With Damian Lillard suddenly available, the Lakers are a team that’s reportedly interested in the star guard.
On Tuesday, the free agency market got a surprising addition with the Bucks reportedly waiving Damian Lillard and stretching the remaining $113 million on his contract to acquire Myles Turner.
Given that Lillard had two seasons left on his deal and so much money owed, this was a scenario no one could have predicted.
Suddenly, an All-Star caliber player can be acquired and whenever that is the case, it won’t be long before Los Angeles gets mentioned as a possibility.
According to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Lillard is now a player the Lakers are interested in.
Not surprisingly, league sources say Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of his Bucks’ ending broke. League sources say the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are known to be among the many teams that would have interest in doing a deal sooner rather than later. The question is whether he wants to sign with a team now and rehabilitate while under their care or wait until next summer to reassess the situation.
It’s important to note that Lillard tore his Achilles during this season’s playoffs, so if the Lakers do bring him onto their team, he’ll spend all of next year rehabbing.
Considering he’s 34 years old and coming off such a major injury, it’s fair to be cautious on what he can give you and how much of a priority it should be to acquire him in free agency. Also, what level of urgency would the Lakers, and other teams, have in signing Lillard. Is it worth signing him now, knowing he’ll miss a whole season, thus using a roster spot on someone who can’t play?
While the Lakers’ interest in Lillard compared to other teams is unknown, we do know that LeBron James is fond of him. There have been reports that he’s wanted to play with Lillard for years, and he selected him as the first reserve in the 2021 NBA All-Star game.
First pick in the second round for #TeamLeBron: ⌚️ Dame time ⌚️ pic.twitter.com/gB3NOfkTLv
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 5, 2021
Things even went as far as LeBron and Anthony Davis personally recruiting Dame to LA with a meeting during the offseason in 2021 before the team eventually traded for Russell Westbrook.
Even as an aging guard, Lillard is still an offensive producer. He averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He shot 37% from 3-point range, which is one of his better shooting seasons in his 13-year career and made the All-Star team.
However, his defense continues to decline, and an Achilles injury doesn’t make acquiring Lillard any more compelling.
It’s not a surprise that the Lakers are interested in Lillard, but given their current situation and Lillard’s, it seems unlikely there will be a deal anytime soon. If Lillard remains a free agent while rehabbing, then things start to make sense for the Lakers down the road.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.