Damian Lillard Might Not be Satisfied With Blazers' Free Agency Moves

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard wants to remain as loyal as possible to the organization that drafted him. Last season, there was some speculation

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard wants to remain as loyal as possible to the organization that drafted him. Last season, there was some speculation that Lillard could try and force his way out of Portland.

But the Blazers star made it clear he was willing to stay and try to bring a championship to Portland. Following a first-round loss to the undermanned Denver Nuggets in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the narrative is beginning to change.

Lillard himself won't admit he wants to be traded, but there is smoke around the situation. Several reports have hinted that Lillard is frustrated with the Blazers, while Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Lillard wants to see how the Blazers build around him in free agency.

The start of free agency came and went at the top of this week. At this point, most of the significant names that were available on the open market are gone. While the Blazers made a few moves, was it enough to satisfy Lillard?

Possibly not. According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Lillard mentioned that the Blazers "weren't able to get 'some of the guys' they would have liked" during free agency. For the Philadelphia 76ers, that's a quote their front office is probably thrilled to hear.

As the Sixers are willing to part ways with Ben Simmons still, many past reports have indicated that Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey is just waiting for Damian Lillard to request a trade out of Portland. 

So far, the Portland superstar remains loyal to the Blazers. Still, perhaps the underwhelming new roster speeds up the process of Lillard understanding that the Blazers aren't going to go very far in the tough Western Conference with the team they have on board. 

In that case, he'll ask for a fresh start elsewhere and the Sixers will more than likely be at the front of the line to land his services. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.