Damian Lillard wants a $107 million contract extension

Lillard wants a two-year, $107 million extension in July, and he and his agent need the next general manager to sell ownership on the idea. As much as anything, this cuts to the core of the Blazers’ search process. His desire for an extension into his advanced NBA years has turned into a battle for the franchise’s future, an existential threat to reshaping and redirecting the organization in a post-playoff reality.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Greg Dickerson @gregdickerson13
Blazers guard McCollum out with collapsed lung espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
Hey @IAmJamesStewart Is it possible to……………..trade for lillard if Cj is out? Waka waka – 9:32 PM

Jamie Hudson @JamieHudson_
Blazers Injury Report:
Anfernee Simons (right ankle), Ben McLemore (left hip), Nassir Little (left ankle) & Cody Zeller (right quad contusion) are questionable.
CJ McCollum (right pneumothorax) and Damian Lillard (injury management) are out for Wednesday’s game at Golden State – 9:09 PM

Casey Holdahl @CHold
In more injury news, Anfernee Simons (right ankle), Ben McLemore (left hip), Nassir Little (left ankle) and Cody Zeller (right quad) are questionable while CJ McCollum (right pneumothorax) and Damian Lillard (abdominal tendinopathy) are out for Wednesday’s game vs. Golden State. – 8:42 PM

Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
The tell in the Woj/Dame article is that Woj doesn’t mention why Olshey was fired. In fact, he doesn’t even say Olshey was fired.
He just says “as Olshey exits the Blazers.”
It’s pretty transparent when Woj is protecting his guys. – 7:09 PM

Mike Richman @mikegrich
Dame woke up mad at Shams/Amick yesterday. Today’s he’s coming for Woj. You’re next Stein. – 6:25 PM

Sean Highkin @highkin
Inconvenient time for Dame to be injured and thus not made available to reporters. Hopefully soon. – 5:52 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Question facing Portland owner, new GM: Extend Lillard or trade him? nba.nbcsports.com/2021/12/07/que… – 3:53 PM

Sam Amick @sam_amick
ICYMI, in the wake of the Neil Olshey firing in Portland, a deeper look at the Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard dilemma and intel/insight on the question of what comes next, with @Shams Charania, @TheAthletic
https://t.co/k2wNvUl0Kj pic.twitter.com/GUpB4booAp – 3:28 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
My official prediction is that the Blazers don’t extend Damian Lillard and the next GM trades him. I’m prepared to be wrong about this for a multitude of reasons, but that feels like the right outcome for all parties involved. – 2:15 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
If Damian Lillard ends up winning this power struggle and pushing the Blazers into a mini rebuild, Lakers Twitter’s Robert Covington dreams might genuinely become possible. A Dame-centric timeline would theoretically make Talen Horton-Tucker more valuable than future picks. pic.twitter.com/PJ5yYRzlDs – 2:13 PM

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
All these Dame rumors, meanwhile this is me just waiting for @Chris Haynes to clear it all up. pic.twitter.com/P62qDKWV2Q – 2:04 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Looks like Ben Simmons “likes” of playing with Damian Lillard #Sixers pic.twitter.com/k7A16MUUUL – 1:08 PM

Damian Lillard @Dame_Lillard
Shoutout @ELLEmagazine for having me on #SongAssociation. How’d I do???
🎥 https://t.co/AkScMiaZb8 pic.twitter.com/KIEMVUf8rk – 12:54 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
From Quick’s story: Portland turned down Jrue Holiday for C.J. McCollum and three first-round picks.
I wouldn’t have done three. I probably would have done two if the Pelicans could’ve been negotiated down to there (with some protections). Jrue is Dame’s ideal backcourt partner. pic.twitter.com/rDO5sZREXU – 12:20 PM

Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
What’s next in Portland under Joe Cronin, how it impacts the future of Damian Lillard, and the many trade possibilities that now confront the Trail Blazers, at @BR_NBA: bleacherreport.com/articles/29511… – 10:08 AM

More on this storyline

Among several top-level GM candidates who fit the profile of Portland’s applicant pool, there’s no enthusiasm to grant Lillard his massive extension contract through the 2026-27 season. In fact, several executives told ESPN they would be far more interested in the Blazers job with ownership’s blessing to move Lillard sooner than later. -via ESPN / December 8, 2021

Now, Lillard’s group is privately selling the idea of trading his veteran teammates with value and rebuilding around him — on that extension. Some candidates initially believed that Lillard’s reps would have input with ownership on the next GM, but that has faded quickly. Rival GMs knew they had to work directly with Olshey to get deals done with the Blazers, that he had full autonomy to make decisions. -via ESPN / December 8, 2021