Damian Lillard: I Was 'Most Frustrated' After Blazers' 2021 Playoff Exit to Nuggets

Damian Lillard is committed to finishing his career in Portland.

That doesn't mean he's never wavered from that commitment, though.

Lillard made an appearance on Showtime's The Last Stand, saying the closest he's ever gotten to wanting an exit came after the Blazers lost in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.

"A couple years ago, we lost to Denver in the playoffs and that was a year I felt like [the championship window] is open," he said (46:17 mark). "I felt like it was open. I felt like we could have made some ground. We played Denver in the first round, and they had some injuries. A couple dudes was out. We had Game 5 at Denver and I had like 55, 10 assists, six rebounds, triple overtime. I remember getting to the arena, and I'm like, 'We're winning this one, and we're finishing them 4-2 at home Game 6.' ... We lost Game 5, we went home, we came out strong in Game 6 and they beat us.

"After that, I was like, 'Man, something's gotta happen.' I was really frustrated after that. That was probably the most frustrated I've been in my career. It wasn't toward the organization, I love the organization. I was just like, 'Man, I wasn't ready to stop playing right now. I trying to keep going.' And I was really frustrated. It wasn't directed at the organization, it was more so why we're not going. ... that was the one time, I was like, 'Maybe this ain't how it's gonna work.'"

Lillard averaged 34.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 10.2 assists over that six-game loss to the Nuggets while he got largely disappointing performances from his supporting cast.

That series was the last time Portland made the playoffs, as Lillard's injuries and a full-scale roster overhaul the last two seasons has turned the Blazers into a lottery team.

Portland has the No. 3 pick in this month's NBA draft thanks to a bit of lottery luck, but Lillard has made it clear he does not want to be part of a rebuild project with young talent.

The Blazers front office now has the choice between adhering to his wishes or veering toward the future with either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, who are both considered potential All-Stars.

Even though there's a temptation to reward Lillard's longtime loyalty, Portland's path to championship contention is fraught—especially in what limited time remains in the All-Star guard's prime.

It's fair to wonder whether both sides should have a more serious conversation about the realistic chance they'd be better off apart than together.