Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is going to miss at least three more games.

The Blazers announced on Wednesday that Lillard will undergo further evaluation and consultation about his lower abdominal tendinopathy. 

Lillard has already been ruled out for Wednesday against the Miami Heat, Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.

The 31-year-old underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with lower abdominal tendinopathy on Dec. 1. The team said he would be reevaluated in 10 days. The injury has forced him to miss six games already.

Lillard has gotten off to a slow start this season. He is averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds with a career-low 40.2 field-goal percentage through 29 games.

A 10-year veteran out of Weber State, Lillard is a six-time All-Star selection. He was named to the All-NBA first team in 2018 and the All-NBA second team four times, including each of the past three seasons.

Lillard has averaged over 25 points in six consecutive seasons, and for his career, he averages 24.6 points and 6.6 assists in the regular season.

Portland has struggled this season with a record of 14-22. Lillard has been the subject of trade rumors, but he's consistently expressed his desire to remain with the Blazers.

"I’m not asking for a trade, I don’t know how many times I’ve got to say it. ... I been here for 10 years and I’m trying to be a part of the solution," he told Jason Dumas of KRON4 News in San Francisco on Dec. 8:

Dame remains adamant that he doesn't want to be traded from Portland and wants to be the part of the solution and winning. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/jtzFQoREAA

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) December 8, 2021

Lillard's absence is yet another blow to the Blazers after his backcourt running mate, CJ McCollum, was ruled out indefinitely because of a collapsed lung.

While the two of them are out, veteran wing Norman Powell will have to shoulder the scoring load. He ranks third on the team with 18.4 points per game.

Fourth-year guard Anfernee Simons has demonstrated the ability to get hot at times (he scored a career-high 43 points on Monday to up his average to 12.9 points per game this season), and he will have to be more consistent as he's likely to see some more substantial playing time.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups will be unavailable for the time being after entering the NBA's health and safety protocols Monday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Wojnarowski added that assistant Scott Brooks will serve as Portland's head coach until Billups returns. 

The Blazers are one of several teams currently dealing with roster issues because of the league's health and safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to a running list by CBS Sports' James Herbert, Portland has added seven players to the protocols since Dec. 24. 

That group includes two starters, Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington. 

Billups is the sixth head coach to be entered into the health and safety protocols. Wojnarowski reported Monday that Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams would also be sidelined. 

Frank Vogel (Los Angeles Lakers), Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers), Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls) and Alvin Gentry (Sacramento Kings) have also been in the protocols since last week. 

The Blazers play six of their next seven games at home. Their only road game during this stretch is Friday against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. 

Billups is in his first season as Portland's head coach. He was hired to replace Terry Stotts in June after spending the 2020-21 season as an assistant on Tyronn Lue's staff with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

The Trail Blazers are 11th in the Western Conference standings with a 13-19 record. They have lost 11 of their last 14 games following a 10-8 start this season.    

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum took an important step toward an eventual return to the court.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported McCollum's collapsed right lung is fully recovered. He will be reevaluated in one week.

The 30-year-old already missed significant time on the way to 47 games last season with a fractured foot, ending a streak of durability that saw him play at least 70 games in each of the previous five campaigns.

The collapsed lung has sidelined him this season since Dec. 6.

McCollum is an important part of one of the best backcourts in the league alongside Damian Lillard and keeps Portland competitive against the top-notch contenders in the Western Conference.

The Lehigh product averaged 23.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 40.2 percent from deep in 2020-21 and has followed that up with 20.6 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game this season.

Portland will likely rely on the combination of Norman Powell, Anfernee Simons, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore while McCollum remains sidelined. Lillard will also be tasked with carrying more of the offensive responsibilities to keep the team afloat in the Western Conference race.

However, the 13-19 Trail Blazers will be far more dangerous when McCollum is healthy and on the floor.

Damian Lillard is reportedly the only player on the Portland Trail Blazers not on the market, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"I talked to an executive this week who told me every single Portland Trail Blazer is available, with the exception of Dame," Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast (around the 47-minute mark). 

The Trail Blazers have lost their last seven games to fall to 11-18, which is just 11th place in the Western Conference.

General manager Neil Olshey was fired earlier this month for violating the team's code of conduct, but Windhorst noted the new front office is willing to listen on deals for virtually anyone.

