Damian Lillard might actually want out of Portland
The Portland Trail Blazers may have landed a big fish for their head coach opening, but their brightest star may still want out.
According to Chris Haynes at Yahoo! Sports, the two main factors that could push ultimately Damian Lillard out of Portland are “the enormous backlash from the Portland Trail Blazers’ process to hire a new coach and his concerns on whether a championship contender can be built.”
Haynes says that Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey conducted the head coaching search himself and interviewed no one that Lillard suggested. The report says Lillard “played no part in consummating” Billups as their next head coach, but faced backlash from fans on social media anyway.
It would be a real kick in the junk for the Blazers if they landed the hottest candidate in the NBA head coach pool, for the purposes of getting the most out of Lillard, only for their star point guard to turn around and demand a trade. But it’s the kind of situation that could open the door for the Celtics, who just officially announced the hiring of Ime Udoka as their next coach.
So technically, Lillard wouldn’t have had a say in the Celtics’ head coach search, either. But Udoka has been described as a good recruiter and motivator for his players, both of which are going to be important for the Celtics to return to contention for the NBA Finals. And no one would argue that they haven’t been honestly trying to build a championship team.
The problem, of course … what would it take to get Lillard to Boston? Fortunately, if Lillard is forcing his way out of town, suitors could find a way to negotiate their prices down. But if the Celtics want to get him, they would likely have to part with at least one out of Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
Packaging Smart for Lillard should be a no-brainer. A package centered around Brown makes for a more interesting conversation. But if it’s even a possibility, and Lillard truly wants to start fresh with a new team, then Brad Stevens should be working the phones with Portland already.
MORE: If Not Damian Lillard, Why Not CJ McCollum For The Celtics?
MORE: Celtics Officially Announce Ime Udoka Hiring
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
