Damian Lillard sure knows how to twist the knife into Knicks fans.
The Portland Trail Blazers star did a Q&A with Vanity Fair's Lisa Robinson on Thursday, which touched on everything from basketball, music and race. At one point, Robinson said she wished Lillard played for the Knicks when the All-Star point guard dropped this little nugget:
"I thought I was headed there a few years ago," he said. "I was hearing trade rumors. The Garden is my favorite place to play."
Lillard did not elaborate, nor are we sure if he said this tongue-in-cheek or was serious.
But there is reason to believe there may have been the possibility.
In the summer of 2018, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith had reported Lillard was growing frustrated with the Trail Blazers' inability to sign major stars and would "entertain going to the Lakers or the New York Knicks."
The Knicks may have very well reached out to the Trail Blazers, or vice versa, but obviously nothing came of it. The Knicks still had Kristaps Porzingis on the team and not many other assets around him that would make for a viable trade package.
Lillard eventually signed a four-year, $196 million extension at the end of the season, and the Knicks traded Porzingis to the Mavericks for a handful of players and draft picks.
While we don't know the extent of trade talks between the Trail Blazers and Knicks – if there were any at all – just hearing Lillard say he thought he could be coming to New York is sure to leave a sour taste in Knicks fans' mouths.
Just add him to the list of stars the team has missed out on over the years.
