Despite failing to acquire their top targets last summer, the New York Knicks still haven’t fully given up with their hope of adding a legitimate superstar to their roster. With the improvements shown by Julius Randle and RJ Barrett in the 2020-21 NBA season, the Knicks are expected to be more aggressive in building a title-contending team in the 2021 offseason.
With their collection of young and promising talents and future draft assets, the Knicks would be in a strong position to engage in a blockbuster deal this summer.
Damian Lillard Goes To New York
One of the big names that the Knicks could target on the trade market in the 2021 offseason is All-Star point guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. In a recent article, Brad Dressler of Fansided’s Daily Knicks talked about the trade speculations linking Lillard to the Knicks. The Trail Blazers may not have shown a single indication that they are planning to move Lillard this summer but if they suffer another early elimination in the playoffs, he may finally consider following in the footsteps of other superstars and start finding his way out of Portland.
The Proposed Blockbuster Trade
Once Lillard becomes officially available on the trading block, Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose is expected to do everything he can to bring him to New York this summer. Dressler came up with a blockbuster trade idea that would enable the Knicks to acquire Lillard from the Trail Blazers in the 2021 offseason. In the proposed trade scenario, the Knicks would be sending a package that includes Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Frank Ntilikina, three future first-round picks, and two pick swaps to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Lillard.
Trading For Damian Lillard Should Be A No-Brainer For Knicks
The Knicks wouldn’t definitely think twice before sacrificing all those assets to acquire Lillard. The potential arrival of Lillard would fulfill the Knicks’ dream of adding a legitimate superstar to their roster. He would give them a massive upgrade at the starting point guard position and provide them with a major boost in terms of scoring, playmaking, rebounder, and floor-spacing.
This season, he’s averaging 28.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. If Lillard meshes well with Randle and Barrett, the Knicks would become a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference next year.
Why The Trail Blazers Would Make The Trade
The Trail Blazers are only expected to push through with the trade if Lillard expresses his desire to leave the franchise. By sending him to New York, the Trail Blazers would be receiving assets that would help them rebuild their team in the post-Lillard era. Quickley and Ntilikina would give the Trail Blazers two young and promising point guards that would try to fill the huge hole that Lillard would be leaving in their backcourt.
Robinson and Toppin would provide them with two young frontcourt reinforcements, while the future draft picks would allow them to add more talented prospects who could be part of their long-term future.
