Damian Lillard has been among some of the rumors surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers, after the Western Conference's third seed proved incapable of dealing with the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
General manager Neil Olshey is expected to be aggressive this offseason after proving unable to lure key free agents to Portland last offseason, but some have circled the wagons and implied the likes of C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard need to be traded in order for the franchise to undergo a fresh start.
Lillard took on those claims head on.
I see a few Blazers "fans" talk of trading @Dame_Lillard because we can't top GS. Because of that mentality. Can't win a title, so blow it up. So annoying. I want to watch his career with us and enjoy the ride wherever he takes us. Ideally to that title.
— Charlie (@cd1042) June 13, 2018
Careful what they wish for https://t.co/yI55sbA9Ch
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 13, 2018
The frustration of having an NBA championship team win it three out of the last four years has put most teams in the Western Conference in a win-it-or-bust predicament, but that in itself shouldn't prove the means of having to clean house.
Damian Lillard has been perhaps the single most able player in that Blazers team, even earning First-Team All-NBA honors over Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry.
There are likely to be a lot of moving parts this offseason, especially as a reaction to the Golden State Warriors, but fans should certainly be slightly less beholden to what's happening in the Bay Area.
Perhaps time will prove that patience is one of the most powerful players in building a championship team.
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