Upon getting bounced from the first round for the second season in a row, Blazers star Damian Lillard's loyalty finally seemed to be put to the test. The name itself has practically held a force field around it when it comes to trade rumors: everybody knows this guy wants to stay in Portland.
After years of what seemed like a better chance of the guy becoming a commercial rapper before ever leaving Rip City, trade rumors began swirling around the internet following disagreements on their coaching search. With hopes of seeking Jason Kidd to lead their locker room, who was just recently introduced as the Mavericks' new head coach, the Blazers' front office ultimately decided to hire former Finals MVP Chauncey Billups.
Coming off his position as an ESPN analyst, the former Piston's sexual assault allegations from 1997 began to resurface, oddly pitting Lillard against nothing but backlash. This did not do them any favors, as trade talk began swirling up even more.
Although, to the delight of Oregonians, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that his sources tell him the All-Star is not seriously demanding a trade, nor is he even passively seeking it. Following a Twitter interaction between Dame and a user who claimed he had a hand in Billups's hiring, the former responded saying, "Really? I was asked what coaches I like of the names I “heard” and I named them. Sorry I wasn’t aware of their history I didn’t read the news when I was 7/8yrs old. I don’t support Those things … but if this the route y’all wana come at me… say less." It's heinous to accuse someone of adhering to something they were blind to, but what else is Twitter for?
As of right now, the Blazers' future may not seem too bright; but, they should certainly avoid trading for Ben Simmons before making it any darker. Yes, those rumors are real.
[Via]