Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has been the subject of trade speculation throughout this season, despite his attempts to make it clear that he wants to remain in Portland.

Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups defended his point guard Thursday, saying he believes Lillard is being genuine when he says he doesn't want to be traded.

"I still just can't believe that he has to continue saying and professing his love for this city and for this organization and letting people know that he wants to be here, but that's just kinda the world we live in," Billups said, per the team's Instagram. "But he's been very, very clear about his intentions, what he wants and where he wants to do it at."

On Wednesday, Lillard told Jason Dumas of KRON4 News in San Francisco that he doesn't have any plans to request a trade and wants to be a part of turning Portland's season around.

"I been here for 10 years, and I’m trying to be a part of the solution," he said. "We're out here to do a job. We're out here to try to win and try to win big. I feel like that’s something I’m here to do, and I’m just trying to be a part of the solution."

Lillard added, "I’m not asking for a trade. I don’t know how many times I’ve got to say it."

In his first year as an NBA head coach, Billups has endured some early-season struggles. Portland has gotten off to a slow start with an 11-15 record. The Blazers are in the midst of a four-game losing skid and are coming off a 10-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. It was their seventh loss in the last eight games.

Injuries to key players have also hurt Portland. Lillard has been out since Nov. 29 because of an abdominal injury. Second-leading scorer CJ McCollum is out indefinitely due to a collapsed right lung.

The Blazers will return to action Sunday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team is hopeful that Lillard will be able to return that day.

The Golden State Warriors capped a four-game homestand with a 104-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Stephen Curry led the way with 22 points as Golden State improved to 21-4.

Curry, who entered the game 16 three-pointers away from breaking Ray Allen's all-time record, shot 6-of-17 from downtown and now trails Allen by nine. The Warriors finished their stay at the Chase Center with a 3-1 record.

22 PTS and 6 3PM for Steph 🔥@warriors lead in Q4 on ESPN. #CurryWatch pic.twitter.com/qRXEJwZOcu

— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2021

The Blazers fell to 11-15 and have now lost four straight games and seven of their last eight. Norman Powell had a team-high 26 points in the loss. Portland was without its starting backcourt of Damian Lillard (abdomen) and CJ McCollum (collapsed lung).

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Notable Player Stats

G Stephen Curry, GSW: 22 points

G Jordan Poole, GSW: 20 points

F Norman Powell, POR: 26 points

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Dubs Regain Composure After Curry's Record-Chase Distracts Early

It appeared as though one thing was clearly on Golden State's mind to start the game, and it was to get Curry his three-point record.

The Warriors offense lacked fluidity as Curry chucked up triples at an inefficient rate. He made just two of his first nine three-point attempts and finished the first half 4-of-12. Only one of his field-goal attempts came from inside the arc in the first two quarters.

Warriors shoot 17-for-50 overall for the first half, 7-for-29 from 3. Curry 4-for-12 w/a few forced ones. Undermanned Portland quad hanging around down 2 w/all of the focus in the building seemingly on a run for the record.

— John Dickinson (@JDJohnDickinson) December 9, 2021

Obviously, Warriors look out of rhythm trying to figure out how to find offensive balance as Curry countdown gets closer.

— . (@SteinmetzNBA) December 9, 2021

Golden State was able to pull away in the second half once the players settled in and got back to running the offense the way they have throughout the season. The Warriors' ball movement improved as they had seven assists on their nine field goals in the third quarter.

Jordan ➡️ Stephen ➡️ Kevon

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/bqGUIGvYqZ

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 9, 2021

Jordan Poole and Otto Porter Jr. each had eight points in the frame.

JP put a little english on it 💥

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/k6glyM0a0P

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 9, 2021

Closing the quarter with a #SPLASH💦

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/WVfP4oFLDb

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 9, 2021

Golden State shot 16-of-33 (48.4 percent) in the second half, but its game total of 33-of-83 (39.8 percent) was its worst shooting night of the season.

The Warriors were never in danger of losing Wednesday's game, earning their third wire-to-wire win of the season. But they let an undermanned Blazers team hang around early because of a lack of focus on offense.

Once Golden State regained its composure, it showed why it is considered to be among the top contenders for an NBA title this season.

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Blazers Run Out of Gas in 2nd Half

Portland was able to keep the game close early on thanks in large part to the sloppiness of the Warriors. Nassir Little was on his way to a career night with 18 points in the first half.

Good to have you back on the floor, @2ez_nassie pic.twitter.com/sOT0CbCIBb

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 9, 2021

Gettin' into a Little rhythm 😏 pic.twitter.com/6ulVKoYGWL

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 9, 2021

But Little went down with a cramp in his calf early in the third quarter and did not return to the game. From there, the Blazers just didn't have enough firepower to keep up with the Warriors.

