Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard recently shot down a report that claimed he was on the verge of asking for a trade, but the point guard made it clear he doesn't think the current status quo is acceptable. Lillard wants Blazers general manager Neil Olshey to upgrade the roster after firing Terry Stotts and hiring Chauncey Billups, which was a controversial decision in its own right.

However, The Athletic's Jason Quick writes that “there appears to be an inclination to run this group back again.” The thinking would be that a full season of Norman Powell (assuming he returns) and a stronger defensive system implemented by Billups would significantly improve the team. They would also be banking on better health after both CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic missed extended time during the regular season. Portland still finished with a 42-30 record despite the lengthy injury absences.

That's all well and good, but a mostly healthy Blazers team still got absolutely roasted defensively in the playoffs by a Denver Nuggets team playing without Jamal Murray. Perhaps Billups really could work some defensive magic with this roster, but it's hard to see it getting that much better without making notable personnel changes.

The Lillard-McCollum backcourt has been prolific offensively for a long time, but they are defensively limited. If Lillard is indeed staying, there has already been plenty of speculation that Portland could look to move McCollum. Teams are reportedly calling the Blazers about McCollum and offering a chance to get into the top part of the draft, but they're saying no because they would need a win-now player in return.

A McCollum-for-Ben Simmons trade idea has been a popular one. However, it's unclear if the Philadelphia 76ers have interest in that. The Sixers would obviously prefer to get Dame in a trade, but that's not on the table right now.

It's going to be an interesting offseason in Portland. Lillard wants Olshey to be bold and improve the roster, but there doesn't seem to be a guarantee that it happens.