NBA Notebook: Lillard insists he's staying in Portland

The NBA offseason is fully upon us after another successful staging of the Association's annual Summer League tournament in Las Vegas. Here’s a look at the top stories from around "the league that never sleeps" in this late summer edition of our NBA Notebook.

NBA Schedule Released

After teasing us with its five-game Christmas Day schedule, the NBA officially released it's full regular-season schedule on Aug. 20. The season tips off on Oct. 19, and marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the league.

A few notable takeaways from the schedule include a matchup between first and second overall picks Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green on Nov. 10, when the Detroit Pistons take on the Houston Rockets. It likely won’t mean much for the playoff race, but is sure to draw plenty of intrigue.

Kyle Lowry face his old team, the Toronto Raptors, on Feb. 3, and we'll get a rematch of the NBA Finals on Feb. 10 when the Phoenix Suns take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Fans can also look forward to dozens of national TV double-headers as ESPN and TNT will continue to provide broadcasts on Tuesday through Friday nights.

Robert Williams Staying with Celtics

Robert Williams has developed into an athletic and impactful big man for the Boston Celtics as the team builds around other homegrown talent at the wing positions. In yet another move that marks a busy offseason for the Celtics, Williams signed an extension for four years and $54 million.

It's more than anyone would have expected Williams to have garnered a few years ago, but the shot-blocker saw his most minutes, points, rebounds, and blocks in 2020-21. This comes on the heels of the Celtics extending Marcus Smart for four years as well. The Celtics clearly believe their group of Smart, Williams, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum are good enough to win a championship.

Is Lillard Staying in Portland? 

Arguably the biggest trade target this offseason is Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. He and Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons are All-Star talents that can immediately turn a bad team into a playoff team and playoff teams into contenders.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Lillard once again tried to squash rumors of an impending departure by stating that he’s not leaving Portland. He followed it up on Instagram Live by saying "not right now at least." That doesn't leave Blazers fans feeling 100% confident on his future with the team, but provides some hope they’ll see their star in a Blazers uniform when the season begins.

Van Exel Returns

The Atlanta Hawks have one of the most exciting young guards in the entire NBA in Trae Young. They competed in the Eastern Conference Finals, and put a scare into the Bucks by winning game 1 in Milwaukee. Head coach Nate McMillan engineered an incredible turnaround for the team, and he is now bringing in longtime NBA guard Nick Van Exel to be an assistant coach.

Van Exel spent 14 years in the league and is surely intends to further Young’s progression as the Hawks go all-in on their young star.