Portland Trail Blazers

While most of the attention around the Portland Trail Blazers this summer has revolved around Damian Lillard's trade request, the arrival of Scoot Henderson has brought plenty of long-term optimism to the franchise.

In an interview with NBA.com's Steve Aschburner, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said he has no doubt Henderson is "going to be a star" in the NBA:

"He plays both sides of the floor with ferocity. He is very, very driven. He's a playmaker, he's a real point guard. Got some leadership about him. He looks like he's the starting safety of the Denver Broncos. He's going to be an exciting player for the whole world to watch but our fan base, they can rest assured they'll be entertained."

Lillard holds no ill will toward the Blazers for drafting his potential replacement. He said on the It Is What It Is podcast (starts at 48:25 mark) it "wasn't a deal breaker for me at all" that Portland opted to use the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft to select Henderson rather than try to potentially package it for an established player who could help the team win immediately.

"I respect his game," Lillard said of Henderson. "I think in that position he was the best player available, so that's what you've gotta do if you've got the pick. But no, I wasn't offended at all, because at the end of the day, you've gotta come in and play. I've been doing this for a long time, so to me that wasn't a knock on me or anything."

Fans got a taste of what Henderson will bring to the league during his brief appearance in Las Vegas Summer League. He had 15 points, six assists and five rebounds in a 100-99 loss to the Houston Rockets on July 7 before suffering a shoulder injury in the third quarter.

The Blazers elected to shut Henderson down as a result of the injury, but those 21 minutes of action were a great showcase for why he was selected third overall.

Lillard's situation could have some impact on Henderson's playing time to start the season. If the Blazers don't trade the seven-time All-Star and he elects to play until a deal comes together, Billups might have to use the 19-year-old off the bench.

Portland has assembled one of the best young guard groups in the NBA. Henderson joins a group that includes Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. They have already shown tremendous potential, with Simons averaging a career-high 21.1 points per game last season.

Sharpe was an efficient scorer with a 47.2 field-goal percentage (36.0 percent from three-point range) in 80 appearances as a rookie. He gained Billups' trust as the season went on with 27.9 minutes per game over his final 21 appearances.

Henderson has the unenviable task of being the point guard who will take over when Lillard's situation gets resolved—assuming a trade happens at some point—but he's got the skill and potential to handle it very well when he gets acclimated to the NBA.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard issued a trade request on July 2, but he still remains a member of the team as his future remains in limbo.

The rest of the team must march forward, but head coach Chauncey Billups noted in an interview with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com that the situation is "unsettling" and "difficult" when asked about the current situation.

"Yeah, yeah. Obviously it's unsettling, it's difficult. But for me, all I can do, I'm responsible for giving my best to who we have. I don't know how it's going to play out. There's nothing I can do to control it. But I do know who we have on our team right now and who I've been working with this summer. Who I'm excited about. All I can really do is pour myself into our guys. And see what happens whenever that happens. I'm excited about Shaedon's progress. And coaching Scoot [Henderson] and Ant [Anfernee Simons].

"Figuring out what happens with Dame? Everybody knows how I feel about Dame and my opportunity to coach him. We'll just see. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'll be ready to do the best I can."

Training camp looms, and the regular season starts on Oct. 25. Lillard wants a trade to the Miami Heat, but that hasn't come to fruition.

Other teams have reportedly entered the mix, including the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors. However, nothing seems imminent on the trade front even with the season set to begin in a month.

As Billups noted, the team still needs to move on, and he has a big job to do in coaching up some young talent, including Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons. It's on him to lead the Blazers in the post-Lillard era.

Despite the tough situation, Billups made sure to give Lillard his due credit for his tremendous efforts as a member of the organization, which saw him make seven all-NBA teams and lead the Blazers to eight playoff appearances.

"Dame has been incredible," Billups said. "To the fans of Portland, to our organization. He hasn't been negative at all to anybody in our organization. Dame has been a stand-up guy. A professional the whole way through. It's the business at hand. I don't think there's pressure on either side."