Lillard has not had the best season from an individual perspective, averaging 22 points per game while missing time with an abdominal injury. The scoring average would be his lowest since 2014-15, while the 30.5 three-point percentage would be the worst of his career.

The six-time All-Star is still someone the team plans to build around, finding the right ingredients that will turn Portland into a contender.

The Trail Blazers have made the playoffs in each of the last eight years, but they were eliminated in the first round in four of the last five seasons. The best run came in 2019 with a trip to the Western Conference Finals, but the team was swept by the Golden State Warriors.

Portland does have several quality veterans who will likely generate plenty of interest in the trade market, including CJ McCollum. The guard has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the last six years and would provide an offensive boost to any team in the NBA.

Norman Powell, Jusuf Nurkic, Larry Nance Jr. and Robert Covington could also be interesting pieces for contenders.

The trades could also create more playing time for Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and other young players to kick off the rebuild.   

A disappointing start to the season for the Portland Trail Blazers and franchise superstar Damian Lillard has left a lot of questions about the state of the organization.

Speaking to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Lillard opened up about the rough beginning in an interview published Thursday. 

"People are saying, ‘Dame is frustrated.’ I am frustrated with losing and not playing my best," he said. "But that doesn’t mean I’m sour on my team and I’m looking elsewhere. … That has never been me. This isn’t my first time being in a tough situation."

With the Blazers off to an 11-18 start, speculation about Lillard's future has started to pick up lately. 

Last week, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Lillard wants a two-year, $107 million extension from the Blazers that he is eligible to sign in July. 

However, Wojnarowski noted that Portland's search for a new general manager could impact any potential extension offers for Lillard: 

Among several top-level GM candidates who fit the profile of Portland's applicant pool, there's no enthusiasm to grant Lillard his massive extension contract through the 2026-27 season. In fact, several executives told ESPN they would be far more interested in the Blazers job with ownership's blessing to move Lillard sooner than later.

For now, though, the Blazers are trying to pull out of a tailspin. They have lost seven straight and 10 of their last 11 games. 

Lillard still doesn't look like himself after missing nearly two weeks with an abdominal strain. He's averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds with a 31.9 field-goal percentage in three games since returning. 

The six-time All-Star is shooting a career-low 38.4 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three-point range. His scoring average of 22.0 points per game is his worst since the 2014-15 season (21.0). 

Despite being seven games under .500, the Blazers are only one game behind the Sacramento Kings for the No. 10 seed and 3.5 games back of the Dallas Mavericks for the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings.    

The Phoenix Suns bounced back from Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a 111-107 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

Deandre Ayton led the way with 28 points and 13 rebounds as Phoenix improved to 22-5. Chris Paul added 24 points and 14 assists, including the game-tying shot to force overtime.

CP3 TO FORCE OVERTIME. pic.twitter.com/5htGtQrzn6

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 15, 2021

The Suns remained without star shooting guard Devin Booker (hamstring), who hasn't played since Nov. 30. Ayton returned from a two-game absence caused by a non-COVID-19 illness.

Portland fell to 11-17 and its losing skid has now reached six games. Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 31 points and 10 assists.

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Notable Player Stats

C Deandre Ayton, PHX: 28 points, 13 rebounds

G Chris Paul, PHX: 24 points, 14 assists

G Cam Payne, PHX: 17 points (off bench)

G Damian Lillard, POR: 31 points, 10 assists

F Norman Powell, POR: 23 points

C Jusuf Nurkic, POR: 17 points, 13 rebounds

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Deandre Ayton's Return Sparks Suns

Phoenix greatly benefitted from one of its stars returning Tuesday. Ayton was able to get going early, working the pick-and-roll with Chris Paul.

Ayton made his presence felt from the start with 13 of his 28 points in the first half.

Big Fella making his impact early! pic.twitter.com/CG4EXJqhZ7

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 15, 2021

DA doing THIS out of the pick-and-roll is going to make the Suns' offense downright unstoppablehttps://t.co/FfXPsK45rt

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 15, 2021

That CP3 to DA connection ✨ pic.twitter.com/GxRcOA81Au

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 15, 2021

Ayton's activity on the inside opened things up for the Suns' outside shooters and he helped the team build a 14-point lead in the third quarter. But Portland switched to a zone defense midway through the period and started limiting his touches, allowing the Blazers to make a comeback.

