Every three to four years the Blazers test Lillard's loyalty to the team, there's nothing to say, get used to it, Lillard may already be used to it! From 12 years into the league, Lillard's teammates have changed stubble after stubble, everyone is moving, but Lillard is still firmly in the team. Lillard also said in the early years that he was not opposed to superstars joining the Blazers, but he would not actively seek to join a super team. To put it bluntly, the big contract is good, and the team is loyal, but this wave when the Blazers trade CJ and then everything enters another picture.
From the chip that the Blazers sent away CJ in exchange, it is clear that there are two words: rebuild! Hart, Satoransky, Alexander Walker, Luzada, these are the four players the Blazers get, all of which are irrelevant to the Blazers, and what the real Blazers need is the picks behind them: a 2022 protected first-round pick (protecting the 5th-14th pick) and two future second-round picks. This is what the Blazers really want, and the Blazers such a deal is basically equivalent to giving up this season, the current Blazers are 21 wins and 33 losses in the West eleventh, although there is a possibility of entering the playoffs, but it is very difficult!
So, the next pressure will be on Lillard! Walking or not walking is a question worth thinking about! First of all, the Blazers' drastic deal here is not to say that Lillard should be directly released, lillard should not be sold in the Blazers, at least the Blazers want to keep Lillard to complete the reconstruction, which is beyond doubt. And whether Lillard can go or not depends on his attitude, and it is clear that the Blazers' reconstruction has two aspects to start with! One is trading, the other is relying on draft picks!
In the next summer, the Blazers should be able to save nearly 60 million salary space, and it is not a problem to sign two players with an annual salary of 30 million yuan on this money, and it is really not enough to dig up a "big fish" with a maximum salary on the free market. Of course, this premise is that Lillard can not leave the team, when the Blazers can form a big three or double core team, but whether there are superstars willing to come to the Blazers is also a big problem, Portland is not a very attractive superstar to join the team. Another way to rebuild is to bet on draft picks, to put it bluntly, Lillard wants to leave, and the Blazers can open their mouths, hoard draft picks like crazy, and then find new cornerstone players in the draft.
But whatever the way it was rebuilt, it was closely related to Lillard. And now Lillard is holding a certain initiative, he wants to stay in the Blazers will certainly not trade him, if he wants to leave like Harden, then the Blazers will not embarrass him! So now there are only two paths left for Lillard: do you want to be loyal or not? If it is a road, don't be a road! Lillard is likely to be a key player to change the situation in the league this season, of course, Yuzu sister's side suggests that I bravely take out the peak Chiosa to change, as for the Blazers' chips, a Lillard plus three first rounds!