Damian Lillard onboard with Blazers rebuild?

Aaron J. Fentress: I’ve been told numerous times that Damian Lillard is absolutely onboard with the retooling of the Blazers roster given that this season is a bust. I suggest that panicking fans all up in their feelings simply relax and let it all play out. That’s what Lillard is doing.
Source: Twitter @AaronJFentress

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Ric Bucher @RicBucher
Damian Lillard following Chris Paul model, on board with Portland rebuild foxsports.com/stories/nba/da… – 5:46 PM Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
The #Blazers roster rebuild efforts after the CJ McCollum trade are crushing the #Lakers hopes of landing Damian Lillard.
#LakeShow
sportscasting.com/lakers-dream-l… – 4:13 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
This is now Anfernee Simons’ team.
Well, until Damian Lillard returns. – 3:20 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
Damian Lillard two months ago when I asked him about fan/media expressing of “concern” that he should ask out: “They don’t know my life. I go out here and I answer these questions over and over again, and somehow still it’s people skeptical of what I say.” bleacherreport.com/articles/10020… – 3:16 PM Brad Botkin @bradbotkincbs
Blazers just went draft day trading a bunch of stuff to get right back to where they started, if they’re lucky. Problem is, this isn’t a movie. I would bet good money Lillard is gone within a year – 3:04 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
1) Be clear on this: Even if the Blazers fail to rebuild this thing, the bottom line is that they had to take advantage of this opportunity to blow it up.
They were NEVER going to win a title with Lillard/CJ as their best 2 players. I’ve been saying that since Talkin’ Ball 2016 pic.twitter.com/KW94Ld9UMB – 2:50 PM Brad Botkin @bradbotkincbs
I can’t see a way not to trade Lillard. – 2:40 PM Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
With the #Blazers going into full rebuild mode, here are five players the franchise could pursue to pair alongside Damian Lillard.
#RipCity #NBA
sportscasting.com/5-players-port… – 2:22 PM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Blazers plan to reshape roster around Damian Lillard sportando.basketball/en/blazers-pla… – 1:46 PM Tas Melas @TasMelas
The Pelicans trade for CJ McCollum! Instant grades and reaction podcast! And what does this mean for Lillard? The boys are torn.
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🍎: https://t.co/XjSclyKw9q
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🅰: https://t.co/v1qudKTIUE pic.twitter.com/8gtZZIBXrb – 1:20 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
I’ve been told numerous times that Damian Lillard is absolutely onboard with the retooling of the Blazers roster given that this season is a bust.
I suggest that panicking fans all up in their feelings simply relax and let it all play out. That’s what Lillard is doing. – 1:15 PM Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
At the Tribune, we’re doing a trade deadline live blog to discuss all of the Jazz-impacting news and rumors over the next couple of days.
First update: 1,000 words on the Blazers/Pellies deal. Does this set up a Dame trade?
sltrib.com/sports/jazz/20… – 12:51 PM Henry Abbott @TrueHoop
The Blazers are rebuilding around Damian Lillard. – 12:46 PM Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard had six seasons in which they each averaged at least 20 PPG while playing 60% of their team’s games.
That’s the second-most such seasons in NBA history by a duo:
8 – Baylor & West
6 – Lillard & McCollum
5 – Bryant & O’Neal
5 – Curry & Thompson pic.twitter.com/AYDwIAkrYm – 12:11 PM Christian Clark @cclark_13
Included in the story: CJ McCollum made 2.1 pull-up 3s per game last season. Only 4 players averaged more: Dame, Steph, Harden and Luka. nola.com/sports/pelican… – 11:56 AM Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum record together
Regular season: 289-226 (.561)
Postseason: 19-38 (.333)
(via @Basketball-Reference ) – 11:50 AM David Hardisty @clutchfans
All James Harden has to do this offseason is put out word that he’s willing to pair up with Damian Lillard in Portland and Brooklyn will trade him anywhere he wants to go. – 11:45 AM JD Shaw @JShawNBA
Poll: Has Damian Lillard played his final game in a Blazers uniform? – 11:43 AM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
