Lakers Trade Rumors: How LA can land Damian Lillard in the summer
By Keith Rivas
The latest Lakers trade rumors offer a summer scenario that gives a way out of Portland for Damian Lillard.
Nothing is officially linking Damian Lillard, the Los Angeles Lakers, or a potentially trade between LA and Portland, but there is reason to believe that we could be seeing or nearing the end of the Lillard era in the Pacific Northwest.
As reported by Yahoo Sports, Lillard requested a meeting with owner of the Trail Blazers, but didn’t ask to be dealt somewhere else — yet. The meeting reportedly focused on what direction the team was heading, and didn’t seem to end with a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.
This leads, of course, to tons of speculation as to what the future beyond this season actually holds for Damian Lillard. One meeting about what comes next for a team that isn’t exactly a title contender and has fallen short over the last couple of seasons in the early rounds might be enough for now, but what about summertime?
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
Well, if the Los Angeles Lakers can swing someone like Paul George soon enough, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to have that be the first superstar domino to fall. And there’s no guarantee that LeBron James is joining Magic Johnson’s team, particularly given the issues that could arise with LaVar Ball, but someone like Damian Lillard might be exactly the kind of player that can help the locker room navigate that storm.
What’s clear above everything else is that Lillard cares deeply about what direction his basketball career and future is headed. If Portland doesn’t sound like it’s ready or aiming to put together a high-powered contender as soon as possible, LA will be a lot more attractive in July than the way they are right now.
In the event that Lillard might want out of Portland, here’s a look at a trade scenario that could do down in the summer.