Damian Lillard Reminisces About Old Knicks Trade Rumors


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Damian Lillard has always stayed loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Throughout his career, Damian Lillard has always made it clear that he wants to play with the Portland Trail Blazers until he retires. He doesn’t care for the concept of superteams and would much rather build a championship team with the franchise that drafted him. Lillard even signed a supermax contract with the team to demonstrate how serious he is about winning with the Blazers.

However, Lillard wasn’t always sure about his standing with the team. During a recent Vanity Fair interview, Lillard admitted that there was a time where he thought he would be traded to the New York Knicks. Rumors had been floating around and he wouldn’t have been surprised had something gone down. 

Damian Lillard

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“I thought I was headed there a few years ago; I was hearing trade rumors,” Lillard said. “The Garden is my favorite place to play.” Lillard on the Knicks would have been a sight to behold especially when paired with Carmelo Anthony. Of course, the two play together now but Anthony would have been closer to his prime at the time of this potential trade.

If you’re a Blazers fan, you have to be thankful that the trade never went through. Otherwise, the team would be a lot worse off.


Damian Lillard has always stayed loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Throughout his career, Damian Lillard has always made it clear that he wants to play with the Portland Trail Blazers until he retires. He doesn’t care for the concept of superteams and would much rather build a championship team with the franchise that drafted him. Lillard even signed a supermax contract with the team to demonstrate how serious he is about winning with the Blazers.

However, Lillard wasn’t always sure about his standing with the team. During a recent Vanity Fair interview, Lillard admitted that there was a time where he thought he would be traded to the New York Knicks. Rumors had been floating around and he wouldn’t have been surprised had something gone down. 

Damian Lillard

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

“I thought I was headed there a few years ago; I was hearing trade rumors,” Lillard said. “The Garden is my favorite place to play.” Lillard on the Knicks would have been a sight to behold especially when paired with Carmelo Anthony. Of course, the two play together now but Anthony would have been closer to his prime at the time of this potential trade.

If you’re a Blazers fan, you have to be thankful that the trade never went through. Otherwise, the team would be a lot worse off.