Damian Lillard Says He's "Not Going to be Playing for the Lakers"

In a recent interview with Complex, Damian Lillard revealed why he will not be playing for the Lakers.

Few stars have had their names tied to trade speculation this offseason more than Damian Lillard has. After making comments earlier this summer that indicated his unhappiness with Portland's roster, many believe it is just a matter of time before he is dealt from the Blazers.

Lillard recently said in an Instagram live session that he will not be leaving Portland, but followed that statement by saying, "Not now at least." For many, this affirmed their belief that Lillard's departure from Portland is simply a matter of time.

As has become commonplace in NBA circles every time a star player becomes available, Damian Lillard began seeing himself photoshopped into Lakers jerseys. Before the trade for Westbrook, there were people who believed the Lakers may try to swing a deal for Lillard.

In a recent interview with Complex, Lillard said, "The Lakers just traded for Russell Westbrook... I'm not going to be playing for the Lakers." For both logistical and financial reasons, the Lakers would be unable to add Lillard to a team that is now paying Russell Westbrook over $41M per year.

Because Lillard's frustration with Portland is directly tied to their inability to build a championship contender around him, it is likely he would be disinterested in a trade to anywhere but a team in that tier. With the Lakers crossed off the list, could the Clippers potentially be in play? Probably not.

Unless Lillard were to demand a trade to the Clippers specifically, and threaten to sit out if he lands anywhere else, the team is hardly in a position to deal for a player of his caliber. Lillard is owed an average of $45M per year over the next three seasons, meaning the Clippers would need to send out at least that much in salary to make a deal work. Doing this without adding Paul George would nearly impossible.

A combination of Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris, and Luke Kennard can begin to make a trade work financially, but Portland would hang up the phone immediately if that was the offer they received for their 6x All-Star. Because the Clippers sent nearly all of their future first round picks to Oklahoma City in 2019, they would be unable to sweeten a potential Lillard deal with the number of picks Portland would demand.

While Dame says he will not be playing for the Lakers, it is hard to imagine a scenario where he ends up in Los Angeles at all.