I get why everyone is focused on the Dame angle in Portland. But if the Sixers wanted to open a max slot in the summer to sign a certain someone, the Blazers are now potentially a lot more useful to them on that front (and from the looks of things, not exactly being managed well) – 11:41 AM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
The Blazers have now moved two contracts belonging to small guards that were worth a combined $140 mill and now have just 2 small guards from the regular rotation remaining on the roster, Lillard and Simons.
All of that money, in a variety of ways, will go elsewhere. – 11:30 AM Jason Quick @jwquick
Of 15 players on Blazers roster, nine are guards (Lillard, Simons, Bledsoe, Hart, Smith Jr., Satoransky, Johnson, McLemore, Alexander-Walker). Gotta imagine more moves ahead … – 11:24 AM Sean Highkin @highkin
Wherever anyone wants to land on this trade being good or bad, Dame has known what the plan was since he decided to have surgery. What they got back in this trade isn’t going to move the needle one way or the other on him doing the thing he’s repeatedly said he’s not going to do. – 11:21 AM Michael Singer @msinger
I’ve always thought part of the reason Dame never “asked” out of Portland was out of loyalty. With regard to the optics, it’s a helluva lot easier to leave now — and save face given that you were last one there — considering what’s around him. – 11:17 AM Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
I wonder if the Blazers making that move now makes any other teams hold at the deadline for the Dame sweepstakes this offseason – 11:17 AM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
29 teams should at least ask what the price is for Dame at this point. You might be really surprised at the rate this is going. – 11:07 AM Dan Favale @danfavale
at the risk of being too soapbox-y: portland is clearly talking to dame throughout all of this. he’s either on board, or they’ve provided him more than adequate cover if/when he asks for a trade. – 11:06 AM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
With CJ McCollum gone, is Damian Lillard next? – 11:06 AM JD Shaw @JShawNBA
All eyes should be on Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic and the Blazers, as Portland hasn’t exactly improved from these trades. The team could still push its chips in to acquire more talent, but they haven’t done so yet. – 11:04 AM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Damian Lillard in the Blazers locker room after he gets back from surgery: pic.twitter.com/gteOlQ63rx – 10:45 AM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Who knows how long Lillard will actually stay in Portland, but Josh Hart is a great fit alongside him, should Dame/the Blazers decide to stick it out. AK – 10:38 AM Jabari Davis @JabariDavisNBA
Alright, so where is Dame headed? Asking for a friend. I’m the friend. – 10:30 AM The Ringer @ringernba
Damian Lillard in the Portland Trail Blazer’s locker room pic.twitter.com/PDpkngkKwY – 10:29 AM Ryan McDonald @ryanwmcdonald
New Orleans has taken care of both “the Jazz need to break up Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors” and “the Blazers need to break up Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum” – 10:25 AM Casey Holdahl @CHold
Trendon Watford (right ankle) is probable while Eric Bledsoe (left Achilles tendinopathy), Keon Johnson (right ankle), Larry Nance Jr. (right knee), Nassir Little (left shoulder), Damian Lillard (core muscle recovery) and Cody Zeller (right knee recovery) are out vs. Magic – 7:32 PM Casey Holdahl @CHold
Damian Lillard doing some very light shooting after practice. It’s been 25 days since he underwent surgery. – 3:30 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
Damian Lillard is back at the practice facility pic.twitter.com/ms9VaL4Jwk – 3:04 PM

More on this storyline

Adrian Wojnarowski: Portland’s plan is to fully reshape roster around Damian Lillard now. Portland created a $21M trade exception today, potentially $60M in salary cap space this summer, multiple draft picks and assets via Pels and Clippers trades. Plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat. -via Twitter @wojespn / February 8, 2022 Marc Stein: This much is clear in Portland: Teams will be emboldened to pursue Damian Lillard in the offseason once the Blazers complete their expected trade of CJ McCollum to New Orleans. Can’t speak to Lillard’s intentions but he’ll be chased even harder now. -via Twitter @TheSteinLine / February 8, 2022 Portland’s salary-shedding trade with Los Angeles on Friday sparked hope among rival executives that Damian Lillard may once again consider a new home this summer as well. -via Bleacher Report / February 7, 2022