Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly "exploring" an auction to sell the franchise, according to John Canzano of JohnCanzano.com.

Canzano further explained the Blazers plan to hold an auction in the next six to 18 months on behalf of the Paul G. Allen Trust. Allen died in 2018, but Vice Chairman Bert Kolde will reportedly lead the efforts on the sale.

Despite the uncertainty with ownership, the Blazers are planning to remain in Portland by renewing their lease that expires in 2025.

"The negotiations are a priority for both sides," a source told Canzano.

The current lease ensures the team stays through at least 2023, but there are "productive discussions" about completing a new deal.

The sale will still be one to watch with a valuation of $2.05 billion coming into the year, ranked 13th among NBA teams, per Forbes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves—one of the lowest-valued teams in the league—sold for $1.5 billion last summer to a group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. We are also only a few years removed from the record $2.35 billion sale of the Brooklyn Nets to Joseph Tsai. 

With an open auction, the Trail Blazers could have a lot of interested parties looking to buy the team.

The downside is it comes at a poor time of on-court play for the organization. Portland had reached the playoffs in eight straight years before a disappointing 2021-22 campaign, producing the third-worst record in the Western Conference (27-54). The squad is headed toward a rebuild after trading away C.J. McCollum and others, leaving few notable players around Damian Lillard.

It's still a top NBA franchise with a rich history and a loyal fanbase that should be a hot commodity when available.      

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard will reportedly miss the rest of the season as he recovers from abdominal surgery, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. 

Lillard is reportedly "making tremendous progress and has looked strong in workouts," but the team will not rush him back to the court with just 12 games remaining in the regular season.

The Blazers announced Feb. 27 that Lillard would be reevaluated in two to three weeks after beginning the reconditioning phase of his rehab from abdominal surgery in January.

The superstar now finishes his disappointing year after just 29 games. His average of 24.0 points is his lowest since his third year in the NBA. The 31-year-old also set career lows with 40.2 percent shooting from the field and 32.4 percent from three-point range. 

Portland has a record of 26-44 and is a team in transition after unloading most of its core ahead of this season's trade deadline. The Blazers traded Lillard's longtime backcourt running mate, CJ McCollum, to the New Orleans Pelicans. Swingmen Norman Powell and Robert Covington were also shipped away to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lillard was the subject of trade speculation earlier this season, but he refuted reports that he wanted to be moved and affirmed his commitment to the Blazers despite their impending rebuild.

While Lillard was out and the veterans were dealt to other teams, fourth-year guard Anfernee Simons has benefitted the most from his newfound playing time. The 22-year-old has fully taken the reins for Portland and is averaging a career-high 17.3 points, a sharp improvement from last year's average of 7.8 points. He will continue to lead the Blazers in Lillard's absence.

The Portland Trail Blazers announced Sunday that guard Damian Lillard is moving on to the next stage of his abdominal injury rehab and will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.

The Trail Blazers announce that Damian Lillard will progress to the next phase of his abdominal rehab — which includes some basketball activities. He will be reevaluated again in 2-3 weeks, per team.

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 27, 2022

Health concerns have been the primary storyline for Lillard during the 2021-22 season, and he eventually underwent surgery in January for an abdominal injury that was bothering him. That CJ McCollum, who has since been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, was sidelined for much of the season's first half as well made things even harder for Portland.

When healthy, Lillard is one of the best playmakers in the league.

The 31-year-old is a six-time All-NBA selection and six-time All-Star who can take over a game with his ability to hit from the outside, attack off the bounce and set up teammates when defenders collapse on him. He is known for his tendency to dominate crunch time, and Portland is far less dangerous when he is not on the floor.

Lillard is averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from deep.

Portland (25-35) currently sits in 10th place in the Western Conference, which would put the team in a play-in game.

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a four-year, $5.8 million deal with Trendon Watford, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Watford had been on a two-way contract, so the Blazers are waiving Dennis Smith Jr. to open up a roster spot. Smith was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow on Feb. 16, which will sideline him for at least three to four weeks.

Damian Lillard is recovering from surgery to address an abdominal injury. Seeing the writing on the wall, interim general manager Joe Cronin sent away CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington ahead of the trade deadline.

With the Blazers looking beyond this season, Watford has had the opportunity to carve out a regular role in the rotation.

The 21-year-old is averaging 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds through 33 games. He nearly had a double-double in a 122-107 win over the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 14, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes on the floor.

"He’s a plug-and-play guy, where you can put him in so many places," head coach Chauncey Billups said of the rookie to Jason Quick of The Athletic. "He can do so many things because of his feel, and I don’t have to teach him, he just knows. And those things are quantified in numbers, or analytics, but those things are big. Big."

