NBA Rumours: Portland will trade Lillard to the Lakers, says Bill Simmons
Earlier this summer, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith claimed that Damian Lillard wanted to go to the Los Angeles Lakers. He also mentioned Lillard's reported meeting with the Trail Blazers' owner, to discuss his long-term future with the franchise.
Naturally, you'd be inclined to believe this was mere speculation. However in analyst Bill Simmons' latest podcast, he discussed the high possibility that Lillard could eventually be traded away to the Lakers.
Potential prospects analysed
Last season, the Blazers seriously struggled in the Playoffs. They were swept in the first-round by the New Orleans Pelicans and this year will certainly prove to be another difficult time for them, as the Western Conference has becoming increasingly competitive too.
With that in mind, trading Lillard away sounds like a good idea for them in the long-term. The truth is, the partnership between him and CJ McCollum is an over-rated one which doesn't particularly work all the time, nor is it good enough to fire them closer towards an NBA Championship.
In contrast, the Lakers are certainly a team that will improve this season. However, LeBron James' influence is not going to be enough - they need to add another star to their ever-improving roster. They failed to get Paul George in the free-agency period this offseason, but Lillard could prove a great addition for them.
Simmons suggested swapping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lonzo Ball, which might work and is justified too. Lillard is from Oakland, which is not far away from Los Angeles. He would not mind coming to the Lakers, as it'd be a kind of homecoming for him. It might be met with plenty of backlash, but could potentially prove to be a win-win situation for both sides if this were to happen.