For now, the waiting game continues on Lillard, but the Blazers are looking toward the future. They open the season Oct. 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard is so adamant about his desire to be traded to the Miami Heat that if he's traded to another team, he will reportedly request that franchise to send him to South Beach as well.

"If Lillard is traded to a team other than Miami, he is expected to ask to be traded to the Heat," Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday.

The Heat and Blazers have been linked for the entire offseason after Lillard requested to be traded from Portland after 11 years with the team. While it was initially reported that the seven-time All-Star was open to trades to the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets among other potential landing spots, it quickly became clear that Miami was his preferred destination.

However, the Heat have yet to offer the Blazers a return worthy of trading their face of the franchise, which has completely hindered negotiations.

"A source said this week that Portland generally has continued to be reluctant to engage the Heat in serious talks and has acted disinterested in getting a deal done quickly with Miami, though that conceivably could change as the start of training camp approaches in early October," Jackson and Chiang stated.

While it's been reported that Portland's "recent focus has been discussions with other teams, not Miami," Lillard's determination to get to Miami will undoubtedly have an effect on the offers the Blazers receive.

"He says he only wants to play in Miami," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Tuesday. "That kind of dulls the offers a little bit. Portland is trying to put together a number of multiteam scenarios to see if they can get the assets back they want."

With the start of training camp quickly approaching, it's clear that the Blazers will have to figure out a resolution sooner rather than later.

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard set the record straight regarding his thoughts on Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole.

At the 1:01:40 mark of his appearance on It Is What It is, Lillard discussed previous comments he made about Poole that helped create a "false" narrative.

There was a game between the Blazers and Golden State Warriors early into Poole's career when he began trash-talking Lillard to a degree the seven-time All-Star thought was a little over the top.

Lillard said he tried to be a little more outwardly deferential toward NBA elder statesmen when he was coming into the league. For the most part, though, he didn't think much of his exchange with Poole once the game ended.

Dame explained he continued to follow Poole's career, saw the 24-year-old evolve on the court, and came to appreciate his game. He added there's no personal animosity toward Poole.

Lillard did, however, concede his initial belief upon learning that Draymond Green punched Poole at practice was that Poole "must have been saying a whole lot of s--t" based on his personal interactions in the past. He didn't condone Green's actions, adding he "wished Draymond didn't do it."

Should Lillard get his desired move to the Miami Heat, he'll be seeing more of Poole since the pair will share a division.

On the heels of a recent online debate about the best point guard in NBA history, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard wouldn't even rank Stephen Curry as the best of this generation.

Apppearing on Underdog Fantasy's It Is What It Is (starts at 69:42 mark), Lillard said he would rank Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson as the best point guard of all-time.

Dame did clarify that because of how the Golden State Warriors use Curry, he considers the two-time NBA MVP to be playing the role of a shooting guard than a pure point guard because of his movement off the ball and Draymond Green acting as more of the facilitator.

"I think if Steph played in a offense like me, where it was required to have to have the ball more, we would get to see him do more point guard stuff," Lillard said.

When asked if he thought Curry was better than him, Lillard had a very direct response: "I don't think nobody is better than me when I get on the court." He also said he believes himself to be the best active point guard in the league.

Lillard went on to call Curry, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook the best point guards he's played against during his NBA career.

The debate began on Aug. 21 when Curry told Gilbert Arenas he considers himself the best point guard in NBA history, but he also praised Magic for having a ridiculous" résumé.

Lillard would have the support of Michael Jordan, who recently texted ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that Magic "is easily the best point guard of all time" and cited his five NBA titles and 138 career triple-doubles as evidence to back up his claim.

Curry has always been a lightning rod for fans and analysts when it comes to where he ranks in NBA history. It's a strange debate to have for a player who has won four championships, two MVP awards and is the best three-point shooter the league has ever seen.

At least Lillard allowed himself to acknowledge Curry's greatness, while admitting his own personal competitiveness makes it impossible for him to think anyone is better than he is when the games start.

It's not like Lillard has anything to be ashamed of about his career. The seven-time All-Star ranks sixth all-time in three-pointers made and is coming off a season in which he set a new career-high with 32.2 points per game.

