Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, the subject of what feels like non-stop trade rumors, was once again asked about a potential trade.
During an interview with Showtime’s The Last Stand, Lillard was asked about hypothetically being traded to one of four teams – the Knicks, Nets, Miami Heat, or Boston Celtics – and which of those destinations he would feel okay with being dealt to.
“Miami, obviously,” Lillard answered quickly. “Miami is the obvious one, and Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. I think Miami is an obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. And both have capable rosters.”
Lillard, who will be 33 years old by the time the 2023-24 season begins, is under contract with Portland through the 2025-26 season, and he also has a player option for the 2026-27 season.
Lillard’s contract, along with what it could take to acquire the seven-time All-Star, could make any potential deal difficult to execute, and as Lillard said, a trade is no guarantee to get Lillard any closer to a championship.
Lillard reiterated that he wants to win in Portland, but if the Blazers don’t field a contending team, things could change.
“I think I’ve made it clear what my wishes are. I want to have the opportunity to win in Portland, and right now we’ve got an opportunity asset-wise to build a team that can compete,” Lillard said. “That would be the No. 1 thing, but if we can’t do that, then obviously, like I’ve said for months now, then it’s a separate conversation that we would have to have.
“We just have to let things take its course and see where it lands and go from there. But there’s no guarantee that I’d be playing in June, regardless of the situation.”
The Knicks have been in the hunt for a superstar for a few years now, and landing a disgruntled star in a trade is likely their best path.
Lillard could eventually end up being traded, but when he was asked flat-out if he thought he would be in Portland for the start of next season, Lillard sounded very confident in his answer.
“I do,” he said.