It’s happening y’all…Damian Lillard is finally unhappy with how things are going in Portland and therefore is coming to the NY Knicks!!!
(I wish)
All jokes aside, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, a writer who’s known to have a close relationship with Damian Lillard released a piece this afternoon stating the following:
"The enormous backlash from the Portland Trail Blazers’ process to hire a new coach and his concerns on whether a championship contender can be built have become factors that may push the franchise player — Damian Lillard — out the door, league sources told Yahoo Sports.Lillard has remained loyal to Portland in large part due to the tremendous fan base. But over the last few days, he’s seen some of those same fans attacking him on social media for a pending coaching hire he played no part in consummating, sources said."
This…is…huge y’all.
The Trailblazers have essentially been in damage control mode since before their season officially ended because the rumblings had started well before then.
Could the Knicks set their sights on Damian Lillard this offseason?
Chris Haynes also released an article prior to Portland’s playoff exit discussing how he believed Dame was ‘fighting the good fight alone‘.
Haynes said:
"Lillard plays through numerous injuries that go unreported and is one of the most durable players in the NBA. In a condensed season where the path to a title is pretty wide open, the Trail Blazers are proving to be playoff bait yet again.Simply put, Lillard has not received the help he needs to win a title in this era. As he turns 31 this summer and considering all he’s done for the franchise, a more aggressive, risky approach is needed in order to pair him with another bona fide star.No one has ever questioned the fight in Lillard. But it is fair to ask if he’s been fighting the good fight alone."
It’s known that I’m a huge proponent of the Knicks doing whatever it takes to snag Dame, as he’s my favorite player in the league.
I think I’ve written about the Knicks acquiring Dame more than any other player.
The timing with this all couldn’t be more perfect.
The Knicks are on an upward trajectory and could really use a shot in the arm to get a huge boost and go from a cute, overachieving team to legitimate contender status.
I don’t believe that just by adding Dame to the mix would the team become a championship contender overnight, but I do believe that within the next few seasons when adding the right pieces, it could happen sooner than later.
Adrian Wojnarowski was interviewed at the draft combine just a few days ago and he had mentioned that the Knicks aren’t enamored with any of the free agents from the 2021 pool, so they could either be looking to move up in the draft or perhaps go ‘BIG GAME HUNTING’ and acquire a disgruntled star…
Damian Lillard has entered the chat.
I’m just excited to see how the next few months unfold.