NBA Rumors: Door may be open for Knicks-Damian Lillard trade

It’s no secret that the New York Knicks are on the prowl for the next disgruntled star to trade for. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently said that he believes that the Knicks could even make two trades. That talk will start to pick up once the offseason begins.

There’s a list of players that New York’s front office could be monitoring, and Damian Lillard might be the newest addition to that list. Sitting No. 13 in the West over four games out of play-in contention, Chris Haynes reported on Tuesday that Lillard would be shut down for the rest of the season. He had been sidelined since March 22 with calf tightness, but now fans will have to wait six months to see him play again.

Outside of his talent on the basketball court, Lillard is known for his loyalty to the franchise that drafted him No. 6 overall in 2012. Since then, the Trail Blazers have made it to the Western Conference Finals only once, where they were swept by the Warriors in 2019. The seven-time All-Star will turn 33 in July, so time is ticking.

Shams Charania speculated about whether or not Lillard has played his final game for Portland, which has opened up the floodgates about possible landing destinations for the guard if he does leave the Trail Blazers.

Is star PG Damian Lillard’s time with Trail Blazers coming to an end?

Before it became official that Damian Lillard would remain sidelined for the rest of the season, Shams Charania said:

"“But I think when you look at this for Damian Lillard, you now have to wonder if he plays another game for the Portland Trail Blazers.”"

Charania talked about how Portland has a lottery-protected first-round pick in the 2023 draft, so the higher that pick will be, the better. The Trail Blazers could decide to tear things down this summer and begin an official rebuilding phase. There’s no incentive for Lillard to hang around as he’s already given everything that he can to the organization.

That’s where the Knicks come in. New York has the assets that it would take to get Lillard to the city, but is that a route that the front office should want to take? The team already has their star point guard in Jalen Brunson, who has exceeded every expectation in his first season in NYC.

Would it be worth sending the farm to Portland for an aging star, no matter how good he is? That’s up to Leon Rose and Co. to decide. But if the Knicks do want to pursue Damian Lillard, who is owed $216 million over the next four seasons, this summer could be their chance to do so.

5 potential disgruntled superstars Knicks could be monitoring for offseason trade

With the Knicks still waiting to trade for a big-name player, here are 5 stars that the front office could be monitoring as the season winds down.