Report: Knicks preparing for possibility Lillard is available

If a certain superstar decides to leave the Pacific Northwest, the New York Knicks will have done their due diligence.

The team is preparing for the possibility of Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard becoming available for trade, sources told SNY's Ian Begley.

There are three more guaranteed years plus a player option for 2024-25 left on Lillard's deal, and he's shown an uncommon commitment to Portland since the team drafted him sixth overall in 2012.

However, the process surrounding the hiring of incoming Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and the front office's general inability to build a title contender could push Lillard away, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

While the Blazers have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons - the NBA's longest active streak - Lillard has only advanced past the first round three times. He's also moved beyond Round 1 just once over the past five tries when Portland made it to the 2019 conference finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors.

Responding to criticism from a Twitter user, Lillard acknowledged he wasn't aware of the sexual assault allegations Billups faced toward the start of his playing career in 1997.

As for the Knicks, their surprisingly quick ascent to the East's fourth seed in the first campaign under Tom Thibodeau is fueling optimism. The team is interested in Lillard, but the club is also reportedly willing to take a longer-term approach to roster construction rather than go all-in on a blockbuster.