The Portland Trail Blazers might want to head in a different direction for the upcoming NBA season. Damian Lillard has outgrown them already, and they might want to rebuild once and for all.
Should that be the case, then we could expect multiple suitors lining up to pursue him. From the Los Angeles Lakers to the Miami Heat or even Los Angeles Clippers, there will be no shortage of potential destinations.
However, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith believes the Philadelphia 76ers would be the best fit for Lillard right now, especially if James Harden decides to opt out of the final year of his contract.
Stephen A. Smith Urges Sixers To Pursue Lillard
“I would go the route of Philadelphia,” Smith said. “His loyalty to the city of Portland has been unwavering, and this is the closest that I’ve ever heard him sound to being anything different,but I think Damian Lillard needs to get the hell out of Portland as quickly as he possibly can.”
“To me, outside of Steph Curry, there isn’t a point guard in this league I’d take on my team more so than Damian Lillard,” Smith added. “I would take Damian Lillard over James Harden in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t think twice if I was Philly and I can get my hands on Dame and I had to forfeit Harden.”
Harden Might Leave At The End Of The Season.
Notably, Smith isn’t the only pundit who believes the Sixers could be up to something with Lillard. Harden is supposedly interested in a Houston Rockets reunion, so Nick Wright thinks it should be a no-brainer:
“There are those odd murmurs that James Harden might leave and go back to Houston,” said Wright.“If they flame out in the postseason, it could be a tough offseason for Philadelphia. I’m sure they would try to trade for Dame and remake the team that way.”
No disrespect to Harden, but he’s entering the backend of his prime, while Lillard is one year younger. Also, he’s an even more explosive scorer at this point in his career, so this would be a blast to watch for hoops fans everywhere.