Damian Lillard has had enough of trade discussions regarding his future in Portland.
Lillard, frequently in trade rumors over the years, has popped back into discussions after the Trail Blazers landed the No. 3 pick in next month’s NBA Draft. Portland moving up into the top three after missing the playoffs in each of the past two seasons has some Blazers fans wondering if it’s time to start a full-scale rebuild. With that would likely come a Lillard trade and a full-blown youth movement.
Lillard, after seeing the rumors, fired back on Twitter, saying if fans wanted to trade him, they could “start the petition and send it in.”
If the fans wana trade me … start the petition and send it in 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/zOjGRBh8rD
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 18, 2023
Lillard followed that up with a second tweet, responding to a fan that accused him of “trying to get the fans to push [him] out” with the following:
I been on the same time over a decade lol … I’m just saying if the ppl got different wishes 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/qqp2qzRsFh
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 18, 2023
Landing a top-3 pick likely gives Portland access to young talent like G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson or Alabama’s Brandon Miller. Drafting Henderson, a point guard, would put the franchise in an interesting spot paired with Lillard, who turns 33 this July. Portland could also trade the pick to get Lillard another veteran teammate.
Either way, Dame seems undeterred in wanting to be in Portland long-term… even if some fans don’t agree.
