The Damian Lillard saga is anything but finished at this point. The Portland Trail Blazers All-Star has been linked with a move away from Moda Center since the season ended for the team, sparking many rumors about the player’s future.
In recent weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked with Lillard, trying to lure the point guard away from Portland to create a Big 3 in Los Angeles. A recent report suggests that the purple and gold could actually pull off a move for Lillard, depending on how high the Blazers value Talen Horton-Tucker.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the purple and gold could send a big package to Portland in exchange for Dame, but there’s more than one catch.
The Los Angeles Lakers only have the No. 22 pick, but if Olshey values guard Talen Horton-Tucker highly, he may be attainable for Lillard via sign-and-trade, along with Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell (if he opts in). Portland could look to re-route the veterans to other destinations for additional compensation.
This looks like a good plan for both teams, but a lot needs to happen before seeing if they actually make this trade. Lillard addressed his situation a couple of days ago, saying he expects to wear the Blazers jersey next season. Still, he claimed that the team needs to bring more talent to compete for the championship.
If they’re unable to do so, we’ll probably be watching Dame’s last days as a Trail Blazers. The Lakers also need to work things out before sending this package to Portland. It is an interesting idea for all the parties involved, but time will tell how the situation ends.