But Ayton came up big again in the fourth quarter to keep Phoenix in the game. Paul was able to force overtime with his patented midrange jumper.

DominAYTON 😤😤

Notches a season-high 26 points! pic.twitter.com/0okolFMhSC

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 15, 2021

Chris Paul gets to his spot, rises and connects to force overtime!

He enters the extra period with 22 points and 14 dimes on TNT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3avgIhM77i

— NBA (@NBA) December 15, 2021

In the extra period, Ayton continued to hurt the Blazers with his rolls to the basket. He opened up space for Cam Johnson (12 points) to make a three-pointer and he got free near the rim for a bucket. He also anchored Phoenix's defense with some strong play on the inside to help limit Portland to five points in overtime.

The Suns have looked like one of the best teams in the NBA this season, but injuries to key players have hindered the team. Getting Ayton back was a big reason for Phoenix gutting out a road win against the scrappy Blazers.

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Blazers Storm Back in Second Half, Fall Short in Overtime

Portland looked sluggish to start the game, shooting just 33.3 percent in the first quarter. It looked as though the Blazers would end up suffering a demoralizing loss to one of the best teams in the Western Conference, but the team refused to lay down on its home court.

Portland was able to overcome its early shooting woes with a second-half run to turn the game around. The Blazers also were able to stifle the Suns offense when they switched to a zone defense, allowing them to claw their way back into the game.

The Blazers got out in transition and started connecting on their outside shots, hitting 5-of-10 three-pointers in the third quarter. Portland ended the frame on an 11-0 run to take the lead heading into the fourth.

Larry Nance Jr. touch pass to Nassir Little for the HAMMER 🔨

3Q on TNT pic.twitter.com/ncRqrMw9z0

— NBA (@NBA) December 15, 2021

Dame drives and kicks.
Covington cashes it at the 🚨

11-0 @trailblazers run to take the lead entering the 4th quarter on TNT! pic.twitter.com/5Kd88YcfTs

— NBA (@NBA) December 15, 2021

The Blazers jumped out to a six-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Phoenix wouldn't go away. The Suns were able to force overtime, and Portland just ran out of gas. The Blazers shot 2-of-9 in the extra frame.

It's been a tough start to the season for Portland. The team showed effort and fight to not go down easily on its home floor, but it's hard to find a consolation after a sixth consecutive loss. The Blazers will have to make some changes if they hope to make a ninth straight playoff appearance.

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What's Next?

The Suns will return home to host the Washington Wizards on Thursday. The Blazers will look to end their losing streak Wednesday at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum is tuning out the speculation over his and Damian Lillard's futures with the team.

McCollum told the New York Times' Tania Ganguli he has "always focused on controlling the controllables":

I can’t control any of the noise that comes with playing this game. I can say that as a basketball player you will be involved at some point in rumors regardless of the magnitude because you play a sport. The media kind of dictates the story line. Success and failure also plays a role.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Dec. 7 the Blazers are potentially approaching a crossroads because Lillard wants to sign a two-year, $107 million extension. In addition, some of his representatives were "privately selling the idea of trading his veteran teammates with value and rebuilding around him -- on that extension," per Wojnarowski.

The report also described how Lillard was "thwarted on leverage plays," including a potential trade sending McCollum to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a package for Ben Simmons.

Addressing the story, McCollum told The Athletic's Jason Quick he didn't think Lillard was conspiring to get him out of Portland.

"If he wanted me to leave, I think he would say that,” he said. “He's not speaking on me behind closed doors because that’s not in his DNA. He's not built like that. He's solid, and I know his word is his bond."

Through no real fault of his own, McCollum is finding himself in an unenviable position.

The Blazers are 11th in the Western Conference at 11-16, and it becomes increasingly clear with each day the front office needs to shake things up to strengthen the supporting cast around Lillard.

To that end, McCollum is one of the most obvious trade assets on the roster. He's averaging 19.0 points per game and shooting 39.7 percent from three-point range for his career. The 30-year-old is a proven scorer, and his salary ($30.9 million) would help balance the money if Portland targeted a major star such as Simmons, who's on the books for $33.0 million this season.

McCollum is dealing with a collapsed lung at the moment, which will probably provide a temporary reprieve from any trade actually happening. But that's unlikely to put a stop to the ongoing rumors surrounding Lillard and him.

