Damian Lillard’s ex-teammate sends 1-word tweet that has fans wary of tampering
Dec 16, 2019; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard has finally requested a trade away from the Trail Blazers following years of rumors regarding his future in Portland.
Fans from all over the league are now actively daydreaming about Dame rocking their respective favorite teams’ threads. Add New York Knicks forward Josh Hart to the growing list of people clamoring for the Blazers star’s services.
Lillard’s former teammate sent out a subtle tweet that raised suspicion among fans on NBA Twitter.
Hey @Dame_Lillard 🙋🏽♂️
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 1, 2023
Hart tweeted a hey at Lillard’s Twitter account, along with an emoji of a person raising their hand to say “hi.”
The simple “hey” from Hart had alarm bells going off as a few people immediately flagged him for borderline tampering with another team’s player.
Josh we can’t afford more tampering penalties
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) July 1, 2023
Tampering pic.twitter.com/rBwq8phIa3
— NetsKingdom 👑🗽 (@NetsKingdomAJ) July 1, 2023
Hart and Lillard played together for parts of two seasons up until Hart was traded to the Knicks before the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Perhaps if Lillard played for Villanova during his college days, New York would have a better shot given the Wildcat superteam they’re forming in the Big Apple. But alas, the Weber State alum seems to be leaning elswhere.
Lillard’s sights appear to be set on the sunny shores of South Beach to form the next Heat Big 3 with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. It’s reportedly Miami-or-bust for the 7-time All-Star, who’s seeking an ideal culture fit amongst the teams that offer him a chance to compete for a championship.
Lillard will turn 33 before the start of next season, but he’s hardly shown any signs of slowing down thus far. He averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game on 46.3% shooting from the floor through 58 games last season. He also connected on 4.2 three-pointers per contest on 37.1% from deep. All of those figures are either career-highs for the Blazers star or very close to it.
There’s little doubt that whichever team ultimately wins the Lillard sweepstakes will get an instant boost to their title chances.