Watford more than earned an extended look in Portland, and the Blazers clearly valued him enough to see whether he can be a long-term fit in the frontcourt. 

CJ McCollum went from the undersized kid who helped lead Lehigh to a stunning upset of Duke in the NCAA men's basketball tournament to a legitimate NBA star during his eight-plus seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, so it comes as no surprise he had plenty to say about his time with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft.

McCollum discussed his time with the Trail Blazers in a letter for The Players' Tribune and included sections about his relationship with Damian Lillard, how much he appreciates the organization and thanking the fans for their support.

"As crazy and cold-hearted as this business can be sometimes, in this case everything was truly transparent and honest," he wrote. "That's how strong my bond with the Blazers organization is. We knew that this chapter, as beautiful as it’s been, was coming to an end."

He also recognized how much Portland means to him:

This is not just business. Portland is home. You don't spend nine years in a place like this without it having a deep impact on you. I'm not talking about basketball. I'm talking about your soul. I wasn't even sure how to say goodbye to everybody. That night after the trade went down, I went to our practice facility to get all my shoes and my orthotics and everything from my locker, and none of the guys were there. It was kind of surreal, because I wasn't sure how quickly they'd have anything wrapped up, but when I walked in, they already had my nametag taken down from my locker and everything. Our equipment managers already had my stuff laid out and folded perfectly for me in front of my stall. (Thanks Eric and Cory, I'll miss you guys).

His time with the Trail Blazers ended when they traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Portland sent McCollum, Larry Nance and Tony Snell to the Pelicans for Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, a 2022 protected first-round pick and two second-round picks.

McCollum will now join Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram in New Orleans, which he said helped take away the hurt of being traded:

I wanted to go to New Orleans. That's the thing that really takes away the sting. Just purely as a pure hooper, I'm so excited to get to go play with Zion and B.I. and Valanciunas and all those young guys. I really feel like I bring a lot to the table in terms of professionalism and preparation, because in nine years I've seen everything in this league. I've gotten DNPs, I've dropped 50, I've been doubted, I've been hyped, I've been in Game 7s, I've hit game winners, I've missed game winners. When you're young in this league, you don't know what you don’t know — take it from an old head who used to walk around the mall all day. There's a lot of wisdom I think I can bring to the table in New Orleans and I'm really excited just as a human being to be moving to the city to catch some football games at the Superdome. (My son is still being raised a Browns fan, though, I'm sorry.)

While Williamson is yet to play a game this season, the idea of McCollum playing alongside him and Ingram is certainly an intriguing one for a Pelicans team looking to contend in the Western Conference. 

That is plenty of firepower that could be on the floor together if the 10th-seeded Pelicans reach the playoffs.          

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is still rehabbing from abdominal surgery, but now it looks like he will do so in preparation for next season.

Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin told Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin that it's "most likely" that Lillard doesn't play again this season. Cronin noted that despite the fact that Lillard's rehab is going well, it wouldn't make sense for him to return at this time.

Lillard hasn't played since he was shut down at the end of December. He underwent successful surgery last month and was expected to be reevaluated in six weeks.

Lillard had been averaging 24.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 29 games. But his shooting numbers were way down, as he was connecting on 40.2 percent of his field goals and 32.4 percent of his three-pointers, both career-worst numbers for the six-time All-Star.

The Blazers snapped a six-game losing streak on Wednesday with a surprising win over the Los Angeles Lakers to improve to 22-34. Portland was very short-handed after retooling its roster ahead of the trade deadline.

Lillard's longtime running mate, CJ McCollum, was shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans for a package that included swingman Josh Hart and draft picks. Portland also traded wing players Robert Covington and Norman Powell to the Los Angeles Clippers. These were moves that clearly indicated that the Blazers are looking ahead to next season.

In Lillard's absence, Anfernee Simons has emerged as Portland's top option on offense. The third-year shooting guard had 29 points against the Lakers, with 25 coming in the second half. He has averaged 22.6 points per game since the start of January.

The Blazers will return to action when they host the New York Knicks on Saturday.

Multiple teams have reportedly reached out to the Portland Trail Blazers to discuss a potential blockbuster deal for point guard Damian Lillard ahead of Thursday's 2022 NBA trade deadline.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported (via HoopsHype) interested teams are hopeful Lillard backs off previous comments about remaining committed to Portland with hope he'll "eventually ask to be traded" amid a roster reconstruction that already saw CJ McCollum dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Lillard hasn't played since New Year's Eve because of an abdominal injury. He underwent surgery Jan. 13 and the team announced he'd be evaluated in six weeks, which equates to late February.