TUALATIN, Ore. — Damian Lillard is fed up with people claiming that they know what he should do. Or television talking heads and fans on Twitter seeming to think they know his priorities, or where they should be, better than he does.

The notion that Lillard is preparing to ask for a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers—which he didn't entirely shut down during the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo but has since made clear isn't on the table—has been around for a few years, in the sense that any star in a small market will have certain forces attempting to speak into existence a maneuver to a bigger city.  

But the chatter intensified following last Friday's firing of president of basketball operations Neil Olshey after an investigation found Olshey violated the team's code of conduct. Since then, there's been wall-to-wall coverage speculating about when the trade request is coming, where Lillard will want to go and what kind of packages various teams can offer.

The detail of Lillard himself saying, again, in no uncertain terms that he doesn't want to leave Portland—just as he did during training camp and on media day and has so many other times—has been treated as irrelevant. Clearly stated intentions from the man himself, repeated at every opportunity, can't derail what feels like a predetermined storyline.

"They don't know my life," Lillard said Friday after Blazers practice when this reporter asked him if the constant external questioning of his intentions bothers him. "I know these dudes are popular and national people, but they don't know me. They don't have my phone number, I don't know them personally, they don't have to live with the consequences of no decision that I make."

Over the summer, there was was legitimate reason to wonder if Lillard's days in Portland were numbered. He was understandably frustrated about the loss to a short-handed Denver Nuggets team in the first round of the playoffs, the Blazers' fourth first-round exit in five years. He was noncommittal about his future during the early part of the offseason.

But after a summer in which he won a gold medal with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics and married his longtime girlfriend, Kay'La Hanson, with whom he has three young children, he reaffirmed his commitment to the franchise.

Things haven't gone great since then. The Blazers are 11-15 through the first seven weeks of the season, and on more than one occasion, first-year head coach Chauncey Billups has called out the team's lack of effort.

Lillard himself has missed the last five games to rest an abdominal injury that has bothered him for several years (he said Friday he hopes to return Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves). He's also mired in the worst slump of his career, shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from three-point range.

The firing of Olshey looks like the kind of organizational turmoil that could push a superstar out of town. But Olshey's departure may have actually had the opposite effect.

Interim GM Joe Cronin, who has been with the organization since 2006, seems much more willing to take risks with the roster.

On Thursday, at his first press conference since taking over basketball operations, Cronin stated outright that the Blazers roster as it is has a "ceiling," something Olshey never came close to admitting despite it being obvious to most people around the league, not to mention Lillard.

Cronin also said he and Billups are "super aligned" on the direction of the squad. On Friday, after he finished speaking with reporters, Lillard sat on the bench at the team's practice facility talking with Cronin for at least 45 minutes.

That same day, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported that Cronin has told teams he's not willing to discuss any trades involving the six-time All-Star and that he wants to continue to build around Lillard long-term.

Even though a potential Lillard trade is fan fiction at this point, you're going to keep hearing about it. It just draws too many eyeballs.

"I go out here and I answer these questions over and over again, and somehow still it's people skeptical of what I say," Lillard said. "It is what it is. You can't trust nobody in this industry. That's all it is. The thing I know is, I am who I say I am. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. You can criticize how I play or who I am as a player, that's one thing. But who I am as a person, the things I say, I mean them. That's one thing I can stand on. I know people can't challenge me on it."

Instead, there's been a sort of concern-trolling about what Lillard needs to do to get the most out of the rest of his career. He needs to request a trade because it's "what's best for him," according to those continuing to push the narrative. The sentiment has even taken root in some corners of the Blazers fanbase on Twitter, where it's become common to read that Lillard "deserves" to play for a contender elsewhere.  

"They can't say they have my best interests [in mind] when I don't know them," Lillard said. "I've never told someone I don't know personally that I have their best interests and meant it, when I don't know them. They can continue to talk. They can continue to say what they're gonna say. It is what it is. I really don't care no more."

What's best for Damian Lillard? No one knows the answer to that better than he does. At this point, all anybody can do is take him at his word.

        

Sean Highkin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and lives in Portland. His work has been honored by the Pro Basketball Writers’ Association. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and in the B/R App.

