Damian Lillard

This is the trade that all New York Knicks fans have been waiting for. When they acquired the extra draft picks from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, it was with the idea they would be able to parlay them into a superstar down the road. That superstar could very well be Damian Lillard.

If Damian Lillard goes through with requesting a trade soon, as it has been reported will happen, the Knicks will aggressively pursue a trade for him. Portland would assuredly ask for RJ Barrett in any return package, but New York has to do everything in their power to keep him.

Surrendering RJ Barrett, along with young players such as Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Kevin Knox, and the multiple first-round picks Portland would as for would bring up bad memories of when they acquired Carmelo Anthony but surrendered the whole farm to do so, leaving the roster bare.

New York should be willing to include any amount of draft picks to land Damian Lillard if it means keeping Barrett. Having a trio of Lillard, Julius Randle and Barrett would give the Knicks something to work with.

READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Lillard, LaVine, Simmons, Sexton

Surrendering RJ Barrett along with all of their other assets would give them a middle-of-the-road team without many avenues for improvement.