Portland Trail Blazers
You can’t take away how important Damian Lillard has been to the Portland Trail Blazers organization since he was drafted. And you have to credit the amount and level of loyalty that Lillard has shown the Blazers. But I think it’s safe to say that the Blazers are doing not only a disservice to themselves but also to Lillard by not trading him. When I say that, I say that from a strict basketball standpoint.
If the Blazers want to get to a point where they’re a contender in the Western Conference once again, it will likely involve trading Lillard. It’s quickly become clear that the team doesn’t have the necessary pieces around Lillard that will catapult this team up the standings. And it’s hard to see how the team gets to that point this offseason. Considering that Lillard will be 33 by the time next season starts, it’s probably time to trade him. It’s only fair.
The Blazers would get a huge haul in exchange for Lillard that will jumpstart their rebuild and the team could send Lillard to a team where he can truly compete for a championship (which he deserves at this point in his career).