Blazers’ Damian Lillard responds to lingering business rumors: “I know what’s the truth, I know where I’m standing”

Portland Trail Blazers star goalie Damian Lillard appears to be tired of responding to the business speculation that has surrounded him all summer. Last month, Lillard denied a report that he was going to ask the Blazers for a trade (and he didn’t ask for one), but that didn’t stop the rumor from spinning. Speaking with The Athletic’s Christopher Kamrani, Lillard made it clear that he knew how he felt about the situation, and that was enough for him.

“You come to a position where it’s like, ‘Am I defending myself or am I not saying anything? “For me, when I just hear things that aren’t fact, I’m going to say I didn’t say that,” Lillard said of the rumors, via The Athletic. “I just have to let some say some. things. I know what the truth is. I know where I am. It’s not my job to let the public know… it’s not my job to make them aware of what it is.

“It was definitely different. I feel like I handled it like I handled everything. I just let it happen. I let people talk and I stay true to who I am and I I stand by that. If I say anything, I stand by what I said. That’s what it is, at this point. ”

While Lillard may not be particularly interested in explaining himself, the star guard provided a bit more information when answering questions from fans on Instagram Live on Tuesday night. When asked if he was going to leave Portland, Lillard had a brief response: “I’m not leaving PDX,” Lillard said. “Not now at least.”

At this point, it seems very likely that Lillard will start the season in Portland and then go from there. Although he did not request a trade, he made it clear that he is not happy with the Blazers as they are currently built and that he would like to see major improvements so that they can truly compete. in the Western Conference still deep.

“I think that’s where we’re at as a team where all of us, not just me, not just my teammates, not just our new coaching staff, the front office, everyone in this organization. must look in the mirror because we constantly run out, ”said Lillard in an interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo. “We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and say I have to be better because whatever we do isn’t working and it doesn’t give us the chance to compete at the level we want to compete at.”

Lillard was particularly upset that the Blazers were unable to pass the shorthanded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last season.

“Our environment has always been great. We don’t lose a lot, but we were knocked out by a shorthanded Denver team that I thought we should have beaten,” said Lillard. “I just got away really disappointed. I was like, ‘Dude, this just isn’t going to work. “We don’t win the championship, but we have a strong organization. We’re not a franchise that loses every year and gets divided. We have positive seasons, we don’t end with a championship.”

Lillard has been extremely loyal to Portland during his career and he’s made it clear that he would like to play his entire career as a Blazer. He also wants to fight for titles, and at 31, he has only a few years left at the peak of his powers. So its urgency is understandable. If the Blazers are unable to build a contender around him, it makes sense that he would want to try his luck elsewhere.

By making his frustrations known publicly, Lillard has put the Blazers on the clock. If they’re able to build a contender around him in the near future, Portland will be fine. Otherwise, Lillard’s position regarding a trade request is subject to change. Considering the Blazers haven’t been able to build a title team around Lillard so far, it’s fair to be skeptical of their ability to do so in the future.