The NBA world was turned on its head this weekend when a deep rift emerged between Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
It began with Lillard firing off some controversial tweets regarding the Blazers’ new head coaching hire – and things just intensified from there.
From there, fan backlash apparently irritated Lillard so much so that he went to his media mouthpiece, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, and suggested he might be open to a trade.
This led to a lot of speculation about where he could possibly go.
Back in 2017, Lillard was presented with an interesting question: if he split from the Blazers, who would he want to end up with?
Lillard’s answer at the time: the Los Angeles Lakers or Utah Jazz.
If blazers said they didn’t want me… Utah Jazz or Lakers https://t.co/jep3V9qRsS
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 14, 2017
While the Lakers answer is fairly self-explanatory, the Jazz one is a head-scratcher.
That said, it’s unclear whether anything has really changed in the four years since Lillard provided that window into his mindset.
As things currently stand, four teams are desperately trying to make a play for the 30-year-old’s services. In addition, multiple teams are showing their hands regarding what they’d be willing to give up for him. The New Orleans Pelicans, in particular, have made it known that they’re willing to empty the cupboard for Lillard.
That’s one way to watch a game. https://t.co/rlfZSR4DDe
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 13, 2021
One way or another, it doesn’t seem like this issue is going away any time soon. Either the Blazers and Lillard will find a way to sort their differences, or the All-Star will soon find himself playing in a different uniform.
Buckle in – this promises to be a bumpy next few weeks.
Related: Brittany Matthews Twerks Like Crazy For Patrick Mahomes (Video)
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
