
Over the summer, there were numerous reports that Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard would be asking for a trade out of town, including Henry Abbott of True Hoop. That then prompted Lillard to address the reports while playing as a member of Team USA.
However, a month before Abbott’s report, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that the Blazers were ready to entertain any trade talks for Lillard.
In a recent Instagram Live, a fan asked Lillard if he was leaving Portland, to which he responded, “I’m“I’m not leaving PDX. Not right now, at least.”
That same week, Lillard told Complex that he wanted to win a championship in Portland.
“We have to do better, and I have always said that I want to win in Portland, and I still feel that way. So, if I say we got to get better, we have to give ourselves a chance. If we can’t get out of the first round, we got to get better,” said Lillard.
According to Lillard, he is coming from a place where he is fully invested and “not from a place where I am threatening y’all, but if it comes down to I have to move on and do something different, then maybe that is what I have to do, but it was like I have not made that decision. However, the fact remains I would like to win a championship in Portland.”
Damian Lillard did a TWO-MINUTE freestyle on the ‘Bars on I-95’ show & dropped some notable lines such as, “They wanted me to jump ship. Not me Rip City back in action. Not me, I can’t jump around like pogo [stick] with Melo at the Soho pulling from the logo. Fake kick it, that’s a no-no. Tried to keep him out of the league, but we got him the deal,” said Lillard.
Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, and Bradley Beal trill. “Me not wanting to join a super team might end up being my Achilles heel. So Hector, I’m on my shield. Trying to get next to Freak and Dirk on that lonely hill. Now, my goals are revealed, so f**** you the reporters thinking my homies squealed. That can never be, I’m not connected to a n**** that would leverage me. Y’all were tweeting for the ecstasy and it turns out they where speaking recklessly.”
Lillard, the Trail Blazers play the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at home at 10 PM EST.
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
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