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The New York Knicks have shown interest in signing Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard. But the 31-year old All-Star, who has been sidelined for half the season, seems to have lost all zest in a Knicks move.
This could be linked to the Knicks' poor season. New York (25-32) is 12th in the Eastern Conference.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Lillard is no longer enticed by the prospect of joining the Knicks. The six-time All-Star was heavily linked with the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. But Philadelphia secured the services of Brooklyn Nets point guard James Harden, taking themselves out of the race for the Blazers' marquee player., at the trade deadline Thursday.
The Blazers have started a build around Lillard for the 2022-23 season. In their biggest move, the franchise traded CJ McCollum to the struggling New Orleans Pelicans. The moves left Anfernee Simons, CJ Elleby, Jusuf Nurkic, Trendon Watford, Greg Brown III and Dennis Smith Jr. as players who started the season.
The Knicks were reported to have stood a chance if they had procured DeMar DeRozan. The shooting guard, who is having a terrific season with the Chicago Bulls, is friends with Lillard and both share the same agent. Chemistry already exists, and they could be an explosive union on the court.
How have the New York Knicks fared this season?
The New York Knicks ended last season fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record. However, they had a first-round playoff exit, losing to the Atlanta Hawks.
This season has been the exact opposite for the Knicks (25-32), who are 12th in the Eastern Conference. With an average of 104.7 points per game, the Knicks are ranked fourth from the bottom in the league, but sixth in 3-point scoring per game.
The franchise has shown interest in signing Portland Trail Blazers point guard Lillard in a bid to boost the team. The trade for the six-time All-Star was a possibility for the summer with the Philadelphia 76ers also being a strong contender. All of which has changed in the space of a week.
