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The New York Knicks have stepped up their pursuit of acquiring a quality point guard this summer, and the latest NBA trade rumors suggest Damian Lillard is among the players on their radar.
The Portland Trail Blazers' fourth NBA playoffs first-round exit in five years sparked speculation around Lillard's future again. Additionally, their star point guard posted a cryptic caption on Instagram following the loss on Friday.
Here's what Dame wrote in his caption:
"“How long should I stay dedicated? How long til opportunity meet preparation” - @nipseyhussle."
Although he has suggested multiple times in the past that he would be loyal to the Trail Blazers, their failed attempts at having a successful post-season could see Damian Lillard's frustrations boil over.
Multiple teams and analysts believe there is a small window in which he might explore the chances of taking his talents elsewhere to win a chip.
NBA Trade Rumors: Multiple teams eyeing Damian Lillard, including the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, LA Clippers, and LA Lakers
According to popular NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith, multiple teams believe they have a chance to sign the player. Here's what he said recently about these NBA trade rumors:
"Several calls have come (the Blazers') way. You got a lot of teams -- about six or seven different teams -- who believe they can get their hands on him, they think they've got a shot. One of them includes the Knicks, who are scheduled to have about $75 million in cap space along with some picks. But also, the Clippers, the Miami Heat. And who knows what the Lakers may try to do. Stay tuned."
Damian Lillard has had a stellar MVP-caliber campaign this season, averaging 28.8 points and 7.5 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field in 67 games.
All the aforementioned teams mentioned by Stephen A. Smith have lacked a quality point guard this season. They have all been linked with some of the best point guards in the league, including Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Lonzo Ball and several others.
It remains to be seen what happens with Damian Lillard and how keen he is on not leaving the Portland Trail Blazers. The franchise has already started making moves ahead of the offseason and has mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Terry Stotts.
According to reports, Damian Lillard is expected to have major inputs in the recruitment of the team's new head coach. He recently told Yahoo Sports that he would prefer LA Lakers' current assistant coach Jason Kidd to be Stotts' replacement.
Also read: Portland Trail Blazers fire coach Terry Stotts after first-round exit from 2021 NBA playoffs: Did they make the right call?
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