getting back assets. Lillard is a trade that you would have to get back significant assets for.
Everybody is capped out. A borderline contender will have to give up players that make them a borderline contender to get Lillard, who doesn’t improve the team without them. What assets do the Bulls have to get Damian Lillard????
The top guys now make too much money. Very difficult to find a trade partner.
The trade from Washington to the Lakers netted the Wizards two solid rotation players and a pick. I don’t think Lillard is getting multiple young studs + picks.
My point was the Lakers were even desperate enough to deal for Westbrook. There’s going to be teams that would be willing to do what it take for Lillard who’s obviously much better than Westbrook.
It isn’t worth it to Portland to trade Lillard without a premium return … He still sells tickets as the “superstar” in Portland. Trade him for next to nothing, and you become the Pistons.
Getting a “franchise” player in the draft is getting harder and harder.
That’s very fair. Unless he asks out, which is something he continues to preach he won’t do, they’ll hold him.
Being capped out doesn’t matter, if a team wants Lillard they’ll figure out a way. There’s sign and trades and such to get it done.
Clippers have the ( expiring ) salaries to do it easily –
3 team trades finding a tanker to fill in the 3 rd team makes it easy as well
Man, I wish they could pull off a deal too. He likes Portland and he wants to bring the city and franchise a title, but I don’t see how the Blazers can possibly gain enough of a supporting cast to help him do it before he’s all used up. It’s sad, kind of like watching Felix Hernandez spending his 15-year career with the Seattle Mariners and never getting to the playoffs. Lillard has been to the playoffs in his 11 years with Portland, but it doesn’t look too likely he’ll get a ring playing for them. Because he is one my favorite players, I’d like to see him get that ring. Send him somewhere he can do it.
All empty talk. Their hands are tied unless they have an owner like the Warriors that pays double the salary cap. So, reality is it’s not going to happen.
With the salary Damian Lillard pulls, how the heck are they going to add veteran players?
There’s no cap room to sign free agents outright and if you’re trading for guys you’ve got to give up the same salary going out. Makes no sense. Blazers like so many other teams are between a rock and a hard place.
But, that’s the goal of the NBA. One or two stars in each City and keep the interest alive League wide at least for three quarters of the season.
POR has taken a full step backwards in fielding a contender in each of the last two deadline periods, and, other than the deal for Grant in the intervening off season, they’ve done nothing to improve the team for a year and a half.
So, its hard to take them seriously when they talk about going from lottery team to real contender in a couple of years (almost never happens, and when it has, it’s been star driven, superstar driven really). Certainly, the essential component to POR quickly building a real contender around Lillard (if its even possible) is adding a true co-star ASAP. The right ping pong ball could bail them out (with VW, they can re-sign Grant and wait on VW for a year or two). Otherwise, it’s hard to see a real opportunity to turn this roster into a contending one. But there will be plenty of opportunities to make foolish deals in the name of trying. Cronin seems like he’s warming up for the latter.
I agree with this: “It’s hard to take them seriously when they talk about going from a lottery team to a real contender.”
Portland made it to the West Finals with Dame, Nurkic, CJ, Aminu, and Harkless… Dame is older but also no longer injured. Nurk is better than he was. CJ’s scoring was replaced but not his leadership. Aminu was upgraded by Grant. Harkless shouldn’t be a stretch to replace. I just don’t understand why everyone thinks the distance between then and now is so great. In the end, the team just needs to keep the games close… because then Lillard is going to close out against anybody
They have good players and they’ve made efforts to get better. But you need two or three stars.
Sure this year’s team and roster was decent but what happened? They’re out of the playoffs.
I’m just doubting they can get two more stars when Lillard makes 50 million dollars and they don’t have an owner like Joe Lacob or the Clippers guy. I don’t think they can get over the hump.
Thats it… it boils down to how much luxury tax an owner is willing to spend… but I think that is like a tipping point thing. You keep budgets under control until revenue forecasts show a potential for exponential growth ( read: championships) once the team puts in some big bets on a coue of stars, the vets will come.
either PDX starts spending now or they rebuild. The FO seems to have positioned this franchise for a big spending summer. Let’s see what happens. Either way, I think the FO should get credit for good, prudent decision making that has put them in this position.
There is no way, but a full rebuild. The picks, and current rostered talent is not enough to bring in the players they need to increase the teams’ chances of winning.
Its time to trade Lillard, and it looks like Lillard is saying compete, or trade me for the first time since the Blazers should have traded him 3 seasons ago.
I’m all for blowing up the Raptors, that pick would have tremendous appeal. I’m ready to let any of the team go, including Scotty if the returns good enough.
The return would have to be Lillard and only Lillard plus perhaps rookie contract guys. Any other veteran adding money would be 70 or 80 million coming in so 70 or 80 million would have to go out.
So it’s Lillard Plus youth. Then you become the Toronto Trailblazers lol.
Not sure why you want to blow up Toronto, they have a good young Squad. They just need that one guy and maybe they’ll find him in the draft one of these years? Maybe this year?
No way should they be going for veterans. It’s time for the rebuild and this has to be the sign to trade Dame. Sharpe is too good to have come off the bench anymore. He needs to have the ball all the time. Move Lillard for a big man and some wing help. Dame is still good so should get you back some decent players and picks.
With 50 million dollas just for you, Dame, I guess things get a little complicated. In a small market like Portland, gonna have to ball with some G-Leaguers.
Melo and Whiteside were needed this year. Would have brought Ben McLemore back as well
Yeah Melo and Whiteside were available along with McLemore and Brandon Williams like the guy above said so once again the blazers strike out