The Portland Trail Blazers lived in denial for about three seasons, but now reality is starting to set in. Damian Lillard, despite being as loyal as he could have been over the past few seasons, has finally requested a trade, specifically to the Miami Heat, most likely bringing an end to his 11-year stay in the Pacific Northwest.

The Blazers were adamant about their intention of putting together a championship-caliber supporting cast around Lillard. However, there they were during the offseason, standing pat by drafting Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft instead of swinging a deal for a superstar who could have helped them win now.

Thus, it's no surprise that Damian Lillard, after much speculation, finally had enough. Lillard is already 32 years old, and small guards don't tend to age very well, so it's fair for him to seek out an opportunity to play for a team that would grand him the chance to spend the last few years of his prime competing for a title.

But the Blazers will be suffering because of it. Thankfully, drafting Scoot Henderson gives them a ready-made replacement at the point, therefore dampening the blow of Lillard's impending departure. But still, it's hard to envision the Blazers being a better team after trading away their franchise star.

Even then, there might be more factors for the franchise to consider as they embrace the youth movement with open arms. With the first weekend of free agency in the rearview mirror, here is the need the Blazers will still need to address.

Blazers' biggest need: Determining how deep of a rebuild to embark upon

It's never a smart idea to straddle two paths in the NBA, as enticing as the rewards may be on the off chance that it works. Usually, teams run away with one timeline. They either proceed to totally decimate the team in hopes of winning big in the NBA Draft Lottery, or they go all-in on contending for a championship, similar to what the Phoenix Suns have done over the past few months.

Walking the fine line of mediocrity never ends well. Just ask the Washington Wizards — a team that has gone nowhere since their John Wall-Bradley Beal core crumbled in 2019, only recently embracing the tank by sending Beal to the Suns. Thus, it'll be key for the Blazers, not only to nail the Damian Lillard trade, but to also make the most out of their subsequent moves as well.

It goes without saying that the Blazers will want to acquire as many young prospects and draft assets as possible in the Lillard deal. And they certainly have the leverage to do so, as Lillard does not have a no-trade clause.

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But in the aftermath of the Lillard trade that's only a matter of “when”, not “if”, it'll be interesting to see how much juice the Blazers front office can squeeze out of the likes of Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic, and Anfernee Simons.

Grant, fresh off signing a five-year, $160 million deal, should be of interest to contending teams, although his exorbitant price tag could end up being prohibitive to teams that want to maintain flexibility with the new CBA rules now in effect. Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers could certainly benefit from adding Grant, but those teams may not have the draft capital to pique the Blazers' interest.

Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkic's contract has become an albatross not many teams would be keen on taking on. Nurkic has struggled to remain healthy, and he has gotten slower over the years, but he has expanded his range (he shot 36.3 percent from deep last season), and he remains a disruptive defensive presence for as long as he does not have to guard in space. There are three years left on Nurkic's deal, however, so the most likely outcome is for the Blazers to keep him in town instead of having to dump his salary at the cost of draft assets.

Anfernee Simons, however, stands out as a player who should net a significant return should the Blazers make him available in trade talks in the aftermath of the impending Damian Lillard deal. Simons is only 24 years old, and given his threat as a pull-up artist from long range, it'll definitely be interesting to see how Simons does in a lead ballhandling role.

But that may not come in Portland, as they have Scoot Henderson ready to take the reigns. A backcourt of Henderson and Simons would not have the size required to survive on defense, running into the same problems the Blazers have for years. Thus, one would think that the Blazers would want to cash in on Simons to further stock up their draft pick cupboard as they embrace the rebuild around Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and whomever they receive in the Lillard trade.

Bottoming out is never a particularly enticing proposition. But when the alternative is mediocrity, embracing the tank looks like a much better alternative. The only question for the Blazers now is just how deep will they go in their looming rebuilding process?