NBA legend Reggie Miller recently explained why he doesn’t believe the Los Angeles Lakers should trade superstar Anthony Davis for fellow superstar Damian Lillard.
“Absolutely not,” Miller said when asked if he would trade Davis for Lillard. “As much as I love Damian Lillard, Lillard has to have the ball in his hands to be successful. It’s what’s made him great. A great isolation, one-on-one, high pick-and-roll player. For LeBron [James], what he’s done throughout his career, needs the ball to be successful. I don’t think they would play well off of one another. I just don’t. And I think that’s why Anthony Davis is a perfect complement, if he can stay healthy, to LeBron.”
There is a lot of truth to the notion that Lillard is at his best when he has the ball. In the 2020-21 season, he was one of the best shot creators in the league. He averaged 28.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from deep.
There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Lillard with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was reportedly unhappy with the way the team’s coaching search unfolded. Additionally, Portland has failed to make it to the NBA Finals with Lillard at the helm.
With the Lakers coming up short in their title defense this season, there has been some talk of Lillard potentially landing with Los Angeles. However, as Miller said, losing Davis in the potential trade would likely be a dealbreaker.
In the 2020-21 season, Davis averaged 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
