With C.J. McCollum and Jusef Nurkic both expected to be 100% heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, the Portland Trail Blazers should definitely look like a much better team than they were last season with both guys banged up, but the Blazers still seem to find themselves searching for answers.
Hiring Chauncey Billups to replace Terry Stotts seemed like a questionable move by Portland’s management and they still have to deal with Damian Lillard’s drama all year long.
Since being drafted 6th overall in 2012, Damian Lillard has played all 9-years of his career in Portland and has turned himself into a legit MVP candidate, but his team still seems to struggle in the postseason year after year.
The Trail Blazers have made the Western Conference Finals just once since they drafted Lillard, but when they did so in 2019, they stood no chance against the Golden State Warriors and got swept 4-0 in that series.
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This offseason, the Blazers added Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, Tony Snell, and Ben McLemore for some more depth, but they lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter, and Derrick Jones Jr. in the process.
Portland does not have a roster that looks like a championship contender, which is why it is very real to assume that Damian Lillard could look to request a trade in the near future.
Lillard wants to win and if Portland once again cannot prove that this upcoming season, then Dame requesting a trade in the offseason or near the trade deadline is definitely not crazy.
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If he was to become available virtually every other team in the league would show interest in Lillard, but the New York Knicks could actually put together the best trade package for him.
They have draft picks, young talents, and “win-now” type of players who could all be on the move for the superstar point guard, giving Portland options on what they would do if Lillard was to be traded. With this said, let’s take a look at a future trade that would send Damian Lillard to “The City That Never Sleeps!”
