Predictions About Damian Lillard's Blazers Status Isn't Promising for Sixers

All offseason long, eyes have been on the Sixers as they are willing to move on from three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. With Daryl Morey's willingness to deal

All offseason long, eyes have been on the Sixers as they are willing to move on from three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. With Daryl Morey's willingness to deal Simmons away and with Simmons being open to a change of scenery, the 25-year-old hybrid guard is the biggest name on the trade market right now.

While all eyes remain on Ben Simmons, the Sixers reportedly have their focus on Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. As Daryl Morey wants an All-Star caliber player in return for a trade that includes Simmons, it's been reported numerous times that Lillard is his main priority.

However, Lillard's unwillingness to request a trade from the Blazers will ultimately keep the Sixers away from landing their top target.

Despite rumors mentioning that Lillard was ready to request a trade "any day now" before the Olympics began, the Blazers star has yet to do so. And on Wednesday during an Instagram live session, Lillard reiterated he wasn't leaving Portland -- not yet, at least.

His own words make it clear that Lillard is content with remaining on the Blazers for now. While he leaves the door open for a change of heart, he's not quite there yet. In a recent roundtable discussion, several ESPN writers weighed in on the Lillard situation. While none of the five insiders ruled out a possible Lillard trade in the future, all of them seem to believe the Blazers will get a final shot this season.

Only Nick Friedell discussed a potential in-season trade during the ESPN roundtable discussion. "If the Blazers lose early and often this year, why would he want to stay?" Friddell wrote. "As a competitor, he has got to wonder what it's like to be on a team that competes for a title every year."

Meanwhile, the other four writers speculate that Portland will get an entire 82-game season and a playoff run to prove to Lillard that they are moving in the right direction. For the Sixers, that's bad news.

While Philly is in no sort of rush to move Simmons as they would likely have to sell low to get rid of him sooner than later, holding onto the veteran guard for a while isn't an ideal scenario. Things have yet to get ugly between Simmons and the Sixers, but training camp could be the start of an awkward situation between the two parties.

With Lillard looking to give Portland a shot, the chances of the Sixers trading for him are dwindling as the 2021-2022 season inches closer. Of course, Lillard could always change his mind if Portland gets off to an ugly start, but there seems to be a growing belief that the veteran superstar is going to give the Blazers another full season.

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