Lakers Trade Rumors: Is Damian Lillard An Option For LA? Why A Deal With Portland Is Unlikely

With the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs seemingly far away from coming to an agreement on a Kawhi Leonard trade, a new player has entered the conversation regarding which All-Star L.A. might go after. There’s speculation now that Damian Lillard could play alongside LeBron James in the 2018-2019 NBA season.

Lillard’s situation isn't anything like that of Leonard, who has demanded a trade and told San Antonio that he won’t re-sign with the team when he’s eligible to become a free agent next summer. Leonard has also indicated that he wants to be in Los Angeles, though there are conflicting reports regarding whether he prefers to be a Laker or a Clipper.

The Portland Trail Blazers have no need to trade their starting point guard, who is under contract for three more years. Lillard is coming off the best season of his career in which he led his team to the No.3 seed in the Western Conference and was named an All-NBA First Team selection.

A recent tweet by Lillard in response to the idea that he could be traded to Los Angeles has ramped up the talk about the possibility of the Blazers and Lakers making a deal.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported that Lillard is happy in Portland, but he would entertain the idea of going to the Lakers or New York Knicks in search of competing for a title. Adding Lillard to the Lakers might make Los Angeles the biggest threat to the Golden State Warriors in the West. The Knicks aren’t anywhere close to being a championship contender, though that could change in 2019 when New York plans to have the cap space necessary to add a superstar.

Because of Lillard’s contract, no trade would happen unless the Blazers want to move on from the 27-year-old. Why would Portland get rid of their best player in the prime of his career?

Portland’s lack of playoff success has fueled much of the speculation that the Blazers might consider making a deal. Despite their 49-33 record last season, Portland was swept in the first round by the New Orleans Pelicans. The team also failed to win a game against the Warriors in the opening round of the 2017 playoffs.

The Blazers have one of the NBA’s best backcourts with Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The duo has combined to average over 48 points per game in each of the last two seasons. They’ve also produced no playoff victories during that time.

Golden State became the exception when they won the 2015 championship with two guards as their best players. The Toronto Raptors have found it difficult for their regular-season success to translate in the postseason with guards being their two best players. Portland is in a similar spot.

Portland doesn’t have a realistic chance to be in title contention next season. If they consider reshaping their team, Los Angeles might prove to be the perfect trade partner. The Lakers can offer a young point guard in Lonzo Ball to replace Lillard in the backcourt, in addition to offering a potential future All-Star in Kyle Kuzma or Brandon Ingram, who L.A. currently seems driven to keep.

All of that makes sense from the Lakers’ perspective. After signing the best player in the NBA, Los Angeles hopes to get back in the championship picture next year. James showed in Cleveland that he can’t do it alone, needing Kyrie Irving by his side to bring the Cavs their first title. Lillard and Irving are similar players, and a trade with the Blazers would at least give L.A. a chance to do something special in 2018-2019.

But from Portland’s perspective, it’s not likely a trade they are rushing to make. They’ve got one of the five players that were named to the All-NBA First Team and dealing that star to a division rival just a few months later doesn't make much sense, especially when he’s under control for three more years.

It’s rare that a star player gets dealt with so much time left on their contract. Irving only had two years remaining on his deal when Cleveland sent him to Boston. Paul George was a year away from free agency when Indiana traded him to Oklahoma City, and Leonard can opt out of his contract next summer.

Maybe it’s a conversation that will be had in a year after another first-round exit. Lillard will be a year closer to free agency, and James will be a year closer to no longer being the sport’s best player. If the Lakers can’t give him a superstar teammate this offseason, you can be sure team president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka will make it happen next summer.

A Lillard to Los Angeles trade makes for a fun discussion, but in reality, it’s not a deal that will likely happen anytime soon.