Damian Lillard adds fuel to Kevin Durant trade rumors with photoshopped image of Nets star in Trail Blazers uniform

Scott Rafferty

Damian Lillard adds fuel to Kevin Durant trade rumors with photoshopped image of Nets star in Trail Blazers uniform image

It, uh, looks like Damian Lillard has an eye on what's going on in Brooklyn.

On Saturday, the six-time All-Star took to Instagram to share an image of him standing next to Kevin Durant. Harmless, right? Not exactly. The image wasn't of Lillard standing next to Durant wearing a Nets uniform. It was of him standing next to Durant wearing a photoshopped Trail Blazers uniform.

To no surprise, it didn't take long for Lillard's post to make the rounds on social media.

MORE: Breaking down why Durant left Warriors for Nets

A few days earlier, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Kyrie Irving and the Nets had reached an impasse in talks about his future with the franchise. Not only has that paved the way for Irving to "consider the open marketplace," but Durant is now reportedly monitoring the Nets' situation and "considering options with his future."

Durant signed a four-year, $198 million extension with the Nets ahead of the 2021-22 season, keeping him under contract through the 2025-26 season. It's unclear if Durant would request a trade if Irving doesn't re-sign with the Nets in free agency, but that hasn't stopped Lillard from, well, speculating and making his pitch.

MORE: Ranking the teams on Kyrie's wishlist by best fit

Lillard and Durant have been teammates before, just not in the NBA. The two of them helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics and reportedly played a leading role in putting the team together.

The Trail Blazers have already had an active offseason. They added Shaedon Sharpe, one of the top prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft, with the No. 7 pick and acquired Jerami Grant from the Pistons in exchange for draft picks.

Could a Durant trade be next? Time will tell, but it sure seems as though Lillard would be on board with it.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.