Damian Lillard’s Trail Blazers career is likely OVER, suggests former teammate
CJ McCollum sheds light on Damian Lillard's situation in Portland
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Damian Lillard (Image via Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Damian Lillard’s former teammate CJ McCollum suggested that the seven-time All-Star’s stint with the Portland Trail Blazers could be over this offseason. Lillard has been in the headlines since getting shut down by Trail Blazers well before the regular season concluded. He has been linked with teams like the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers, but no trade rumors have come to fruition.
CJ McCollum shared the court with Damian Lillard for almost a decade. The two helped Portland make several deep runs, but since McCollum’s exit, no one has stepped up and given Lillard the support he needs to carry the team forward. CJ, who often appears on ESPN, shared his opinion on Damian Lillard’s situation with the Trail Blazers.
He suggested that the franchise needed to decide if they were to go on a rebuild or compete for a championship. If they were to choose the former, McCollum stated that the point guard could be on his way out of Portland.
“I think the franchise is at a crossroad, where they got to make a decision, do you want to build, do you want to build around some of the younger guys there, you got Sharpe, you got Anfernee, you got a third pick, you got other pieces that you can build around and hit the restart button or you can get a player or players around Dame that can compete for championships,” said McCollum on First Take.
Which team could be a perfect fit for Damian Lillard if he was to leave Trail Blazers ?
Damian Lillard is one of the star guards that can score buckets on any opposition. He has clutch abilities and is also a terrific leader, which is what makes him a special player to have on your team. CJ McCollum stated that Lillard could move to any team, but the pieces need to be suitable for a trade to be facilitated.
“We talked about Miami, we’ve talked about Brooklyn, we’ve talked about your Knicks, I don’t think your Knicks are going to be able to get him, but him you never know in this business. It’s more about what teams can offer for Dame, who has the right assets because he can wanna go where he wants to go. You can want him to go to a big market or to Boston or to all of these cities, but the pieces have to work,” said McCollum.
Damian Lillard has given some great years to the city of Portland but will now look to make a move to another team to win himself a ring. The Trail Blazers could work with the third overall pick and land another star, but would that be able to land a player good enough to compete remains the question.
Teams like the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics could try and make a push to sign Lillard, but the final decision remains to be with the player and the organization.
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