Damian Lillard, who has been committed to staying with the Portland Trail Blazers since he joined the NBA in 2012, may have changed his mind and be seeking a departure, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Haynes reported that Lillard's concerns over the team's search for a new head coach and their slow movement in trying build a qualified championship-contending lineup are pushing him out of Moda Center. The Trail Blazers fired Terry Stotts, who coached the team for nine years, after they were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round.

Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Chauncey Billups was announced as the new boss of Rip City on Monday. According to a previous report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Billups was one of Lillard's two preferred coaching candidates. The other one was Jason Kidd, who just became the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

Lillard has repeatedly promised that he will stay in Portland and he has given everything he has for his team so far. He averaged 20+ points per game since his second season and drained over 270 triples in both of the past two seasons. Lillard has left too many explosive moments on the court for the Trail Blazers in his nine seasons with Rip City. The team could not have remained in the playoffs for eight straight seasons if it weren't for him.

However, the Trail Blazers have not been getting any closer to the throne. They only reached the Western Conference Finals once in the recent five seasons and were swept by the Golden State Warriors, who were without Kevin Durant in 2019. The other four playoff trips all ended in the first round.

Lillard is almost 31 years old and does not have much time left in his prime. It's only logical if he wants to seek a ring somewhere else.

Every team in the league would want Lillard and his explosive scoring ability. Nonetheless, if he is chasing a ring, Lillard must join an organization that is either already a championship candidate or getting very close becoming one.

The Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers are all legitimate choices, especially when all five can use a six-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA Team point guard to add to their squad.

However, Lillard's contract may be an obstacle to any possible trade. His salary is about $31.6 million for the 2020-21 season. From next season, the four-year, $196 million deal he signed in 2019 will take effect and Lillard won't be able to opt out of it until summer 2024. Therefore, it will take a truly generous offer to convince the Trail Blazers' front office to agree to any trade, if they agree in the first place.

If any team can acquire Lillard without tearing apart their original competitive lineup, it will be true example of the art of deal-making.