Damian Lillard wants defensive-minded players next to him

Simmons was one of several defensively minded wing players who Lillard has expressed interest in playing with since the 2020 offseason, along with Jaylen Brown and Aaron Gordon, sources said.
Source: Jake Fischer @ Bleacher Report

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Question facing Portland owner, new GM: Extend Lillard or trade him? nba.nbcsports.com/2021/12/07/que… – 3:53 PM Sam Amick @sam_amick
ICYMI, in the wake of the Neil Olshey firing in Portland, a deeper look at the Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard dilemma and intel/insight on the question of what comes next, with @Shams Charania, @TheAthletic
https://t.co/k2wNvUl0Kj pic.twitter.com/GUpB4booAp – 3:28 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
My official prediction is that the Blazers don’t extend Damian Lillard and the next GM trades him. I’m prepared to be wrong about this for a multitude of reasons, but that feels like the right outcome for all parties involved. – 2:15 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
If Damian Lillard ends up winning this power struggle and pushing the Blazers into a mini rebuild, Lakers Twitter’s Robert Covington dreams might genuinely become possible. A Dame-centric timeline would theoretically make Talen Horton-Tucker more valuable than future picks. pic.twitter.com/PJ5yYRzlDs – 2:13 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
All these Dame rumors, meanwhile this is me just waiting for @Chris Haynes to clear it all up. pic.twitter.com/P62qDKWV2Q – 2:04 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Looks like Ben Simmons “likes” of playing with Damian Lillard #Sixers pic.twitter.com/k7A16MUUUL – 1:08 PM Damian Lillard @Dame_Lillard
Shoutout @ELLEmagazine for having me on #SongAssociation. How’d I do???
🎥 https://t.co/AkScMiaZb8 pic.twitter.com/KIEMVUf8rk – 12:54 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
From Quick’s story: Portland turned down Jrue Holiday for C.J. McCollum and three first-round picks.
I wouldn’t have done three. I probably would have done two if the Pelicans could’ve been negotiated down to there (with some protections). Jrue is Dame’s ideal backcourt partner. pic.twitter.com/rDO5sZREXU – 12:20 PM Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
What’s next in Portland under Joe Cronin, how it impacts the future of Damian Lillard, and the many trade possibilities that now confront the Trail Blazers, at @BR_NBA: bleacherreport.com/articles/29511… – 10:08 AM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
The Blazers have now lost 6 out of 7. Damian Lillard seems not particularly pleased, and they just fired their GM.
Watch/Listen to @Danny Leroux and I talk about the mess that is the Blazers:
Trade fixes? youtube.com/watch?v=lHOEuA…
Olshey Firing/Defense: youtube.com/watch?v=48eXI-… – 1:15 AM Sean Highkin @highkin
Dennis Smith Jr. has had a good few games with Dame and Simons out. – 11:44 PM John Hollinger @johnhollinger
With Lillard, McCollum and Simons all out, C.J. Elleby is getting some run as the Blazers’ **point guard**
It’s going about how you imagined. – 10:45 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
The Blazers will be without Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little tonight against the Clippers. – 9:31 PM Jay Allen @PDXjay
Damian Lillard (abdominal tendinopathy–injury management) is out tonight against the Clippers, but he is going through a pregame warmup here at Moda Center. Getting some threes up at the moment. – 8:27 PM Mirjam Swanson @MirjamSwanson
Billups: “We’re hoping CJ plays, but right now we’re not sure.” Also notes, it’s hard playing with Dame and Ant, who both will be out. – 8:24 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
From earlier — ASK IRA: Would/could Heat enter a Damian Lillard derby? sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 5:16 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
Ownership isn’t signing off on a Dame trade. They’re already getting killed on ticket sales as it is. You do that, you might as well just move the team to Seattle. – 2:45 PM Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
The Portland Paradox: Trade CJ McCollum now or risk losing Damian Lillard soon. For @The Vertical: sports.yahoo.com/the-portland-p… – 2:45 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
so, some thoughts on the Lillard/Simmons/McCollum stuff from this morning phillyvoice.com/nba-trade-rumo… – 2:37 PM Matthew Tynan @Matthew_Tynan
Spurs have gotten some big breaks on this road trip, with Dame missing the game in Portland and Booker being out tonight in Phoenix. Doesn’t take away from what they’ve done, though. A sign of progress is beating the teams that are down. Tonight another test in that capacity. – 2:33 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
According to reports, Damian Lillard wants to play with Ben Simmons in Portland.
Former #Blazers Forward @Bonzi Wells tells @Grady & @Howard Beck why they could succeed together #RipCity pic.twitter.com/TNumWZEhIs – 2:00 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
Tensions are reportedly rising in Portland with Damian Lillard and players frustrated.
 
@Frank Isola & @Brian Scalabrine are not blaming new Head Coach Chauncey Billups for the struggles #RipCity pic.twitter.com/MEIjc9O0MX – 12:34 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
ASK IRA: Would/could the Heat enter a Damian Lillard derby? sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 11:31 AM Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Damian Lillard would like to play alongside Ben Simmons #NBA
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/12… – 11:11 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Lillard wants to play with Simmons, changes to Trail Blazers roster nba.nbcsports.com/2021/12/06/rep… – 11:07 AM

More on this storyline

“I just walked up to Jaylen and said, ‘your name is all over the place as you know. Obviously, from our standpoint, you’re a Celtic and obviously a guy that we think exceptionally high of. Nothing doing,’” Stevens said of his conversation with Brown on the speculation. “I just wanted to make sure that he has that peace of mind.” -via Celtics Blog / November 13, 2021 Multiple league sources were adamant to MassLive.com that the Celtics have no interest in moving the All-Star Brown in the interim, particularly with him under team control for two more seasons at a below-market deal. 76ers general manager Daryl Morey has always aimed high in trade negotiations throughout his career but this is posturing will likely go nowhere given what’s happened to Simmons’ trade value over the past several months in the midst of his holdout. -via Booth Newspapers / November 10, 2021 Speaking last Friday on Celtics pregame live, the former NBA player recalled the conversation when trade talks were buzzing around the league which centers around the superstar. “I remember last year around this time when teams were calling about James Harden and Houston actually wanted Jaylen Brown,” Perkins said on the segment. “I was on the phone with Danny Ainge for an hour, and I remember how our conversation went. He was like, ‘Hey, Perk, would you trade Jaylen Brown for James Harden?’ And I was like, ‘Danny, you know how I feel about Jaylen Brown, but I would trade him for James Harden.’ He was like, ‘ Are you kidding me? He’s not going anywhere. He’s not even 25 and he keeps getting better.’ -via TalkBasket / October 25, 2021