Damian Lillard and his mate C.J. McCollum have their darndest to keep up with big market franchises, but in the end playing for a team with an internalized budget makes recruitment hard to pull off. McCollum even spoke with DeMarcus Cousins after the center pulled one of the more surprising contract signings in recent memory. He asked him "What's going on, bruh?" in a hostile manner, before letting him level off and explain his decisions. Anyone who watches them closely will contend that barring some immovable contracts, the Portland Trail Blazers are maybe one solid piece away from contending. But their offseason hasn't gone to plan.
Lillard was clearly upset with management when they failed to reach an agreement with serviceable big man Ed Davis, going as far as to voice his displeasure on social media. Team officials would be foolish to think Lillard, and maybe McCollum have not considered if their options lie elsewhere. Lillard's contract comes off the books in 3 years, and if this latest interaction is any indication, he might jump ship.
When a Twitter user asked Lillard, "If the Blazers traded you to the Lakers to help LeBron would you be happy?" And instead of a typical stately gesture, Lillard responded: "I’m typically a happy camper." Read into however you want, but Lillard is no wallflower, and if he left a goose egg behind, the underlying message is there to be discovered, whomever it concerns.