When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top F1 stories again Portland Trail Blazers point guard Lillard has been linked with a trade to the Lakers this week after hinting he would be happy to play alongside LeBron James in Los Angeles during a Twitter Q&A with fans. Leonard, meanwhile, is believed to be the Lakers’ top target after informing Spurs officials of his desire to be traded last month, with Los Angeles his preferred destination. The Spurs are believed to be playing hardball in negotiations however, demanding the Lakers give up a large part of their young core packaged with a raft of future draft picks in order to get their hands on the 27-year-old. As such, the Lakers are said to be considering waiting until the summer of 2019, when Leonard becomes an unrestricted free agent, to continue their pursuit of the 2014 Finals MVP.<doc-sep>Getting LeBron James to join your team is a boost to your organization in so many ways. First, you get one of the best players -- possibly the best player -- to ever grace the basketball court. But another benefit is that having LeBron on your roster tends to attract other stars who want to play alongside him for the chance to win titles. The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping this is the case for them, which makes All-NBA point guard Damian Lillard's tweet on Wednesday morning even more interesting. A fan asked Lillard how he would feel if the Portland Trail Blazers traded him to Los Angeles to play with LeBron James. There are many answers that would have been typical: "I don't think about those things, I just play basketball." "I'm a Blazer until someone tells me otherwise." "I want to finish what I've started here in Portland." Also an option: not replying. Instead, Lillard raised some eyebrows. This response might seem harmless, just a player telling his fans that he tries not to get worked up about situations out of his control, like being traded to another team. But there is more than meets the eye with this potentially innocuous tweet. Lillard had a mysterious meeting with Blazers owner Paul Allen in January, reportedly to discuss the team's direction. From ESPN's Chris Haynes: In the weeks leading up to the meeting, Allen feared Lillard would request a trade, sources said, but a trade request was not made. The two-time All-Star made it clear, though, that he has championship aspirations and wanted to fulfill those lofty goals during the remaining years of his prime window. After a strong finish to the season, the Blazers secured the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but suffered an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, leaving many to question whether the combination of Lillard and backcourt-mate CJ McCollum can ever lead Portland to playoff success. Also, Lillard was clearly upset that the Blazers allowed former teammate Ed Davis to agree to a deal with the Nets on the first night of free agency. Lillard called Davis a friend and a "comfort blanket" back around the trade deadline, and tweeted a broken heart emoji when the news broke early Sunday morning. All this to say, sometimes a tweet is not just a tweet. Lillard could have ignored the question about LeBron and the Lakers, but he willingly let it be known that he'd be a "happy camper" if the Blazers traded him. Portland clearly has some question marks about its future, and owes Lillard nearly $90 million over the next three seasons. The Blazers have been swept in the first round of the playoffs each of the last two years, so it will be interesting to see if they consider moving Lillard or McCollum.<doc-sep>
Damian Lillard doesn’t want to be traded to LeBron James’ Lakers. But he isn’t exactly shooting the idea down. When asked on Twitter on Wednesday if he would be happy should the Blazers deal him to LA, Lillard replied, “I’m typically a happy camper.” Lillard has played his entire six-year career in Portland, where he’s been an All-Star three times, but never made significant headway in the playoffs. In January, according to ESPN, he had a meeting with owner Paul Allen, who feared Lillard would request a trade because of his title aspirations. Lillard never did. Asked about DeMarcus Cousins joining the super powers in Golden State, he said: “People can do what they want. Its not about loyalty because this is business…it’s just not my style.” Whether Lillard’s thoughts of going to the Lakers mean anything of course, is an entirely different conversation. The Lakers just signed Rajon Rondo at point guard and have Lonzo Ball — the No. 2-overall pick in the draft just a year ago — to boot. Though they do have the cap space to afford a Lillard trade, there’s scant evidence suggesting that the Blazers would trade Lillard or that the Lakers are looking to get him, so for now, this is all fun and games. As for whether Lillard wants to be a Laker or was merely entertaining the possibility, he seemed to address that in a follow-up tweet. “Everything is a stretch,” he said. “Oh well.” But it’s the time of year when anything can happen and any stars can unite. The Lakers are building something interesting around James. Hoping they are open to ideas, Kyle Kuzma threw another name into the mix Thursday morning: Dwyane Wade.