Damian Lillard has requested a trade to the Miami Heat, but another team is secretly pursuing him.
New York Knicks is the team that is trying to acquire the Portland Trail Blazers point guard to compete in the Eastern Conference. Here is the complete story you need to know!
Damian Lillard’s Miami Heat Hopes Dashed, But Could Knicks Be His New Home?
The Portland Trail Blazers star guard, Damian Lillard, is looking for a trade to another team. He wants to join the Miami Heat, but since the Heat isn’t offering the best package in return, the Blazers’ are not going to trade their star guard to them.
There is another team who has emerged as a potential trader for Lillard, the New York Knicks. As per Marc J. Spears of ESPN, the Knicks could acquire Lillard in the Eastern Conference.
Spears said:
“There are a few teams talking with Portland about Lillard in addition to Miami.”
“The Knicks could be the main mystery team that everyone is talking about. A huge goal for New York is finding a way to land Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard and Giannis have wanted to team up for quite some time.”
Lillard Wants Out of Portland — Will Knicks’ Mega-Offer Seal the Deal?
Lillard made his trade request on the 1st of July, and since then, the Trail Blazers have been busy obtaining the best offer for him. The Portland Trail Blazers have the option to trade him to any team since his contract does not include a “no-trade” clause.
A popular trade proposal on social media is circulating from Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report.
Bailey proposed that the Knicks should trade their RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier and Immanuel Quickley alongside a 2024 first-round draft pick (Detroit Pistons), a 2025 first-round draft pick, and a 2027 first-round draft pick.
Bailey writer in his NBA trade column:
“And while the fit between Lillard and Jalen Brunson would be far from perfect (that backcourt would probably be too small to lead an average defense), the offensive firepower would be terrifying.”
“The presumed starting five would be able to do plenty of damage from the outside with Brunson, Lillard and Quentin Grimes, while keeping Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson would allow the Knicks to preserve their identity as a team that can dominate the offensive glass.”
Damian Lillard is expected to request a trade to the Miami Heat if he gets traded to another team, per @flasportsbuzz pic.twitter.com/4OnAXscm2g
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 20, 2023
The Knicks could pair Jalen Brunson with Damian Lillard to form their own duo and protect the backcourt. In the previous season, the Knicks had issues with their backcourt, where teams easily scored against them. But this duo will be great for backcourt defense.
