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NBA

Could Damian Lillard’s message to Durant become a reality?

Blazers superstar Damian Lillard took to Instagram Saturday, posting a picture of himself and Kevin Durant in a Portland jersey. Is this duo an option?

Update:
Could Damian Lillard’s message to Durant become a reality?
EZRA SHAWAFP

Just when it appeared Kyrie Irving sign-and-trade speculations would continue to make headlines through the weekend in the NBA, six-time All-Star Damian Lillard chose to change the conversation on social media.

The Portland Trail Blazers superstar posted a photo on his Instagram story depicting himself and Nets forward Kevin Durant decked in Blazers uniform. The almost-real photo echoes Lillard’s desire to play alongside Durant, who is still playing middle child between the Nets and Irving.

As usual, anything that turns the NBA conversation around on social media gets two different responses: actions and accusations. While there were a few comments accusing Lillard of tampering, others were suggesting possible trade options for Durant, while others were just fond of the idea, like Jusuf Nurkic.

The Blazers center also posted the photoshopped picture captioning puzzle pieces, meant to symbolize Durant as the missing piece to Portland’s game.

What does Durant say about Irving’s situation with the Nets?

The confusion surrounding Brooklyn regarding Irving’s contract situation has consistently brought Durant’s future with the team into question. But the 33-year-old has made it clear that he has no intention of getting involved with Irving’s future decision, whether that be departing the franchise via free agency or reaching some sort of agreement with the Nets.

How does Durant factor into Kyrie Irving’s future? Short answer is that should Irving choose to depart the franchise via free agency, it may well be that Durant decides to push for an exit as well. You can read more on that here.

What Durant and Lillard would look like together

The Blazers, on the other hand, are looking to build around their superstar Lillard, especially after trading away CJ McCollum in February. Having someone like Durant would only bring them closer to being championship contenders, but it is not guaranteed. Durant and Lillard both helped lead the U.S. men’s national team to win gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, in addition to sharing the floor at five All-Star games throughout their careers. Besides being familiar to one another, the pair were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team earlier this year.