NBA Trade Rumors: Damian Lillard to form a 'big three' in Portland?
Damian Lillard is one of the best players in the NBA, and has been for a long time now. He has worked his way up and is now a common figure in everyone's list of the top 10 players in the NBA. Naturally, his has been a constant name among NBA Trade Rumors linking him to join another superstar at a fancy destination like one of the California franchises. However, Lillard has always been quick to squish those rumors, reiterating his love for the city of Portland at every opportunity he gets.
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Damian Lillard had statistically the best season of his career so far, where he averaged 30 points and 8 assists per game on great efficiency. The 30-year-old point guard is in his prime physically and mentally, and may never be a better basketball player than he is now.
Damian Lillard has genuine capability of carrying an underdog franchise all the way to the NBA Finals on his own, but it is clear that the Portland Trail Blazers need to support him with a better squad. One NBA Trade Rumor has suggested just the same which could see Damian Lillard potentially form a 'big three' with CJ McCollum, in his adopted hometown.
NBA Trade Rumors: Damian Lillard open to reunion with LaMarcus Aldridge?
When Damian Lillard entered the league as a rookie from Weber State University in 2012, then Portland big-man LaMarcus Aldridge took him under his wing. Lillard was already playing at an elite level as a rookie, and formed a solid duo with Aldridge.
LaMarcus Aldridge was already a star in the league back then while Lillard was still finding his feet, and was very much the go-to guy of the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, as Lillard began developing more and more as an NBA player, the Blazers' dependancy on Aldridge reduced. That, along with a failure to make it deep into the playoffs, resulted in LaMarcus Aldridge leaving the franchise in free-agency to join Kawhi Leonard at San Antonio.
Since then, Dame has developed into one of the superstars of the league, and has made the Portland Trail Blazers a strong team in what is a tough Western Conference. San Antonio Spurs, however, have faltered since losing Kawhi Leonard and are now in a rebuilding phase.
That means that the door is open for LaMarcus Aldridge to return to Portland where he had his best days as an NBA player. Any move would likely require a big contract like Hassan Whiteside to move the other way along with draft picks, as Aldridge is still a top-quality NBA player at 35. If that was to happen, the Blazers could have a formidable trio of their own with Lillard, McCollum and Aldridge, and could perhaps challenge for the NBA title at a stretch.
After all, anything is possible in NBA basketball, and this is one of the more realistic NBA Trade Rumors we have had in a while!
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