Damian Lillard could end up staying with the Trail Blazers after all.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday afternoon that the team has been shutting down calls coming its way.
“The Blazers have shut down anybody who has tried to call about the possibility of trying to trade for [Lillard],” Wojnarowski said.
Lillard’s situation has been one of the biggest storylines of the offseason heading into Thursday’s NBA Draft.
To add more intrigue to the situation, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that Lillard had been communicating with Scoot Henderson regularly since his workout with the Trail Blazers.
Henderson is one of the names expected to be among the possible picks the Trail Blazers make with the No. 3 overall selection.
Lillard acknowledged that he had been present for Portland’s draft workouts in an interview with HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto that was published Wednesday morning.
“I think they’re all super talented,” Lillard said when asked for his take on the players that had come in. “The ones that I’ve seen are really talented. I think everyone that I’ve watched is considered a Top 7 pick. They all have the talent and ability to do it. There’s hype around all of them. I don’t really get into whether this guy can do this or that.
“They all have things they do well, and it’s like any other draft. You’ve got guys at the top who are expected to come in and do something.
“You never know until you get out there and can see it. I wish them all the best. We’ll see when it’s time to get out there.”
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The lifelong Trail Blazer indicated that he wanted to remain in Portland but that he didn’t want to sit through a rebuild.
A Tuesday report also placed the fate of Lillard in the hands of the Trail Blazers as they have decided what direction to take the organization in.
Lillard had been linked to the Heat and Nets if he forced his way out of Portland.
The Heat had reportedly turned their focus on trying to lure him away from the Trail Blazers after missing out on Bradley Beal.
The star is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, putting up 32.2 points per game.
Lillard’s contract runs through 2026 with a player option that could extend it an extra year.
The 32-year-old was asked how much longer he expected to play and told HoopsHype that it would at least be through the end of his deal.
“I’ll be going on 36 at the end of that, so I’m at least playing that long,” Lillard said. “I’ll probably say until I’m about 38 or 39. It’s hard to say now. When the time comes, it’s hard to let go of what you’ve been doing your whole life. I’m not going to play myself into the ground.
“As long as I play, I’m going to be a good player. I think it also depends on when and if I win the championship.”
