Damian Lillard wasn’t surprised by the question. How could he be? Nearly a decade in Portland, half of which has been spent by everyone wondering when Lillard was going to catch the next Alaska Airlines flight out of town. Never mind that Lillard has signed not one but two contract extensions with the Trail Blazers, the most recent a four-year, $196 million deal that keeps him tied to Portland through at least 2024. It seems everyone is waiting for Lillard to force his way out.
And so it was on Sunday, during Lillard’s All-Star media availability, that Lillard was asked—again—about his future in Portland.