Dame Dolla a.k.a Damian Lillard is currently the lone wolf in the pack of trades. Lillard has carried the Portland Trailblazers single handedly for the past 13 years and has been a franchise changer for the Blazers. Dame has been in the Top 3 of the Point Guard ratings for the past 4 years and has been leading the teams in the Playoffs from mindless situations by shooting the lights out on the court. The Blazers star has been outstanding since his arrival in the NBA and his extended shooting range has been a talking factor in the NBA for the past 3-4 years.
But how long shall Lillard hang around a franchisee who has an absolute zero chance of clinching an NBA Championship for at least the next 2-3 years. For almost a 1000th time this season, Lillard’s name has been thrown into the NBA Trade rumors where NBA’s insider Adrian Wojnarowski had reported that he was looking to team up with Ben Simmons either via Ben Simmons trade to the Portland Trailblazers or vice versa, but it eventually turned out to be a rumor which he himself squashed and again stated that he shall be sticking around with the franchise.
However, talking about the current situation, Dame has turned 31 and is not getting any younger. This season has been disappointing for Lillard as he has been ranked lowest in the 3 – pointer FG% and is not sidelined by an abdomen strain for almost 2 weeks now.
Blazer's season has been nothing short of a drama. When Terry Stotts, Lillard’s 1st coach since the start of his career, was fired, he was not at all happy and the trade rumors instantly began in this offseason itself. Then when Chauncy Billups was hired by the Blazers, Dame was not at all happy with the appointment and even had arguments with former GM of the team Neil Olshey. Neil Olshey was fired last Friday after an investigation found Olshey violated the team's code of conduct.
Things have not gotten better for the Blazers as well. Blazers are 11-15 in the Western Conference at the 9th seed and as a tough schedule line up for Blazers and Dame not appearing in the games, the rankings are destined to fall back more till the season of holidays.
Is Lillard wasting his prime for his ethics and team loyalty? Damian Lillard for the Portland Trailblazers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson for Golden State Warriors, and Udonis Haslem for Miami Heat are the only one’s who have been sticking to their teams since the start of their careers, but they all have multiple NBA Championships and MVP awards where Lillard has not got his opportunities due to lack of squad depth and the hunger for a championship.
There were a lot of NBA greats who switched their teams to get that missing silverware in their cabinet – Karl Malone to Lakers, Gary Payton to Lakers and Miami Heat, Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors to name a few. Will we see a change in scenery in the next season if the Blazers fail to make it in the Playoffs? Or an early 1st round exit is on the cards?
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