Damian Lillard Trade Rumors: Blazers Star Would Prefer to Stay on West Coast

If Damian Lillard does get traded by the Portland Trail Blazers, he would reportedly like to remain out West. 

NBA reporter Chad Ford said on his podcast (h/t HoopsHype.com) that Lillard "would prefer" to stay on the West Coast if the Blazers decide to move on from the six-time All-Star. 

Even if the Blazers wanted to trade Lillard right now, it would be difficult to get prime value because of his health status. 

Lillard underwent surgery on Jan. 13 to repair a core injury that had been causing him abdominal pain. The team said he was going to be re-evaluated in six weeks from the time of the procedure. 

The injury had been causing Lillard problems dating back to the Olympics in Tokyo. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on SportsCenter (h/t CBS Sports' James Herbert) last month that the Blazers "want to continue" to build around Lillard. 

Wojnarowski did note Portland could make some deals before the trade deadline, but Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic are among the players on the roster that have been talked about. 

The Blazers are in the mix for the play-in tournament, despite having a 21-31 record. They are currently the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Their roster has been hampered by injuries, as Lillard and CJ McCollum have combined to miss 41 games this season. 

When Lillard has been able to play, he hasn't performed up to his usual standards. The 31-year-old is averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. He is on pace to set career-lows in field-goal percentage (40.2) and three-point percentage (32.4). 

The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 10.