Bad News for Sixers: McCollum 'Fully Expects' Lillard to Start Season With Blazers

With training camp a little over a month away, the Sixers are bracing for the idea that they might prepare for the 2021-2022 with Ben Simmons still on board. As the 76ers reportedly view Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as their top target, his willingness to give the Blazers another shot could cause the Sixers to keep Simmons.

But many believe it's only a matter of time before Lillard asks for a trade. As the star guard was reportedly growing concerned about the Blazers front office's ability to surround him with pieces that help them become a contender, Lillard admitted Portland missed out on acquiring some of the players the team wanted this offseason.

Is that enough for Lillard to ask to be moved? Apparently not. CJ McCollum, Lillard's co-star since 2013, continues to keep in contact with his fellow guard this offseason. As the two often speak to each other, McCollum is left with the impression that Lillard fully expects to begin next season with the Blazers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Discussing the Damian Lillard trade saga with McCollum this week, Wojnarowski seems to be under the impression that Lillard isn't going anywhere anytime soon. As he sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews on Friday, Wojnarowski offered an update on the Lillard-Blazers situation, which stemmed from his conversation with McCollum.

“I talked to CJ about the conversations he’s having and continues to have with Dame Lillard. They talk almost every day — every other day — and he talks about being really confident about how Dame Lillard feels about being back in Portland this year and about being committed to this team. He fully expects to start the season with Dame Lillard.”

Lillard beginning the season with the Blazers is bad news for the Sixers. While Daryl Morey and Philly's front office could certainly trade Ben Simmons any day now, they've consistently been linked to Lillard, who was expected to request a trade at some point this offseason.

Now that signs are beginning to point towards Lillard staying in Portland, that leaves the Sixers in a tricky situation. From the jump, it's been clear the Sixers want another All-Star caliber player in return for Simmons. As several teams have inquired about Simmons, they didn't exactly have or offer what the Sixers are looking for.

Portland could acquire Simmons and more from Philly if Lillard is available, but that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment. The 76ers will either have to remain patient and hope things change in Portland sooner than later, or else they'll need to salvage the situation between Simmons and the organization. If both situations mentioned don't go the Sixers' way, then they'll have no choice but to lower their demands for a Simmons trade and wash their hands of the situation. 

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