The six-time All-Star told Casey Holdahl of the Blazers official website the McCollum trade didn't come as a major surprise as the longtime backcourt running mates knew it was a possibility leading up to the deadline. Lillard noted the situation didn't change his outlook:

For me, my heart is Portland Trail Blazer. I want to win it. I know that I have a plan that's going to put me on my best level when I come back to play. And I want our team to fit that. I'm a huge fan of Chauncey Billups. ... And I'm a Joe Cronin fan. In his position I think it takes being bold and doing bold things, doing what you see fit and standing on it. He's told me that our plan is to build a winning team, not to rebuild. Because we had a prior relationship to him becoming GM, I trust his word.

Lillard has remained steadfast in that stance over the past several years despite being constantly mentioned in trade rumors.

While that speculation has continued leading up to the deadline, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Wednesday the Blazers have "no plans" to trade their franchise cornerstone.

Portland doesn't face any type of pressure to make that type of blockbuster move, either. Clearly Lillard is prepared to weather the short-term storm with hope the Blazers reemerge as a contender, and the 31-year-old is only in the first season of a four-year, $176.3 million contract.

It's no surprise that rival teams have checked in on his availability to see whether anything changed based on the McCollum trade, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

The Blazers, however, may still be active in the hours leading up to the deadline as they look to continue their roster reconstruction.

The Portland Trail Blazers ended a six-game losing streak with a 107-105 win at home over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Anfernee Simons led the way with 29 points as Portland improved to 22-34.

Anfernee Simons on FIRE from deep 🔥 https://t.co/DqrMg0gJvA

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 10, 2022

The win also ended a five-game home losing streak for the Blazers. It was a revenge win for Portland, which had lost to Los Angeles less than a week ago on Feb. 2.

The Lakers fell to 26-30 after their fifth consecutive road loss and sixth loss in their last eight games. LeBron James led the team with 30 points.

Los Angeles point guard Russell Westbrook sat out his first game of the year as he was a late scratch due to lower back tightness.

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Notable Stats

G Anfernee Simons, POR: 29 points (25 in 2nd half)

C Jusuf Nurkic, POR: 19 points, 12 rebounds

F LeBron James, LAL: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists

F Anthony Davis, LAL: 17 points, 5 blocks

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Shorthanded Blazers Fight Back with Spirited Second-Half Effort

After shooting 1-of-13 from three-point range in the first two quarters, things looked bleak for Portland. But the Blazers woke up after halftime and scrapped to secure a win over a veteran Lakers team.

Simons went off for 15 points in the third quarter to help erase a seven-point halftime deficit and make it a two-point deficit heading into the fourth. Once the game was back in reach, the Blazers took advantage of mistakes to pull in front.

Portland went ahead in the fourth quarter by relying on their youthful energy, scoring 14 fast break points in the final frame. The Blazers connected on five three-pointers to answer every run by the Lakers. 

BL3VINS

@KBlevs02 | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/MuM1W8S7Gl

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 10, 2022

ANFERTHREE https://t.co/GTlVy1UX9o

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 10, 2022

Blazers score five-straight to take a 102-98 lead with 2:41 to play. It's not the best basketball you've ever seen, but there's energy and exuberance, and that's enough.

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) February 10, 2022

Quite simply, the young Blazers outworked their opponents. Portland turned 21 Los Angeles turnovers into 28 points. The Blazers had 28 fast break points to the Lakers' four. They also outscored Los Angeles in the paint 58-40.

After tearing down its roster with trades this week, Portland is a rebuilding team that is obviously preparing for the future. Nonetheless, Wednesday's win showed that the Blazers have the right spirit to compete against anyone.

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Lakers' Strong Shooting Erased by Sloppy Turnovers, Weak Defense

Los Angeles had a rough shooting night from beyond the arc on Tuesday against the Bucks, connecting on just 10 of their 32 three-point attempts (31.8 percent). But the Lakers didn't allow that to discourage them, and they came out firing on Wednesday.

Led by Talen Horton-Tucker off the bench, Los Angeles sank nine triples in the second quarter and 11-of-20 in the first half. Horton-Tucker scored 11 of his 14 points in the second frame.

Lost it for a second there 😂 pic.twitter.com/2QWWaeYBxV

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 10, 2022

Best shooting half from @Thortontucker in a while, as he’s now 3 for 4 from 3 after a pair of triples.

LAL lead 48-39.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 10, 2022

FOUR triples for @Thortontucker. 👌 pic.twitter.com/4eltmESviq

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 10, 2022

But the team's strong shooting was in vain because the Lakers played a sloppy game otherwise and allowed a shorthanded Blazers team to hang around thanks to careless turnovers. Los Angeles had 10 giveaways in the first half alone and followed with 11 in the second half.

The Lakers have struggled on defense throughout the year, but Wednesday's uninspired effort has to be disheartening. Los Angeles got pushed around inside and allowed Portland to score 58 points in the paint.

