The star Trail Blazers guard shut down trade rumors Wednesday.
As trade rumors surface about Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, the six-time NBA All-Star spoke candidly to reporters on Wednesday about the rumors, saying that he is not asking for a trade.
"My intentions are to be in Portland and to figure it out," Lillard said. "I also know that people are going to continue to have these same conversations because it's fun to talk about but that s*** is not accurate.
"I don't know how many times I got to say it. ... I sit in the office with Chauncey [Billups] everyday and we're trying to find solutions... and I am dealing with these people everyday that I walk in our practice facility trying to find solutions. Why would I be apart of trying to find solutions if I am planning on an exit? That's not what's going on."
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported on Monday that Lillard has an interest in playing alongside 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons. Neil Olshey, who was recently fired as Trail Blazers general manager, had discussed a deal that involved sending CJ McCollum, a first-round draft pick and another young player to Philadelphia. Philadelphia had at one point asked for McCollum, multiple draft picks and multiple draft swaps, which Portland rejected, according to The Athletic.
Lillard is currently sidelined due to lower abdominal tendinopathy that he suffered on Dec. 1. He has dealt with this injury since playing for Team USA in summer '21.
The 10th-year guard is currently averaging 21.5 points—his lowest since 2013-14—4.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while shooting just 39.7% for the field per game in nearly 36 minutes of action.
Portland (11–14) enters Wednesday's game against the Warriors on a three-game losing streak and has lost six of its last 10 games.
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