The summer of rumors for the Los Angeles Lakers has a new plot twist.
In addition to reports of Kawhi Leonard being interested in playing for the Lakers, Damian Lillard apparently also is interested in joining Lebron James to play in the purple and gold, according to Stephen A. Smith.
On ESPN radio, Smith stated that although Lillard isn’t advocating to leave the Portland Trailblazers, he is willing to leave because “no one wants to play in Portland”.
“It’s not about being in Portland. It’s about the reality that the franchise may not be able to get any additional help because no free agent wants to come play in Portland.”
Smith went on to state that if Lillard leaves, he’s only interested in the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lillard is currently in the third year of his five-year, $139 million contract. He is scheduled to make $27.9 million this year and is coming off of an all-star year averaging 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Given the recent response to a fan on twitter, which generated all of the buzz about Lillard to the Lakers, it begs the question on if Lillard truly is interested in playing alongside James in Los Angeles considering Lillard is from California. If the reports about him seeking to compete for a title are true, then this would theoretically be the best move. James has proven to play well alongside dynamic guards who can create their own shot, like Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving.
From the Lakers perspective and given the uncertainty surrounding the Leonard trade scenarios, consideration must be given if Lillard expresses that he wants to play. James is 33-years old, and the window of winning at his physical peak is declining with every passing year. Lillard is one of the few talents worthy of trading for to instantly compete for a championship, although if the Spurs and Lakers can come to a fair agreement for Leonard, then that execution would of course be priority.