“When he thinks about the New York Knicks, he thinks about going to the top market in the country” - Stephen A. Smith believes Damian Lillard will only leave the Portland Trail Blazers for the New York Knicks

Damian Lillard is one of the biggest stars in the NBA, and many NBA analysts think his time with the Portland Trail Blazers might be coming to an end. Steve A. Smith, on ESPN’s NBA Countdown show, came out and said that if Lillard does get traded, it will be to the New York Knicks.

The deification within the Blazers front office and owners seems to be the main reason why analysts believe it is time for Lillard to request a trade. The Blazers have hired a first-time head coach this season and have recently fired their general manager.

On top of that, the Blazers have never really been considered legitimate NBA Finals contenders in all of Damian Lillard’s time in Portland. The front office has constantly failed him by putting sub-par rosters together that cannot defend. The team relies on Lillard to carry them into the playoffs and then make magic happen, which he has done multiple times.

Despite all this, Lillard has been loyal to the Blazers' fan base and franchise and has been adamant about staying in Portland, almost to the detriment of his career. Stephen A. Smith believes that if the Knicks do offer a trade, that is the one team Lillard would want to play for.

Smith said on television:

“The only thing that would really tickle him and make him want to leave Portland, believe it or not, is going to the New York Knicks… But when he thinks about the New York Knicks, he thinks about the top market in the country, thinks about marketability.”

Smith would also say that if Lillard were in New York, it would make it easier for him to recruit other stars to come and play alongside him. This has been a big issue while in Portland. The team simply could not bring in All-Star free agents to put alongside Lillard.

Smith would continue by saying:

“The New York Knicks would be his [Damian Lillard] number one preference.”

How does Damian Lillard get to the Knicks?

Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard with the ball

Damian Lillard has struggled this season, averaging under 25 points for the first time since 2014-15 and shooting under 40% for the first time in his career. His snuggles could be due to his recent abdominal injury, which will force him to miss some games.

The New York Knicks are also not playing their best basketball. They have officially dropped under .500 after losing an early game to the Denver Nuggets. This season, the Knicks are 14th in offensive rating and 19th in defensive rating. Their offense has improved since last season, which was 23rd, but their defensive rating has taken a massive step back from last season's third-best in the NBA.

On top of that, the Knicks do not have the assets to make such a big All-Star trade. The most valuable Knicks assets are RJ Barrett, who has a down year, Immanuel Quickley, and maybe Obi Toppin. That would be all the young Knicks players who have proven to be NBA-ready. The Knicks would likely need to trade a massive number of picks for Damian Lillard.

Furthermore, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau demands his players to play good defense. He recently took Kemba Walker for defensive reasons, with a 110 defensive rating. Damian Lillard has a career defensive rating of 112.

A trade that sends Damian Lillard to the Knicks at the moment seems unrealistic. However, if it is Lillard’s number one option, it should give Knicks fans some hope.