New report details Damian Lillard’s conversation with LeBron James about joining Lakers
After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Los Angeles Lakers had one goal in mind for the summer: find a third option.
Dennis Schroder proved insufficient for that need, so the Lakers’ front office explored other possibilities. Names such as Chris Paul, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Buddy Hield emerged and receded, and Los Angeles eventually pulled the trigger for Russell Westbrook.
Another star guard mentioned was Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, whose team also suffered a dismaying first-round playoff elimination.
Lillard has been with Portland throughout his nine-year career, but a prevalent theme every postseason involved the team’s inability to make a deep run, something Lillard craves.
It turns out Lillard met with Lakers star LeBron James in James’ mansion, along with Anthony Davis, to discuss the possibility of Lillard coming to L.A., according to a report from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Here are the key details:
Lillard did not categorize the meeting as a platform for a recruiting presentation, but rather an information-gathering forum among respected peers.
“’Bron asked what I was thinking with my situation, and I told him what I’m telling you: that I just want to be in a position to win it all,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “He painted the picture to me that if I were to leave, the situation could look like this. He didn’t tell me to come to L.A., and he didn’t say anything to me that I didn’t already know other than what it could look like. I told him, ‘I know if I were to play with y’all, I know it would work out because of my skill set,’ and who I am and who they are.”
They all addressed their respective first-round losses, and what each team needed to improve its roster. Davis explained his transition to Southern California.
However, joining two of the league’s prominent stars in a major market didn’t settle well with Lillard, who has always been an opponent to teaming with other stars to make winning easier.
Lillard expressed his hesitancy to join any iteration of a super-team.
“I was just saying, I don’t know if this is the route I wanted to go,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “And that was pretty much how the conversation went.”
The meeting lasted for an hour and a half.
Lillard promised to keep them posted on what he decided to do, but the Lakers were already privately evaluating their options on potentially landing Lillard, sources said.
Unfortunately for L.A., it was accepted that acquiring Lillard from a conference foe wouldn’t be possible.
While Lillard waited for his Uber, James showed him the rest of the house and around the backyard. The Uber showed up after 20 or so minutes and whisked Lillard away. This much was clear: There was no way Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey would ever trade Lillard to the Lakers.
Though joining the Lakers wasn’t at the top of his list, that Lillard took the meeting with James showed how much he respected the four-time NBA champion and how much he was receptive to the idea of trying something new.
Lillard’s skills would’ve made for a more seamless fit than Westbrook’s given his consistent three-level scoring ability, even though he’s in a funk to start the year.
All the Lakers can do is hope Westbrook continues to learn and grow in his new role with the team as a third option to help lift the banner for title No. 18.
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