Blazers GM looks to keep their core together

Damian Lillard and Blazers in playoffs

As the top of the Western Conference continues to load up, the rest of the teams face tough questions going forward. One of the teams in the middle of the playoff pack in the West is the Portland Trail Blazers.

With limited cap room, roster flexibility is not at an all-time high. The next step, is either to keep the team or blow it up and rebuild. According to what Blazers GM Neil Olshey told NBC Sports, the Blazers are not done yet.

“We’re keeping the core together, knowing Dame [Lillard] and CJ [McCollum] have at least 3 years left on their contracts,” he said. “And we give that group the best chance to win without impeding our ability long-term in terms of being into a number that’s completely non-liquid.”

The Blazers are coming off a 49-win season en route to the third seed in the West. To add, the Blazers just re-signed Jusuf Nurkic to a 4-year $48M contract this offseason. Trade rumors swirled around Damian Lillard  this offseason surrounding the motivation of a rebuild.

With multiple tough contracts, and star players like Lillard, McCollum, and Nurkic signed for multiple seasons — it would be wise for Portland to stay in contention.

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