The Los Angeles Lakers need to make some moves and fast. They've been one of the worst teams in the NBA, and LeBron James isn't getting any younger, so they can't afford to waste another season.
It hasn't been three weeks, and Anthony Davis is already ailing with a lower-back injury. Russell Westbrook has been abysmal, and the newcomers look far from what they needed to improve from last season.
Unsurprisingly, the Lakers have been tied with multiple stars over the past couple of months. Now, Bleacher Report revealed that they could enter the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, should he become available.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Make A Major Move For Damian Lillard
"The second that Damian Lillard becomes available for a trade package, I'm shipping AD expresso, as fast as humanly possible to the Portland Trail Blazers," read the report. "If I'm the Lakers, the only reason why do not go ahead and trade away those two first-round picks is because I'm eyeing someone like Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard is way more valuable than Buddy Hield and also Myles Turner."
LeBron James Tried To Recruit Lillard
There was some chatter about the new Blazers front office potentially moving on from Lillard if they got off to a slow start. Notably, Dame himself admitted that he had already had conversations with LeBron James about it.
(Transcript via The Ringer)
“He was just like, ‘Pull up to the house and I’m like, sh*t, I’m out here. Tomorrow is the only day I ain’t got nothing planned out. I can pull up for a little bit.”
“We just chopped it up just about the possibilities,” Lillard said. “What’s going on with you?” Lillard said James asked him. “And I was like, ‘I really don’t know what we’re doing,’” he said. “It was just a conversation like that.”
“I wasn’t even looking at it like a recruiting process,” he added. “The whole time I was like, ‘I play for the Blazers.’ My only point is, let’s give ourselves a chance. I wasn’t sending any shots or sending no threats. I’m just honest. When I get asked a question, I answer the question. Because these questions had never been asked.”
Having Lillard next to James would pretty much solve every single issue the Lakers have shown this season. But then again, it'll all depend on whether the Blazers are ready to hit the reset button and start rebuilding.