A loss to a young, rebuilding Portland team was yet another example of the Lakers' shortcomings this season. Even when the team finishes with 17 three-pointers, the Lakers failed to keep up with teams that out-hustle them.

Changes need to be made if the Lakers want to compete for an NBA title this season. At this point, Los Angeles is looking more like a team that will be competing for a spot in the play-in tournament.

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What's Next?

The Blazers will enjoy a couple days off before hosting the New York Knicks on Saturday in the final matchup of a five-game homestand. The Lakers will return to action that same day in a road tilt against the Golden State Warriors.

After the Portland Trail Blazers traded his longtime backcourt mate CJ McCollum on Tuesday, Damian Lillard is going to give interim general manager Joe Cronin an opportunity to keep reshaping the roster ahead of the NBA trade deadline. 

Speaking to NBA.com's Casey Holdahl, Lillard explained he is "waiting patiently" to see what the Blazers are going to look like going forward:

"I’m at peace. I’m doing what I’ve got to do to get myself right and being at home with my family. I’m just waiting patiently to let things unfold and allow him (Cronin) to execute his plan. Once we get there and we see what that looks like and what that is, then I’ll have, I guess, more feelings than I have now, but you’ve got to allow him to do his job and see what that finished product is. That’s just where I am."

McCollum was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans in a seven-player deal that saw the Blazers receive Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three draft picks, including a 2022 protected first-rounder. 

Cronin has been very busy leading up to the deadline. He also moved Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round draft pick on Feb. 4. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Blazers' plan with these two trades is to "fully reshape" their roster around Lillard with the addition of future assets and cap space:

Portland's plan is to fully reshape roster around Damian Lillard now. Portland created a $21M trade exception today, potentially $60M in salary cap space this summer, multiple draft picks and assets via Pels and Clippers trades. Plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

"For me, my heart is Portland Trail Blazer. I want to win it," Lillard told Holdahl. "I know that I have a plan that’s going to put me on my best level when I come back to play."

Lillard hasn't played in a game since Dec. 31. He underwent surgery on Jan. 13 to repair a core injury that had been causing abdominal pain. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Lillard was expected to miss six to eight weeks. 

Cronin told NBA.com's Mark Medina that the Blazers are "going to be patient" and make sure Lillard is fully healthy before he returns. The six-time All-Star was averaging 24.0 points on a career-low 40.2 percent shooting in 29 starts prior to having surgery. 

Portland is currently the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference standings with a 21-34 record. The team ranks in the bottom 11 in the NBA in offensive rating (109.8), defensive rating (114.5) and net rating (minus-4.8), per Basketball-Reference.com. 

Lillard has spent his entire 10-year career with the Trail Blazers. He was the No. 6 pick by the organization in 2012 and ranks second in franchise history with 17,510 points.     

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard sent a message on Instagram to now ex-teammate CJ McCollum after his starting backcourt partner of six-plus years was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Grateful for our brotherhood and friendship above all bra...we knew this day would come but it doesn’t make it any easier. Hurt my heart to know shit won’t be the same but the love gone always remain C! You know what time it is with me always. All the best going forward my brother 🙏🏽💯

McCollum served as the centerpiece of an eight-player, three-pick deal that officially ended his nine-season tenure in Portland on Tuesday. That move ended a litany of trade rumors involving the ex-Lehigh star heading elsewhere.

It also marked the end of a great era in Portland.

The Blazers selected Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. One year later, Portland added McCollum with the No. 10 selection.

McCollum joined Lillard to form the starting backcourt in 2015-16. They proceeded to lead Portland to the playoffs each of the next six years.

The Blazers' apex under the duo occurred in 2019, when they went to the Western Conference Finals after an epic seven-game series win over the Denver Nuggets in the second round.

However, Portland's peak happened to match that of the Golden State Warriors, who won five straight Western Conference titles (and three NBA Finals). The Dubs eliminated the Blazers on three occasions, including the 2019 Western Conference Finals.

Still, the Blazers' backcourt can't be considered anything but a success as they managed to navigate a very difficult Western Conference year after year.

The bottom fell out on the 21-33 Blazers this season, as a litany of injuries have jeopardized the team's chances of returning to the playoffs.

Now the Blazers have chosen a different approach in tearing the roster down and rebuilding around Lillard as he finishes his first decade in Portland. The Blazers previously dealt Robert Covington and Norman Powell to the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Ultimately, McCollum was a great success in Portland, notably averaging 21.7 points ever since he became a starter in 2015.

Now he'll be moving on to New Orleans, where he'll join a scrappy team that currently occupies the final play-in tournament spot despite playing without superstar Zion Williamson all season because of a right foot injury.