Powell did his best to keep the game competitive, scoring 16 of his 26 points in the second half. But he was the only one to have anything going as Portland shot 7-of-21 in the third quarter.

Five players scored in double figures for the Blazers, but the team struggled from three-point land and shot just 8-of-30 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the game.

Replacing the production of Lillard and McCollum is no easy task, but Portland needs to figure out an identity on offense while the two of them are out. The Blazers are in danger of falling behind in a competitive Western Conference.

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What's Next?

The Warriors will embark on a five-game Eastern Conference road trip starting Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blazers will return home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard, who has missed his last four games with an abdominal injury, may return to the court Sunday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Lillard underwent a cortisone injection procedure last week in response to abdominal pain he's suffered over the last few years. The pain hit a "heightened point" before the injection, per Haynes.

Lillard is scheduled for a reevaluation Friday.

Portland needs the 31-year-old on the floor if it is going to meet expectations, seeing as how he is the heart and soul of the franchise.

Lillard is a six-time All-NBA selection and six-time All-Star who can take over a game at a moment's notice with his ability to pull up from seemingly anywhere, attack the rim off the bounce and facilitate for others when defenders collapse on him.

The Weber State alum is averaging 21.5 points, 7.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from three-point range this season.

Lillard's return is certainly welcome, especially considering that fellow All-Star guard CJ McCollum has been diagnosed with a collapsed right lung. He did not travel with the Blazers for their road game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

Following that matchup, the Blazers' next game will be home on Sunday in Moda Center against the T-Wolves at 9 p.m. ET.

Amid the ongoing chatter about the future of the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard is doing his best to set the record straight about where things stand with him. 

Speaking to Jason Dumas of KRON 4 News in San Francisco (starts at 1:14 mark), Lillard said "that s--t is not accurate" when asked about trade rumors and he wants to remain with the Blazers. 

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

The first significant change for the Blazers came last week when general manager Neil Olshey was fired following an independent investigation into allegations he created a toxic work environment. 

With the team still in the early stages of trying to find a new GM, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that Lillard wants a two-year, $107 million extension that would run through the 2026-27 season. 

According to Wojnarowski, potential candidates for the general manager job would prefer Blazers ownership gave them approval to pursue trades involving 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.

Another potential option for Portland to keep Lillard happy is Ben Simmons. The Athletic's Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported on Monday that Lillard "wants significant changes" to the Blazers' roster and he "would like to play" with the disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star. 

There is no indication at this point that Lillard is going to ask the Blazers for a trade. He still has two more guaranteed years and $88.1 million remaining on his current contract, plus a $48.8 million player option for 2024-25. 

Portland is currently in 10th place in the Western Conference standings with an 11-14 record. The offense remains strong with the seventh-best rating in the league (110.9), but the defense is the worst in the NBA with a 113.5 rating, per Basketball-Reference.com. 

Lillard hasn't appeared in a game since Nov. 29 due to an abdominal injury. He could return as early as Sunday after undergoing a cortisone injection procedure last week, per Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. 

The 31-year-old is averaging 21.5 points, 7.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in 20 starts this season.     

NBA executives reportedly believe Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is in a good spot contractually to help facilitate a potential blockbuster trade.

Lillard is in the first season of a four-year, $176.3 million contract that features a player option for the fourth season (2024-25).

"The sense I get is that he's kind of exactly where he needs to be contract-wise," Chris Mannix said Wednesday on The Crossover NBA Show podcast. "After this season, there are three more years left on that deal. That's plenty of time for a team that acquires him to figure out how to win with him and not too much time where you start to worry, 'Oh my god, how do we get this guy off our books later in his career?'"

Lillard's future has once again entered the spotlight in recent days.

Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Monday the six-time All-Star "still wants significant changes to the roster," a call that went unanswered during the offseason, and he's mentioned Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons to the front office as a potential target.

If the Blazers don't make the roster upgrades to satisfy the 31-year-old Weber State product, the question shifts to whether he'll submit a trade request before the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline, per Charania and Amick.

Then ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that Lillard is seeking to add a two-year, $107 million extension to the end of his contract when he becomes eligible in July, an idea that's been met with hesitation given how it could limit future roster flexibility.

In turn, several executives who could be considered for the team's president of basketball operations vacancy told Woj they'd be "far more interested in the Blazers job with ownership's blessing to move Lillard sooner than later."

Neil Olshey, who served as both president of basketball operations and general manager, was fired by Portland last week following an investigation into his workplace conduct that deemed he violated the team's code of conduct.

Between the upcoming hires to lead the front office and questions about Lillard's future, the Blazers are at a major crossroads that'll likely shape the next decade of the franchise.

