Damian Lillard has brutal take on recruiting players to Portland

Much has been made of Damian Lillard’s desire to win a championship, and whether he can do that playing in Portland. The star guard brushed aside that chatter in pretty brutal fashion when asked about it.

Lillard appeared on Draymond Green’s podcast “The Draymond Green Show,” and the pair got to discussing how many NBA stars go about playing together. Lillard noted that he has not played with another All-Star since his third season in the league, when he and LaMarcus Aldridge were still teammates with the Trail Blazers.

Green asked Lillard if the Portland guard felt it was difficult to attract stars because of the city he plays in, but Lillard brutally dismissed that narrative.

“I think part of it is that, but I mean, people are going to Oklahoma City, bro,” Lillard said. “No offense, but people are going to Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.”

Fans in Oklahoma City and Milwaukee are not likely to take kindly to this, but Lillard has a point. Neither would be considered a huge media market or a big destination city, but high-profile players have starred in both places. Much of that is down to the draft and trades, but the Thunder did initially get Paul George to re-sign here, and Milwaukee did the same with Jrue Holiday after trading for him.

Whatever the case, Lillard is still hounded by trade rumors. His point about not playing with high-profile teammates is an interesting one, and it makes one wonder if he might be looking to team up with another star in the future.

Photo: Dec 16, 2019; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports