The Portland Trail Blazers are going in a very quick spiral downwards towards the bottom of the Western Conference with their most recent moves of the off-season. LaMarcus Aldridge will be leaving to go somewhere else, Nicholas Batum was traded, Arron Afflalo has opted out of his contract, and Damian Lillard wants his rightful money.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Via Real GM:
The Portland Trail Blazers may go through a rebuilding period if LaMarcus Aldridge departs in free agency, but they will be aggressive regardless in trying to sign Damian Lillard to a five-year max extension in the $120 million range.
Lillard figures to be one of the first members of the 2012 NBA Draft class along with Anthony Davis to receive a full max extension.
The Blazers created an additional $4 million in potential salary cap space by trading away Nicolas Batum for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh.
With Aldridge reportedly selling his house and telling the Blazers he will not return to them this season, one of their star players is gone and they need to make sure the other one doesn’t leave. They threw away a decent wing player in Batum and may lose Afflalo and Wesley Matthews throughout the summer. The only offensive threat will be Damian Lillard and with that the Blazers will not be able to make the NBA Playoffs in the Western Conference, not by a mile away. I truly liked Portland, and if they were bruised and burned when they walked into the Playoffs this year, they may have had a better chance at convincing Aldridge to stay, but when your team loses in 5 and you are the 4th seed in the West, there is an issue. Could we see the Blazers lottery bound soon again?