They must decide whether to keep committing to Lillard's vision for the future, which could include giving up numerous assets for a marquee name like Simmons, or instead move their own longtime face of the franchise to begin charting a new path.

Lillard is off to a sluggish start to the 2021-22 season—his 21.5 points per game are on pace for his lowest scoring figure since 2014-15—but he'd still be an attractive trade candidate given his strong track record.

More clarity on the Blazers' future will likely come before February's trade deadline but probably no later than the 2022 offseason.

There is reportedly no truth to rumors that Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard wants to play with Ben Simmons or that he seeks an extension from the Blazers.

According to Chris Mannix of The Crossover (h/t HoopsHype), people from Lillard's camp told him the rumors are false, as Lillard has expressed no interest in the Blazers trading for Simmons and has not engaged in contract extension talks since he isn't yet eligible for a max extension.

Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Lillard's interest in playing with Philadelphia 76ers guard Simmons on Monday, while ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that Lillard's representatives have been "privately selling the idea" of the Blazers rebuilding around Lillard and signing him to a two-year, $107 million extension when eligible in July.

While Lillard's camp is seemingly denying the validity of the rumors, both of them make sense on the surface given how things have gone for the Blazers this season.

After making the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons, Portland is off to a disappointing 11-14 start this season and is trending in the wrong direction.

Defense has been the biggest issue for the team this season, as it ranks 26th in the NBA, surrendering 111.3 points per game.

Acquiring Simmons is a move that could improve the Blazers' team defense significantly, as he finished second in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.

While Simmons has his deficiencies, including shooting 59.7 percent from the free-throw line in his career and making only five three-point field goals in four seasons, his skill set would seemingly fit well alongside Lillard.

Simmons is an elite defender with 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in his career, and he is also a quality playmaker with 7.7 assists per game to his credit.

The 2016 No. 1 overall pick has not played this season for the Sixers after asking for a trade during the summer. He is currently working on mental health away from the team.

Charania and Amick reported that former Blazers general manager Neil Olshey discussed the framework of a potential Simmons trade that would have sent guard CJ McCollum, a first-round pick and a young player to Philly.

Olshey has since been fired, however, following allegations he created a toxic work environment with a culture of bullying.

With the Blazers seemingly in turmoil from top to bottom, a rebuild is also something that could make sense from Lillard's perspective.

While playing alongside McCollum and center Jusuf Nurkic over the past several years has been enough to get Lillard and the Blazers to the playoffs, they haven't often done much damage once in the field.

Portland may need to tear it down and rebuild around Lillard if it wants to have any chance of becoming a championship contender in the near future, and if the team misses the playoffs this season, that could be the catalyst to make it happen.

For now, though, Lillard's camp is sending out messages that suggest he is fine with going to battle with his current teammates and trying to turn this tough season around.

The Portland Trail Blazers announced that guard CJ McCollum has a pneumothorax (collapsed right lung), which he suffered during the team's game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

McCollum will undergo further evaluation before a prognosis is decided, per the team. At that point, his status will be updated.

The former Lehigh University star has averaged 20.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 35.3 minutes this year.

The Mayo Clinic defines a pneumothorax as follows: "A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse. A pneumothorax can be a complete lung collapse or a collapse of only a portion of the lung."

McCollum did not travel with the Blazers for their road game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, per the team. Following that matchup, the Blazers will have three days off before returning home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Initial reports on Sunday indicated that McCollum suffered bruised ribs. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweeted Sunday that X-Rays came back negative and that he would be re-evaluated Monday.

McCollum was then listed as probable for the Blazers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday with a rib contusion, but he was downgraded to out.

The shorthanded Blazers have lost three in a row to drop to 11-14. They are now without their entire All-Star backcourt of McCollum and Damian Lillard, who has missed the team's last four games with lower abdominal tendinopathy.

Four other players (Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore) are listed as questionable for the Warriors game with various injuries.

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard addressed ongoing speculation about his long-term future with the team.

"Gossip may reveal the realities of its subject; it always reveals the bias of the gossiper," read an image he posted to Instagram.

On Twitter, he also appeared to imply former Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey was attempting to malign his reputation:

Can’t say I’m surprised. https://t.co/AwOUKOfGQv

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) December 7, 2021

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that Lillard will seek a two-year, $107 million extension when he becomes eligible for one in July. He's already signed through the 2024-25 season after putting pen to paper on a four-year, $176.3 million extension.

According to Wojnarowski, Lillard's camp sees the extension as a way to effectively gut the current roster and start over with the six-time All-Star as the centerpiece.

However, potential candidates to succeed Olshey, who was fired on Dec. 3, are reportedly not as keen on that plan:

"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."

