The Portland Trail Blazers have been plagued with Damian Lillard trade rumors. The team's underperformance and seeming lackadaisical attitude to giving Lillard the players he needs are the direct causes of such rumors. The front office made some series of moves in the offseason to quell these whispers. Whether they succeed in his mission is a matter of wait-and-see. This would ultimately depend if their new pieces co-exist well with the current ones.

The 2021-22 NBA season is still a few months away. But this won't stop NBA fanatics from fantasizing about how their teams will fare. Here's our take on how the Portland Trail Blazers' 2021-22 season campaign will turn out.

Blazers picks:

3. Front office will make some moves in the trade deadline

The only major offseason move the Trail Blazers did was the hiring of Chauncey Billups as head coach. As Billups noted in his interviews, he will try to make strides on defense — the part where the Trail Blazers had struggled for most of Terry Stotts' stint. Billups even got Roy Rogers — a defensive specialist — as his lead assistant. The coaching change was the right thing to do. However, a good coach's true talent can only shine if he has the perfect set of players.

Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers did not make any significant roster changes in the offseason. They added Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, and Tony Snell — three good players but are in no way difference-makers. This makes the Trail Blazers essentially the same team, albeit a bit weaker without the presence of Enes Kanter. Of course, there's always the fear of Jusuf Nurkic going down again with an injury that might sideline him for a chunk of the season. Amid all the front office's shortcomings in the offseason, Trail Blazers fans still have a lot to feel good about. After all, the organization does not hesitate to make seemingly risky transactions (see: the signing of Carmelo Anthony, their acquisition of Normal Powell in exchange for talented young guns Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood). As the February trade deadline approaches, they will likely make some roster tweaks. Hopefully, it'll make the team better.

2. Trail Blazers will remain a mid-tier team in the West

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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If they do pull a trade in the offseason, it will likely not be enough to propel the Trail Blazers on top of the Western Conference standings. Last season's top eight teams will remain stellar teams if not better. Barring any injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers will be the top favorites once again to win the title. Of course, there's the Phoenix Suns who are bent on getting their revenge. It wouldn't be a surprise if they snag the top spot in the West once again. There's also the Denver Nuggets who's season got derailed after Jamal Murray went down. Upon his return, expect the Nuggets to make the playoffs once again.

The Memphis Grizzlies beefed their roster up with the additions of Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe. Of course, the combo of Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks will only get better over time. And before we forget, there's still the Golden State Warriors who are expecting (finally) the return of Klay Thompson. Given the circumstance in the West, it would be difficult for the Trail Blazers to get out of the midtier rut. They will likely squeeze out a 40-50 win record with ease. But come playoff time, don't expect them to make it past the first round.

1. Damian Lillard will request a trade at the end of the season

Damian Lillard has been the subject of trade rumors for a good reason. He's been donning the Trail Blazers jersey for his entire career. His rookie season was the only time he missed the playoffs. Out of his eight trips to the postseason, five were first-round exits. The farthest he's gone to was the Western Conference Finals in 2019 where they were swept by the Golden State Warriors.

Such rumors bloom not because to spark some unwanted controversy. Rather, people somehow pity Lillard — one of the best guards in the history of the game — so far away from winning a title. He has garnered tons of respect for his loyalty to the team who drafted him. However, the fans have come to grow sympathetic to him. They would completely understand if Lillard wants out of Portland at the end of the season. Blazers fans better pray hard that the season turns out well. Because if not, then this may be the final time they'll witness Lillard donning a Blazers jersey.