Blazers Rumors: POR to Pursue 'High-End Talent' to Build Around Damian Lillard

The Portland Trail Blazers are apparently not giving up on building around Damian Lillard.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Blazers are planning to pursue "high-end talent" to retool their roster around the All-Star point guard. Portland has as much as $60 million in potential cap room this summer and created a $21 million trade exception as part of a deal sending CJ McCollum, Larry Nance and Tony Snell to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The idea of retooling around Lillard sounds nice in theory. He's been incredibly loyal to the franchise despite a series of consistently questionable decisions from the front office and postseason failures.

With that said, it's hard to imagine a world where the Blazers acquire the type of talent necessary to make this roster a championship contender.

Portland has zero history of attracting top-level free agents. The top free-agent signing in franchise history, Kenny Anderson, was a one-time All-Star—and he didn't even make the team in Portland. Otherwise, you're looking at the likes of Brian Grant, Rod Strickland and Wesley Matthews, all of whom are fine but weren't All-Star-caliber talents.

This isn't the franchise that superstars flock to in order to create superteams. The Blazers, like most small-to-mid-market teams, have had their greatest runs of success when they've hit home runs in the draft.

It would be one of the most shocking transactions in league history if the likes of James Harden, Kyrie Irving or Bradley Beal signed with Portland this offseason Zach LaVine seems perfectly happy in Chicago and appears to be a mortal lock to sign a five-year max contract to stay with the Bulls.

Sans any of those four players deciding they want to trek to the Pacific Northwest, it's hard to see the Blazers building a roster better than the one they've spent the last week gutting. Deandre Ayton and Miles Bridges are restricted free agents, and their respective teams will almost certainly match any offer they get in free agency. The likes of T.J. Warren and Gary Harris wouldn't move the needle for Portland.

While the Blazers will have one or two lottery picks in the 2022 NBA draft, they also owe a lottery-protected future first rounder to the Chicago Bulls. Aside from Anfernee Simons, Portland isn't loaded with a ton of desirable young assets to make available in a blockbuster for a superstar, either.

Trying to build a championship contender around Lillard seems like a fool's errand for the Blazers. The best move for both sides would be to find Lillard a new home this summer.