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Josh Hart resorts to tampering in effort to recruit Damian Lillard to Knicks

By Jordanna Clark

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 14: Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks guards Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Moda Center on March 14, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. The New York Knicks won 123-107. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 14: Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks guards Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Moda Center on March 14, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. The New York Knicks won 123-107. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks fan favorite Josh Hart has been a busy man lately. From tweeting about breast milk to jokingly calling out Damian Lillard, Hart perhaps has actually spent too much time on social media.

Hart was traded from the Trail Blazers to the Knicks ahead of the February deadline. He was on the court in Portland warming up to play against Golden State when he learned that he was headed to New York. Lillard’s reaction to the news made its rounds and he said after the game that he “tripped on it for a little bit.” Hart spent one year with the Trail Blazers after being traded to Portland ahead of the 2022 deadline.

As New York fans know, it doesn’t take long for Hart to make his presence known. He’s a player that fans and his teammates enjoy being around, which is why he was surprised to learn that Dame didn’t give him a shoutout when the point guard was talking about hypothetical trades that could happen this summer.

Josh Hart does his best to try to recruit star Damian Lillard to Knicks

Whether or not Damian Lillard is going to request a trade from Portland is still unknown. The Trail Blazers have the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft but are reportedly looking to trade the pick for a win-now veteran that can be paired with Lillard. The 32-year-old has spent his entire 11-year career in Oregon but could finally be on the move after Portland has failed to build a contending roster around him.

Dame said that he expects to remain with the Trail Blazers in 2023-24, but proceeded to discuss the teams that he could be traded to. He was a guest on the Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer and revealed what team he’d like to be traded to the most between the Knicks, Heat, Celtics, and Nets if a deal were to happen. Lillard said he’d “obviously” be the happiest about a Miami trade and added that Bam Adebayo is his dawg.

Lillard said that Brooklyn is another “obvious” one because Mikal Bridges is his dawg as well. He forgot to give his former teammate Josh Hart a shoutout, which is likely because New York wouldn’t have the most interest in trading for Dame. The Knicks got their point guard of the future last summer by signing Jalen Brunson to a four-year deal and New York could want to try to pair Brunson and Lillard together, but that isn’t something that the Knicks should seriously explore.

In true Josh Hart fashion, he made sure to publicly let Damian Lillard know how he felt. It doesn’t seem likely that Dame will end up with the Knicks, but still, he can’t leave Josh hanging like that.

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