New York Knicks Receive: G Damian Lillard, OKC 2022 2nd Round Pick
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G Kemba Walker, G/F Evan Fournier, F Obi Toppin, NYK 2022 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), NYK 2023 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to POR), NYK 2024 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), NYK 2025 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to POR), OKC 2025 2nd Round Pick, NYK 2026 1st Round Pick (Unprotected)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: C Jusef Nurkic, F Kevin Knox II
Damian Lillard has not requested a trade and he has remained loyal to Portland for the 2021-22 season, but the clock is ticking for Lillard to make a decision about his future. He is now 31-years-old and while he is definitely an MVP-caliber player, his chances of winning a championship in Portland are slim to none right now.
This has to be weighing hard on Lillard and could be why he has been very cryptic when talking about his future in Portland. Again, he has not requested a trade and Lillard has expressed his desire to win with the Trail Blazers, but he has not said anything about his future past this upcoming year, as he shouldn’t!
If by some chance Damian Lillard becomes available during the 2021-22 season, all other 29 teams in the NBA will be on the phone trying to pry him away from Portland, but the New York Knicks actually have a strong chance to do so because of the assets they can offer up.
Any trade involving Dame would likely involve at least one other team to balance out some contracts and salaries, but Oklahoma City seems to be the perfect team to get involved since they need to reach the salary cap floor of about $102M for this season and since they have a plethora of draft picks to offer up.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
In this trade scenario, Lillard would be going to the Knicks, a team rumored to be favored to land Lillard should he become available, but he would not come at a cheap price whatsoever. New York would be giving up recently acquired Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier in this trade around midseason, as well as young forward Obi Toppin and a total of five first-round picks, two of which are first-round swaps.
Kevin Knox would also be on the move from New York, as would Jusef Nurkic from Portland. Both of these guys would win up with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the expense of two second-round picks from OKC.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
Giving up on Walker and Fournier after just 30-40 games may not be something the Knicks would look to do, but if Lillard becomes available it will be all-hands-on-deck for the Knicks as they will look to leverage pretty much everyone but Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett unless they have to.
If the Knicks were able to get Lillard in this deal, they would have a really strong chance to be something special in the Eastern Conference with Dame, Randle and Barrett, as well as key veterans in Burks, Rose and Noel. The only question though is if the Trail Blazers would be interested in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, especially if they want to look and rebuild.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
This deal could actually end up making sense for the Blazers though in order to keep them as a threat in the Western Conference. Walker, Fournier and Toppin are all guys who can contribute right away and having Kemba take over for Dame in the backcourt really is not a bad trade-off, especially if Lillard requests out and Portland has to move him midseason.