Lillard obviously took issue with Wojnarowski's reporting, but his attempts to quell the rumors are unlikely to be successful.

As The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote, Lillard's tenure in Portland may be reaching its terminus.

By meeting his demand of a contract paying him $50 million annually, the Blazers risk having a John Wall or Russell Westbrook-sized albatross on their payroll. Wall and Westbrook both received massive extensions to stay with their current teams, and it didn't take long for those deals to backfire.

In the short term, the franchise's championship window may already be closed for the duration of Lillard's current deal. The Trail Blazers are 10th in the Western Conference at 11-14, and they don't have much in the way of trade assets to dramatically upgrade the roster.

Even if he's unable to bring Portland a title, Lillard is arguably the second-best player in team history behind Clyde Drexler. While trading a star who means so much to the fanbase is never easy, wiping the slate clean might be the best strategy for whoever replaces interim GM Joe Cronin.

And whether he likes it or not, Lillard is bound to drive plenty more conversations around the NBA.

Damian Lillard has publicly committed to the Portland Trail Blazers and wants the team to do the same this summer.

It may not be so simple.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Tuesday that there is "no enthusiasm" among front-office candidates to hand Lillard the two-year, $107 million extension he will reportedly seek this offseason. Potential candidates may be more interested in the job if they have permission to trade the All-Star point guard, per Wojnarowski.

The Blazers are seeking a replacement for president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, whom they fired last week after an investigation into workplace misconduct. 

Joe Cronin is serving as the interim general manager while the team conducts a wide-ranging search for Olshey's replacement. Given the franchise's general state of upheaval over the last year, it would be a surprise if an in-house candidate kept the position. The Blazers fired head coach Terry Stotts in June, and CEO Chris McGowan resigned before Olshey's departure.

Lillard has established himself as the face of the Blazers franchise, a once-in-a-generation home run hit midway through the 2012 draft lottery. While there were concerns regarding his long-term commitment to the Blazers after taking criticism for his part in the hiring of coach Chauncey Billups, Lillard has since given his unequivocal support to the team's future. 

"Everybody is saying what they think I'm thinking, and what they think I'm going to do, but like, I'm not leaving Portland, you know?" Lillard told Jason Quick of The Athletic in mid-October.

Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Monday that Lillard has become frustrated with the state of the team, which is 11-14 and has lost six of its last seven games. The long-running thought has been that the Blazers would revamp their roster, with Lillard being the only lock to stay in Portland.

With that said, it seems as though some executives are more interested in a full-scale rebuild. 

If Damian Lillard gets his way, the Portland Trail Blazers will start to rebuild their roster around him and extend his current deal. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Lillard's camp is "privately selling the idea of trading his veteran teammates with value and rebuilding around him" while selling team management on signing him to a two-year, $107 million extension when he's eligible to sign it in July. 

Lillard's situation comes as the Blazers are in the process of starting their search for a new general manager. They fired Neil Olshey on Dec. 3 following an independent investigation into allegations that he created a toxic work environment by bullying and intimidating staffers. 

According to Wojnarowski, Portland's search for Olshey's replacement "will soon be underway" with the team still deciding whether or not it will hire a search firm to recommend potential candidates. 

"The Blazers will be wise to expect every candidate to come armed with two important questions: What are owner Jody Allen's plans to keep or sell the team? And more immediately, would a new GM have autonomy to rebuild the franchise not around but without Lillard," Wojnarowski wrote. 

The idea of giving Lillard an extension averaging $53.5 million per year through the 2026-27 season when he will be 36 years old hasn't generated any enthusiasm from "several top-level GM candidates who fit the profile of Portland's applicant pool," per Wojnarowski.

There was speculation throughout the offseason about whether or not Lillard would request a trade from the Trail Blazers. He shut down those rumors in October while speaking to Jason Quick of The Athletic.

"Everybody is saying what they think I'm thinking, and what they think I'm going to do, but like, I'm not leaving Portland, you know?" he said.

Wojnarowski noted that Lillard "had no leverage to choose his next team over this past summer" because the 31-year-old is in his first season of a four-year, $176.3 million extension he originally signed in July 2019. 

Amid an 11-14 start to the season, the Blazers appear to have reached a tipping point. Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Monday that Lillard "would like to play" with Ben Simmons. 

There's no indication at this point that Portland and the Philadelphia 76ers are discussing a deal for Simmons. Wojnarowski noted three teams interested in Lillard "are waiting on him to make an offseason trade demand before calling Portland."

Lillard is currently out of action with an abdominal injury he has been dealing with since playing for Team USA in the Summer Olympics. The six-time All-Star is averaging 21.5 points per game, but he's shooting a career-low 39.7 percent from the field in 20 starts this season.