Should the Portland Trail Blazers finally trade Damian Lillard?

Should the Portland Trail Blazers finally trade Damian Lillard?: The answer

However, carrying on with the existing roster in place is not an option for Portland. Change has to happen, it’s just a case of how much change.

A deal involving McCollum and Simmons as the two main parts of a deal from Portland and Philadelphia has long been rumored and seems like an obvious move for both sides. The Trail Blazers get an elite defender and playmaker to play with Dame and the 76ers get an excellent shot creator and shooter to pair with Joel Embiid.

Outside of a move for Simmons, which does not involve having to give up Damian Lillard, there does not appear to be a whole lot else out there which would address Portland’s weaknesses and help to get the best out of their superstar guard.

If the Blazers cannot pair Simmons with Lillard or bring in another player with significant defensive and playmaking qualities, then the new GM might have to look at a full rebuild as a serious option.

They cannot continue one with a Dame and CJ backcourt while neglecting the defense anymore and expect to win Lillard a title. But excluding these two, there just simply aren’t the deals out there involving the rest of the roster to make enough strides forward.

The two paths are clear. Trade McCollum and others to address the team’s shortcomings or blow it up. Moving on from Lillard should not be the primary option here and the Blazers must do everything they can to try to improve the team around him.

But if that cannot be done and they fail to start putting a different, better team around Dame, then blowing it up becomes the most viable path forward for all concerned.