On December 16, Beijing time, the Blazers lost to the Grizzlies 103-113 at home, suffering seven consecutive defeats. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time that the Blazers have suffered a 7-game losing streak since 2015. The Blazers have been in a slump recently, losing 10 of their last 11 games and dropping to 11-18 and temporarily 11th in the West.
There is no doubt that the Blazers' performance is very difficult, not to mention the competition for the NBA championship, and even the playoff spot is now in short supply. This begs the question, is it finally time for the team to part ways with Lillard? Well, at least NBA analyst Jay Williams believes that.
Jay Williams believes the Trail Blazers should trade Lillard, and the best deal is the Nets' Irving.
Here's Jay Williams' proposal for a potential deal:
"Considering Lillard's request for a three-year, $170 million contract extension, I think the Blazers would be the best thing to do to get him out of the team. How do you do this deal? Lillard trades Owen. Owen definitely wants to play basketball, he will play basketball. The NBA now has unvaccinated players playing basketball as well. So ultimately it boils down to, if Irving can't play in New York and he still wants to play, where can he go to achieve that? ”
As Jay Williams explains, Irving is eager to play basketball. He loved the sport, but he has been unable to appear on the NBA because of New York vaccination regulations.
Lillard, on the other hand, has dedicated his entire career to the city of Portland, but time and time again, the veteran has failed to take the team to the next level. Although there are problems with various factors such as injuries, Lillard has not played very well this season and he must take responsibility.
Now the only question is: will this deal really happen?