4 Possible Landing Spots For Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard has been loyal as can be to the Portland Trail Blazers but there have been questions about his future with the team after they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason. This team has tried and tried to build a successful roster around him but the results have been tepid at best. Is it time to change directions?

BetOnline has released odds on where his next team will be next season even though Lillard isn’t entering free agency. He will have to be the centerpiece of a trade if he somehow switches teams. Here we are going to take a look at the top four destinations for Damian this upcoming season. Kicking it off with one team that completely exceeded expectations last year.

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks were able to jump up the ranking with a postseason appearance, one that they haven’t had in a very long time now. They were able to make it there with a nice young core alongside some grizzled veterans to balance their roster out. Damian Lillard would take this young team to another level, as they were one of the best defensive teams in the league. With Lillard there, their offense would be able to step it up a notch and pair up great with a fantastic defensive scheme. All it would take is a couple pieces of that young core.

Philadelphia 76ers

After the Philadelphia 76ers completely collapsed in the second round of the playoffs once again, the team is going back into the market during the offseason. Ben Simmons had an absolutely awful series against the Atlanta Hawks, which could put him onto the trade market. The Portland Trail Blazers could be looking to jump into a rebuild, and trading for a very young defensive minded guard like Simmons could jumpstart their turnaround. Lillard and Joel Embiid would be a dangerous duo in this league.

Los Angeles Lakers

It seems like the Los Angeles Lakers are in the market for a point guard almost every year and this could finally be their chance to snag one. They already have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so even if they trade a few of their younger players they would have the talent to win the championship. The Lakers could be looking to do so after their guards underperformed in the postseason this past year. Lillard would slide into the starting point guard role seamlessly and would add yet another dimension to an already championship caliber roster.

Boston Celtics

Similar to the Lakers, the Boston Celtics have had some issues at the point guard position. Kemba Walker was solid for them last year but suffered too many injuries alongside inconsistent play. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are a fantastic duo on both ends of the court, but they desperately need more help in the backcourt. Lillard would lock himself right into that role, as both a scorer and a facilitator for Boston. The only issue in this scenario is that they would most likely have to surrender one of either Brown or Tatum in any trade package for Damian.