After Clippers-Blazers trade, everyone is wondering what’s next for Damian Lillard
By Scott Rogust
The Portland Trail Blazers sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Twitter users are wondering what’s next for Damian Lillard.
The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 10, giving teams in playoff contention the opportunity to make a move to help them make a push for the NBA Championship. The Portland Trail Blazers are currently in position to participate in the Play-In Round, but not by much.
On Friday, Feb. 4, the Trail Blazers made a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. In said deal, the Clippers acquired Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick (via the Detroit Pistons) in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington.
After the trade was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Twitter users were wondering what is next for Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.
Dame Lillard: "I need help, trade someone to help me"
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) February 4, 2022
Blazers: *Trades away Powell and RoCo*
Dame: pic.twitter.com/2m5sLbprLs
https://twitter.com/DaKidGowie/status/1489685185671176202?s=20&t=hXOH-xxCyhr8ugSexWqWzA
Damian Lillard in the offseason: "Where we are isn’t good enough."
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 4, 2022
Blazers additions this season:
— Cody Zeller
— Tony Snell
— Ben McLemore
— Larry Nance Jr
— Dennis Smith Jr
— Eric Bledsoe
Somebody check on Dame. pic.twitter.com/DktEHIS9VA
Dame lillard said get me more help and I’ll stay and the blazers front office traded Gary Trent for Norman powell last year and traded Norman and Robert Covington for Eric Bledsoe today pic.twitter.com/V81qdl9n4v
— jw (@jwmedia12) February 4, 2022
I would be very curious to hear how the Blazers sold this trade to Damian Lillard.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) February 4, 2022
Damian Lillard getting ready to force Portland into the playoffs by himself after the trailblazers front office traded away his whole team. pic.twitter.com/qEOX2K6FXM
— At The Buzzer (@AtTheBuzzer1) February 5, 2022
Damian Lillard: PLEASE GET ME HELP
— George Coulouras (@georgecoulouras) February 4, 2022
The Blazers: Best I can do is Eric Bledsoe pic.twitter.com/2g7m3btCHi
NBA Twitter wonders what’s next for Damian Lillard after Trail Blazers-Clippers trade
As for the trade, Trail Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin told Ben Golliver of the Washington Post that they decided to trade Powell and Covington to the Clippers for “cap flexibility,” citing the NBA Draft and free agency.
Blazers Interim GM Joe Cronin explains his decision to trade Norman Powell & Robert Covington to Clippers: "Cap flexibility. The opportunity to clean our books up a little and just create more opportunities for this coming week and beyond, through the draft and free agency." pic.twitter.com/I1sF6Ql6Lg
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 5, 2022
Additionally, Wojnarowski noted that the emergence of Anfernee Simons gave the Trail Blazers reason to trade Powell.
Lillard is in the first year of his four-year, $176.3 million contract with Portland. He has been sidelined since the team’s139-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 31 due to an abdominal injury. Lillard underwent surgery on Jan. 13, and was expected to be evaluated six weeks after the fact, so it is unknown if he will actually return this season.
Through 29 games this season, Lillard averaged 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 40.2-percent from the field and 32.4-percent from the three-point line.
As for what will come next for the Trail Blazers, we will have to wait until the trade deadline. After that, the offseason will answer a ton of questions regarding what is next for the team and Lillard.
Related Story. The Long Two: Blazers face crossroads at NBA trade deadline. light