Getty Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis
A six-time All-Star says LeBron James and Anthony Davis tried to recruit him to the Los Angeles Lakers during the summer of 2021.
During an interview with Logan Murdock of The Ringer, Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard said he had dinner and wine with James and Davis at James’ house in Los Angeles. The three stars talked about the possibility of playing together on the Lakers.
“He (LeBron) was just like, ‘Pull up to the house,’” Lillard told Murdock. “And I’m like, sh*t, I’m out here. Tomorrow is the only day I ain’t got nothing planned out. I can pull up for a little bit. … We just chopped it up just about the possibilities.”
Lillard wound up staying with the Blazers, while the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. Lillard signed a four-year, $176 million extension with Portland in July 2019. The All-NBA guard then agreed to a two-year $121.8 million extension in July 2022.
“People make a joke out of it sometimes, like, ‘Man, he’s too loyal, he don’t want to win, he just want his money,’” Lillard told Murdock. “I don’t take nothing away from those guys. I think a lot of times because of my stance on it, people try to put my stance on it as if I’m belittling or I’m saying something bad about the guys that do move. And I’m not. I’m just standing on my square about what I believe. They can do whatever they want; if that’s what makes them happy, then do it.”
Lillard Wants to Retire with the Blazers
Lillard, one of the greatest players in NBA history, wants to retire with the Blazers. The Oakland native has no interest in requesting a trade from Portland.
“I want to win as a Trail Blazer,” Lillard told Murdock. “I want to win a championship where I am. I don’t think I would feel the same joy and happiness if I did it elsewhere. I would be happy, no doubt. Like winning a chip, you get that experience. But I know how I want it.”
Lillard has career averages of 24.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists with the Blazers. He is 531 points away from passing Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler as Portland’s all-time leading scorer.
Lakers’ Westbrook Experiment Was Awful Last Season
The Lakers missed the playoffs last season and Westbrook wasn’t a good fit next to James and Davis. The one-time MVP shot 29.8% from beyond the arc and was second in the NBA in turnovers.
Los Angeles tried to trade Westbrook all offseason. However, the franchise didn’t make a deal and Westbrook is expected to start for the Lakers this season at point guard alongside James and Davis.
Lillard would have been a better fit next to James and Davis than Westbrook was last season. Dame is a career 37.3% shooter from beyond the arc, while Russ is at 30.5%. Among 46 players to take at least 1,000 shots last season, Westbrook ranked 42nd in true shooting percentage.
According to an October 3rd report from Sam Amick, Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers seriously considered sending Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield before training camp started. While Westbrook wasn’t traded, the prospect of him being moved in the coming weeks and months remains real.