Jalen Brunson did absolutely everything he could to keep the New York Knicks’ season alive. However, it just wasn’t to be. His co-stars couldn’t step up enough to help him out. And in the end, they ended up crashing right out of the playoffs in just 6 games against the Heat. ESPN analyst, Stephen A Smith is known to be an avid fan of the Knicks and has been so for practically his whole life. So when he was forced to feel disappointment yet again, he decided that it was time to get desperate, naming Damian Lillard as the franchise’s ‘must acquire’ player of this offseason for his favorite franchise.
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Damian Lillard on the other hand is famous for being the poster child of the bad side of ‘loyalty’ in the NBA. At the end of the day, there isn’t much you can win when your franchise continues its incompetence at pairing you with the right pieces from the start of your career all the way until your late prime. So, perhaps Stephen A Smith’s words are worthy of being looked into.
Stephen A Smith claims Damian Lillard is the best potential target for the Knicks
Julius Randle is a very good player. However, to have him as even the second option isn’t fitting for a championship team. At the end of the day, no matter how good he is during the NBA regular season, Randle appears to shrink when it matters most in the postseason. Instead, you need a clutch star to pair with Jalen Brunson who can get buckets in bunches. And according to Stephen A Smith, that player is Damian Lillard. Take a look at the tweet by the analyst below.
Pain.
I want Dame. pic.twitter.com/KAvmQI4hCX
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 13, 2023
“Pain… I want Dame (Damian Lillard).”
Of course, it has been famously difficult to get Damian Lillard out of Portland. After all, the man just refuses to leave. However, he has been dropping hints here or there for a while now about considering a switch. So perhaps, we could be closer to a Damian Lillard move away from Portland than anyone expected.
But will he really choose the New York Knicks? Only time will tell.