Even after he made it clear he’s not thinking of requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard keeps involved in rumors about a potential exit from the team.
The All-Star point guard has been linked with a move away from Portland since the end of the 2020/21 NBA season, but the player isn’t entertaining any of those rumors. Dame even engaged in a Twitter battle with a reporter claiming he would request a trade from the Blazers.
All those rumors will keep coming in the next couple of weeks. The situation doesn’t look very promising for Portland regardless of what Dame says, and everybody is trying to guess where he’ll play next. Stephen A. Smith made a case for his beloved New York Knicks, claiming they are the frontrunners in this race for Lillard’s services.
“If [Damian Lillard] were to get traded from Portland, New York Knicks would be his number one destination,” the analyst said.
Stephen A Smith: "If [Damian Lillard] were to get traded from Portland, New York Knicks would be his number one destination."
Also mentions Lillard’s ability to recruit players like Tatum and Embiid to a big market like New York
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 1, 2021
Moreover, Stephen A. added that Lillard could attract important players to the Big Apple, naming Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid as potential candidates to join the guard.
Dame has become one of the best players in the league after all these years with the Blazers. He’s shown his talents season after season, but it’s time to face a new challenge if his team doesn’t put him in a good position to win the championship.
This situation can be frustrating for a competitor like Dame, and if he feels his time in Portland is over, the Knicks will be interested in landing him this offseason. According to Smith, they have an excellent chance to lure him away from Moda Center.
