CJ McCollum says Damian Lillard ‘desires to win’ with Blazers subsequent season

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Portland Path Blazers followers might have gotten their finest signal but that celebrity Damian Lillard is committing to the crew for the 2021-2022 season.

On Friday’s episode of Adrian Wojnarowski’s “The Woj Pod,” Lillard’s teammate and model new NBPA president CJ McCollum mentioned his latest interactions with Lillard. Regardless of Lillard’s reluctance to publicly decide to his future in Portland, McCollum stated that Lillard is able to assault the upcoming season as a member of the Blazers. 

“I don’t wish to communicate for him, however having a detailed relationship, him, he and I speak day by day, or each different day, from sharing memes to sending movies to one another to critical talks about our season, what it takes to win, what it’s going to takes to win a championship, I’ve a reasonably good sense of the place he’s at,” McCollum stated by way of The Oregonian. “And I believe his objective is to win a championship.

“I believe, on the finish of the day, that’s what all of us need. We wish to put ourselves in the perfect place to win a championship. However I imply, he’s all in. I believe at this stage I can say that he’s all in. He simply desires to win on the finish of the day.”

PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 26: CJ McCollum #3 and Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers talk during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Moda Center on December 26, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

CJ McCollum says his teammate Damian Lillard is “all in” on the upcoming Blazers season. (Photograph by Steph Chambers/Getty Photos)

Lillard’s future in Portland nonetheless not clear

There have been questions on Lillard’s need to remain in Portland since no less than the playoffs, after the Blazers received bounced within the first spherical. Regardless of eight straight playoff appearances underneath now-former head coach Terry Stotts, the Blazers have not been in a position to break via and even seem within the NBA Finals. 

The crew parted methods with Stotts in early June and employed Chauncey Billups, who was reportedly not one of many candidates that Lillard had prompt to president of basketball operations Neil Oshey. Actually, Yahoo Sports activities’ Chris Haynes reported that the Blazers did not interview a single one among Lillard’s strategies for the top teaching job. 

After some followers attacked Lillard for Billups’ hiring — which Lillard had nothing to do with — rumors surfaced that he was about to ask the Blazers for a commerce. He refuted them shortly earlier than the Olympics, however made a degree of leaving his future large open. 

So Lillard stated he hadn’t requested a commerce, however did not say he would not request one sooner or later. Which is why McCollum’s replace on Lillard, whereas removed from definitive, is nice information. It feels like he is committing to the upcoming season, which makes a commerce request so much much less doubtless — no less than for the rapid future. The Blazers have not achieved a lot past bringing in a brand new coach who wasn’t Lillard’s first alternative for the job, so the early a part of the season will play a significant function in how the chips will fall for the remainder of it. 

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