Damian Lillard took a very political approach when asked if he wanted to remain with the Portland Trail Blazers for the upcoming season.

Appearing on It Is What It Is (starts at 51:20 mark), Lillard said "in a perfect world" he could spend his entire career playing for the franchise that originally drafted him back in 2012.

Everyone in the NBA knows it's not a perfect world because Blazers general manager Joe Cronin confirmed on July 1 that Lillard has requested a trade.

"We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he'd prefer to play someplace else," Cronin said in a statement. "What has not changed for us is that we're committed to winning, and we are going to do what's best for the team in pursuit of that goal."

Lillard recently told Andscape's Marc J. Spears he still loves the city of Portland, but he "would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers."

The Miami Heat are the primary team that has been connected to Lillard since his trade request became public, but no deal has come together at this point. Spears said Monday on ESPN's NBA Today a "mystery Eastern Conference team" has emerged in pursuit of the seven-time All-Star.

It's impossible to say Lillard hasn't given the Trail Blazers every opportunity to build a championship-caliber roster around him. He's spent the past 11 seasons with the franchise and signed a two-year extension last summer that tied him to the club through the 2026-27 season.

Lillard would have been able to opt out of his previous deal in the summer of 2025 if he hadn't signed a new contract.

Portland has had success with Lillard leading the way. The team made eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2013-14 to 2020-21, including an appearance in the 2019 Western Conference Finals.

The Blazers have finished under .500 in three of the past four seasons. They are starting to build around a young core that includes Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.

Lillard, who turned 33 on July 15, is likely looking to maximize the remaining years of his prime in an attempt to win a championship. He averaged a career-high 32.2 points in 58 starts last season.

Portland Trail Blazers superstar guard Damian Lillard said Tuesday that he did not take issue with the Blazers selecting guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

During an appearance on the It Is What It Is podcast (beginning at the 48:25 mark), Lillard was asked if he had a problem with the decision to draft Henderson, and he insisted that he didn't:

"No. Me and Scoot, we've had a few conversations with him coming into the league. That wasn't a deal breaker for me at all. I respect his game. I think in that position he was the best player available, so that's what you've gotta do if you've got the pick. But no, I wasn't offended at all, because at the end of the day, you've gotta come in and play. I've been doing this for a long time, so to me that wasn't a knock on me or anything."

Just days after the Blazers drafted Henderson in late June, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin announced that Lillard had requested a trade.

ESPN Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported at the time that Lillard's preference was to get traded to the Miami Heat.

Lillard reportedly decided to ask for a trade due to his belief that the Blazers did not do enough in free agency to improve the roster and make it capable of competing for a playoff spot and championship next season.

Portland could have potentially tried to trade the No. 3 overall pick in a bigger deal for a veteran star, but it instead decided to take a dynamic, young guard in Henderson, who averaged 16.5 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game last season for G League Ignite.

Other notable moves by the Blazers included signing forwards Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle to new contracts, although they didn't sign any new players of significance in free agency.

With Lillard leading the way, the Blazers were a playoff team in eight straight seasons from 2013 through 2021, but they missed the postseason with a 27-55 record in 2021-22, as Dame was limited to just 29 games due to injury.

Last season, Lillard missed 24 games with injuries, but he was once again highly productive when he played, as the seven-time All-Star averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game to go along with 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 three-pointers made.

Even with Lillard putting up huge numbers, the Blazers went just 33-49 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Since 33-year-old Lillard is under contract through at least the 2024-25 season, the Blazers are under no immediate obligation to move him.

Earlier this month, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t HoopsHype) said there hadn't been much movement on the trade front, so Lillard and the Blazers were "fully prepared" to enter training camp with him still on the roster.

Wojnarowski speculated that the Blazers could revisit trade talks 20 to 25 games into the season, at which point some teams could be willing to give up more for Lillard than they would have previously.

For now, Lillard is poised to enter his 12th NBA season as a Blazer, and he may share the backcourt with Henderson once the 2023-24 campaign commences.

