At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it appears another offseason full of questions to answer awaits the Portland Trail Blazers. The team has already began the process of retooling, shutting down guard Damian Lillard for the rest of the season when it was determined the Trail Blazers were out of the mix for the playoffs.

Speaking of Lillard, there are sure to be more rumblings coming in regards to his future in Portland. One thing we have learned about the 11-year pro out of Weber State is he's loyal to the team that drafted him, and he has signed multiple long-term deals to stay with the Trail Blazers.

Even with the commitments, there are constant calls for Lillard to demand a trade to a team that has a better chance at winning, with the reason being the 32-year-old is starting to get to a stage in his career where the best is behind him. There's no indication Portland or Lillard want a divorce, but that won't stop the push to see him in another uniform.

When it comes to the results on the court, they have been less than ideal for the Trail Blazers. They will miss the playoffs for the second straight season, and since Lillard has been there, they have made the Western Conference Finals only once (2019).

It might be true injuries ravaged Portland throughout the season, but there weren't many in the NBA landscape that felt the roster was capable of doing much in the wild West. With that in mind, it's time to dive into what the Trail Blazers must address in the offseason to give themselves (and Lillard) the best chance to make an impact next season.

The biggest need the Trail Blazers must address is getting a second star player

This is not meant as a disrespect towards Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant (among others on the roster), who are all good players. With that said, none of them are guys who can consistently take some of the scoring load off of Lillard's shoulders. Therefore, a second bonafide bucket-getter is needed if Portland wants to come close to getting back into the playoffs.

The Trail Blazers have been searching for that sidekick since they traded guard CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans last season. Together, Lillard and McCollum formed one of the most dangerous backcourts in the NBA, and they were crucial in the team making that aforementioned conference finals appearance in 2019.

For the time being, Lillard is in Portland to stay, but it's logical to think the guard wants to know what the team is going to do to build around him. Getting a second scorer, preferably a one with size, would be a good start and fit.

Now, it's time to figure out who that player would be. Looking at the potential free agent pool, there doesn't seem to be that guy out there. Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) and James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers) might be available, but their respective styles are similar to Lillard's, ball-dominant in order to get the most production. Maybe Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton could get a look, but there's no indication he would decline his player option.

With the Trail Blazers heading into the NBA Draft Lottery, there's hope they could land the No. 1 pick and draft Victor Wembanyama, the 7'4″, 19-year-old out of France that is thought of to be the best draft prospect since LeBron James in 2003. The chances of this happening aren't that high, but if it did, Wembanyama has the potential to impact things on both ends of the floor for Portland.

When it comes to discussing the biggest need for the Trail Blazers, everything they do should have one thing in mind, and that's to maximize the time left with Lillard while he's still playing at a high level. Again, I want to stress every indication says he's happy in Portland, but there's no telling how much longer that will last. That reason alone should be enough motivation for the front office to get things done.