Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G/F RJ Barrett, F Obi Toppin, G Immanuel Quickley, 2026 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2028 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2030 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: G Damian Lillard
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks were easy to read for a long time. The path forward for this team felt obvious. The Knicks were mediocre. It just didn’t matter. This team had a collection of draft capital and tradeable contracts – it was obvious that they’d eventually make a move for a star.
When they signed Jalen Brunson, that’s not what we’d thought had happened. Sure, Brunson was solid – but he wouldn’t move the needle for this team, would he? He did. In fact, Brunson broke out as a star in his own right with the Knicks.
Now, the Knicks need to find a dynamic co-star to help Brunson in the playoffs. His supporting cast proved to be a letdown. While there would naturally be concerns about a lack of backcourt size, would Damian Lillard be the right option to pursue?
Brunson has played with ball-dominant talents, with Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks being a prime example. Both players could play off of one another and would benefit from not having to shoulder such a heavy initiator load.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Damian Lillard, New York Knicks & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Where Lillard differs from Brunson’s former superstar backcourt partner, Doncic, is that he’s a more versatile off-ball shooting threat. Lillard is much more natural of a catch-and-shoot threat, which makes possessions flow well when he’s not running the show.
Should the Knicks and Blazers make this trade?