It appears that the Miami Heat are not the only suitors for Damian Lillard ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Marc J. Spears of ESPN reported on NBA Today that a "mystery Eastern Conference team" has emerged in the pursuit of Lillard.

Spears did not feel comfortable revealing who the team was. Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in July, noting that the Miami Heat were his preferred destination. The talks between the two teams have hit a snag, with ESPN's Brian Windhorst noting that the two sides have remain far apart on compensation.

"They want the Heat to literally scrounge into every nook and cranny and produce everything they possibly can," Windhorst said on his podcast, The Hoop Collective. "The Heat don't feel the need to do that."

It's possible that the extreme leverage the Heat felt in the situation could have added to a lack of desire to part with significant pieces, but another suitor could speed the process up.

The Philadelphia 76ers, who are also looking to move guard James Harden, could be a suitor, although Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports previously reported that the team wasn't a preferred destination for Lillard.

The Boston Celtics have also been linked, with star forward Jayson Tatum making a recruiting pitch, but Lillard's focus has seemingly always been on Miami.

The Brooklyn Nets appear to be another team that could fill that mystery role, with the possibility of uniting Lillard with Mikal Bridges being something worth pursuing.

Lillard's request is to be traded, but the Trail Blazers technically have no obligation to deal him. He is under contract through 2026 with a player option for 2027. However, the team looks like it's in a rebuilding stage following a 33-49 season in '22-23, and Lillard's production could be huge for a contender.

Lillard averaged 32.2 points with 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 58 games for Portland in '22-23 and earned his seventh All-Star nod. Adding this dynamic play to any of the aforementioned teams would surely make it a threat to take the Eastern Conference.

Damian Lillard might not be the only notable Portland Trail Blazer on the move sooner than later.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Blazers could also look to trade center Jusuf Nurkić this season.

"There's some belief Jusuf Nurkić could get moved at some point. It may depend on what they get in the Lillard trade," Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective (30:30 mark).

Nurkić has been with the Blazers for the last six-plus seasons, emerging as a quality starting center who is a nightly double-double threat. He averaged 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season while beginning to show a promising propensity for shooting threes. After making just 32 three-pointers over his first eight NBA seasons, Nurkić knocked down 43 last season on a 36.1 percent clip.

Nurkić has three years and $54.4 million remaining on his contract. That's a reasonable salary point given his production and the ballooning salaries around the NBA. If Nurkić is able to follow in the footsteps of Brook Lopez, who transformed his game to become a quality shooter later in his career, the deal could become a bargain.

Windhorst did not mention any suitors as being interested in Nurkić.

The Blazers will likely keep their focus on moving Lillard for the time being, as that haul will help dictate the course of their impending rebuild. Nurkić may wind up landing a protected future first-round pick, but the offers on the table for him now will be there in a few months time.

The Miami Heat's pursuit of Damian Lillard remains at a standstill, and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Blazers are looking for the Heat to "scrounge" and provide the best possible trade package for the All-Star guard.

"What the Blazers want, if they're dealing with one team, if it is Miami or nothing, they want what the Nets got from the Suns [for Kevin Durant], which is the Suns literally scrounging. ... They want the Heat to literally scrounge into every nook and cranny and produce everything they possibly can. The Heat don't feel a need to do that," Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective (27:40 mark).

Miami has been Lillard's preferred destination since he requested a trade from Portland in July. No other serious suitors have emerged in negotiations, leading to a standoff that threatens to continue into training camp.

Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has been adamant about getting the best possible package for Lillard, making good on his promise from July that the situation could last for "months."

That said, it's crunch time for negotiations if the two sides hope to get a deal in place for the start of the regular season. Training camp opens in less than two weeks, and Lillard's trade request threatens to undermine team building in both Miami and Portland.

Heat players could arrive at camp knowing they could be shipped off at any moment. The development of the Blazers' young core could be threatened by Lillard's presence.

Barring another party coming through with the type of offer Portland wants, this might be a situation where it's better for all parties to find a meeting in the middle and get a trade done.