Dame Time or not: Should the Portland Trail Blazers think twice before handing Damian Lillard a supermax extension?

The Portland Trail Blazers showed the basketball world that they are no pushovers this season. Without their third-best player Jusuf Nurkic, the Blazers advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

The Blazers, mostly labeled as an entertaining regular season team, toppled the #2 seed in the West in Denver Nuggets after a battle with the OKC Thunder. Damian Lillard vs Russell Westbrook was must-see television. They might have been swept by the Warriors but the Blazers held double-digit leads in three of those games showing that they could go toe-to-toe with the Splash Brothers. Late game execution was their downfall. As the Blazers look towards the future, everything hinges on Damian Lillard.

It was Dame Time this postseason. Lillard hit yet another buzzer-beater to beat the OKC Thunder; his second series-clinching buzzer-beater in his career. Lillard now qualifies for the supermax after making it to the All-NBA second team, averaging nearly 26 points and 7 assists during the regular season.

Lillard said at the Trail Blazers' final postseason press conference:

“In the past, a lot of people didn’t really believe this was a real possibility. It’s like, they’re going to make the playoffs. They’re going to make some noise. Second round. But now it’s like, this the Western Conference finals. I think we’ve shown we’re capable. We can get it done. And I think our route here was as hard as anybody's. We played the Thunder. Great team. We played Denver. A great team.”

Lillard is expected to sign a four-year, $191 million supermax deal to extend his current contract. The deal would keep him Portland for the rest of his prime. Lillard has stated he would rather stay and try to build a championship team than chase a ring and join another team.

Damian Lillard is competing against Clyde Drexler for the tag of the best player in Portland Trail Blazers' history. The question remains going into next season and with a monster deal like the supermax on the books, can the Trail Blazers enhance their roster? Blazers most definitely need an All-Star big man or wing besides their backcourt duo for more playoff success.

Many feel that Jusuf Nurkic could’ve been the difference this season. Can he be that All-Star or has this team reached its peak? He averaged close to 16 and 10. He could’ve gotten easy buckets when Lillard and another star guard C.J. Mccollum went cold.

A supermax deal for Lillard will limit the Blazers' future trades and free-agent signings. The Warriors with KD seem to be unstoppable, the Rockets will be seeking to make upgrades, the Lakers are trying to bring in a star, the Spurs are the Spurs, and the Nuggets are on the rise. As deep as the West is, this season may have been the Blazers' last shot of making the Finals. Or can they outdo themselves in the next season? Only time will tell.