Damian Lillard Says He Wouldn't 'Fight' Blazers If They Wanted to Trade Him

While superstar guard Damian Lillard has no plans to leave the only NBA franchise he has ever played for, he isn't opposed to the idea of a trade if that is what the Portland Trail Blazers want.

In an interview with CNBC's Jabari Young, Lillard said: "I have no plans of not being a Portland Trail Blazer. I want to be here, and I think they want me here."

However, when asked how he would respond if the Blazers wanted to trade him, Lillard added: "If they came to me and they wanted to trade me—I'm not going to fight them on wanting to trade me. I don't want to be anywhere I'm not wanted. But I don't think that's the case."

Portland selected Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, and it has turned out to be one of the best selections in franchise history.

Over the course of his 10-year NBA career, the 31-year-old Lillard is a six-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA First Team selection, plus he was the 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Lillard has been one of the NBA's elite offensive players for the past decade, owning per-game averages of 24.6 points, 6.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 three-pointers made and 1.0 steal while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Although the Blazers have not made it to the NBA Finals with Lillard leading the way, he took them to the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons prior to the 2021-22 campaign.

Portland struggled to a 27-55 record this year, although much of that has to do with the fact that Lillard missed 53 games, primarily because of an abdominal injury that required surgery.

Amid the team's poor play this season, the Blazers traded away several key players, including C.J. McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington.

That led to speculation that the team was entering a rebuild and could opt to trade Lillard next, but Dame has always been steadfast in his insistence that he wants to remain with the Blazers and help them win a championship.

While the Blazers need to make some moves this offseason to get back in the playoff mix in 2022-23, Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart are among the key players set to return, and center Jusuf Nurkic could be back as well if Portland re-signs him.

Most importantly, Lillard is under contract through the 2023-24 season and has a player option for the 2024-25 campaign.

That means the Blazers are under no immediate pressure to trade Lillard, and both sides can see how things go next season before deciding on whether they will have a long-term future together.