The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly have "no interest" in trading star point guard Damian Lillard, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who added that the franchise has made it clear to the Philadelphia 76ers that he is unavailable. 

The news comes after The Athletic's Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported Monday that Lillard had interest in playing with 76ers guard Ben Simmons 

But while Lillard apparently wants to play with Simmons, it appears the Sixers had been trying to acquire the former while parting ways with the latter. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Sixers are looking for a trade package for Simmons that includes a player such as Lillard or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

Lillard has been involved in trade rumors over the last several seasons given Portland's lack of success in the playoffs. The Trail Blazers have failed to make it out of the first round in four of the last five campaigns, including a first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets during the 2021 postseason. 

The star point guard also expressed disappointment in Portland's inability to acquire some of its top targets this summer and made a cryptic post on Instagram after the Blazers were eliminated for the playoffs in June with the caption: "How long should I stay dedicated? How long til opportunity meet preparation?" 

The Athletic's Charania and Jason Quick also reported in June that multiple NBA teams were "intensely monitoring" Lillard's situation in Portland and looking for an opportunity to make trade offers. 

However, Lillard told Quick in October that he had no interest in leaving the Blazers, noting that first-year head coach Chauncey Billups is a big reason why:

“I think a big part of (my change in mindset) was me and Chauncey’s conversations, and where we see things the same. I’m not going to share details of our conversations, but it’s not often when I speak to people that they see what I see. Watching a game, observing people … there’s not many people who see what I see. But a lot of what I see, he sees. So that was very important to me. Like, that was a big deal.”

Lillard has spent his entire 10-year career with the Trail Blazers, and the team has only reached the Western Conference Finals once in that span. And although Portland is out to a rough start this season with an 11-15 record, the 31-year-old appears to be giving it his all.

Through 20 games this season, Lillard is averaging 21.5 points, 7.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He is just shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from deep but has been dealing with a lower abdominal tendinopathy. 

Portland has lost each of its last four games and will look to get back on track Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Lillard may be able to return to action after missing the past five contests.  

The Portland Trail Blazers have struggled to an 11-15 record this season. And though first-year head coach Chauncey Billups has been critical of the team, Blazers star Damian Lillard respects that his coach puts all of his thoughts on the table. 

“He speaks his mind, and you respect that,” Lillard told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “And I think it’s important that he does so. He’s seen it all.”

Billups also spoke with Haynes and explained his approach to his "tough love" coaching style. 

“I just feel like every game as we’re trying to get better, I owe it to these dudes to coach them. So I don’t see it that way like I’m calling them out,” Billups told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not going to be on the podium calling names. I’ll do that in person with the guys. But on the podium, I’ll generalize. I’ll say, ‘Listen, we got to be better or we didn’t compete.’ I’m not going to call anybody's name, and I’m not going to disrespect any of my guys because I care too much and I know how that feels. But, I owe it to them to be honest and to coach them. And I only know one way to do that, and that’s just with honesty.

The comments from Lillard and Billups come after a story from The Athletic's Shams Charania and Sam Amick cited sources who claimed Lillard had grown "frustrated" with the team's play and that tension appeared to be building between the players and Billups. 

The report noted Billups ripped into Blazers players following their 145-117 loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 4.

“Competitive fire and pride, that’s something you either have or don’t have,” Billups said. “That’s something you can’t turn off and turn on. … I’ve never seen a team that needs its bench to inspire our starters. That s--t is crazy to me. It’s supposed to be the other way around.”

However, Lillard appeared to deny the report on social media:

These mfs love drama too damn much. https://t.co/ej15TkAybZ

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) December 6, 2021

Lillard, who has spent his entire career in Portland, has always been the subject of rumors, specifically regarding trades. However, he recently stated he wasn't leaving the Blazers, and Billups is a big reason why. 

“I think a big part of (my change in mindset) was me and Chauncey’s conversations, and where we see things the same,” Lillard told Jason Quick The Athletic. “I’m not going to share details of our conversations, but it’s not often when I speak to people that they see what I see. Watching a game, observing people … there’s not many people who see what I see. But a lot of what I see, he sees. So that was very important to me. Like, that was a big deal.”

So while things are definitely rocky right now, it certainly seems like the star guard plans to stay put for the time being and help Portland right the ship. 

The Trail Blazers, who have lost their past four games, will look to get back on track Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.