The Portland Trail Blazers have dismissed inquiries into All-Star guard Damian Lillard ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Wojnarowski told The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday that Lillard “wants to be in Portland, and the Blazers have closed anyone who’s called about possibly trying to trade for him.”
Wojnarowski made the statement while discussing the Miami Heat’s potential interest in acquiring Lillard. He added the caveat that the Heat are monitoring the situation for “any time this summer that Damian Lillard becomes available.”
“He’s not available at the moment,” Wojnarowski continued.
A seven-time All-Star, Lillard is once again the subject of trade speculation this offseason after the Trail Blazers failed to qualify for the playoffs. One of the league’s top scorers and playmakers, Lillard would be a valuable addition to a team vying for an NBA championship. The Trail Blazers don’t appear to be one of those teams.
Lillard, 32, has stuck with the franchise that drafted him 11 seasons ago and appears to be staying that way after signing a two-year, $122 million extension last summer that spans the 2024 season. -25. He expressed his desire during his late-season media availability for Portland to build with veteran players and give the franchise a chance to compete for a near-term championship.
“I think that’s enough 19-year-olds,” Lillard said in April, referring to teammate Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky’s first draft pick last year. “You probably won’t find one that will come like he did. I just don’t care.
“And it’s no secret. I want a chance to go there. And if the road is to do that, then it’s not my road. I think we’re all in agreement to do what we need to do to build a team so we can actually go out there and do something.
Portland has the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. How the Trail Blazers do this offseason could go a long way in determining just how much Lillard continues to want to be in Portland.