As well as the Los Angeles Lakers have played this season, some of their fans still dream of building a Big 3.
According to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, if Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard were to demand a trade, his top choices would be the Lakers and New York Knicks.
According to @NYPost_Berman, if Damian Lillard were to ask for a trade, “it’s believed” the Lakers and Knicks would be his top choices.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 4, 2020
There is absolutely no indication that Lillard will demand a trade, or that he has any real unhappiness about playing in Portland.
The Blazers are coming off a season where they reached the Western Conference Finals. Despite a dreadful start and the absence of center Jusuf Nurkic, Portland has a real shot at making the playoffs once the season resumes.
Lillard is one of the NBA’s true superstars, and at age 29, he’s in his prime right now. He’s putting up 28.9 points and 7.8 assists a game for the Blazers this season, both of which are career-highs.
Lillard is also arguably the league’s best crunch-time performer, with two playoff series-winning shots to his resume. It’s a quality that would be greatly welcomed in Los Angeles.
If the Lakers somehow landed him, it would allow them to continue to be title contenders after LeBron James declines or leaves L.A., given that James is 35 and has a finite amount of elite basketball left.
