Should the New York Knicks make a move for Damian Lillard?

This offseason is going to be interesting for the New York Knicks, who have some big decisions to make. A surprising 41-win season brought new energy to the fan base, which experienced playoff basketball for the first time since 2013 but was humbled quickly in a five-game loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The choice facing Leon Rose and the rest of the front office is whether to proceed in a steady rebuild or try adding rocket fuel with a trade for a star.

The second path has added an intriguing option with the rumors that Damian Lillard might want out of Portland. Yahoo's Chris Haynes is reporting that Lillard has gotten frustrated with the franchise's coaching search process and has concerns over whether a true championship contender can be built while he's there, which could lead to a push for a deal. The Trail Blazers have hired Chauncey Billups as their next coach, a move that has generated controversy due to sexual assault allegations from Billups' past.

Lillard is under contract for another four years, so there is no real urgency for the Trail Blazers to move Lillard unless he insists on going elsewhere and making their lives miserable. That tactic would come out of the James Harden playbook after he essentially quit on the Houston Rockets to force his way to Brooklyn. There is no question that the Knicks would be interested in teaming Lillard with Julius Randle to form the core of a contender but the ultimate consideration will have to be how much it costs the franchise.

A trade for Lillard will be costly since plenty of suitors would come knocking on Portland's door. Oklahoma City could offer a boatload of draft picks to team Lillard with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to start their next great team. The Boston Celtics could offer a star like Jaylen Brown while the Philadelphia 76ers could offer Ben Simmons, talents that the Knicks can't top if that is what Portland would want in a trade.

Unless Lillard insists that he wants to play in New York and New York only it would require a hefty bid to top the rest of the market. The Knicks do have assets in the form of extra draft picks and young players, but it would probably take a package with some combination of R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and the picks to get Lillard to Madison Square Garden.

Lillard is well aware of this and if most of those assets go in a trade it would leave the Knicks with little to build around him and Randle. The Trail Blazers have made plenty of first-round exits under Lillard, who undoubtedly is looking at trying to put himself in a situation where he can contend for an NBA title. Swapping markets for the same result won't be too appealing, so the Knicks would undoubtedly try to find a way to hold onto Barrett if a deal is made.

The other thing to consider for the Knicks is whether they believe that the presence of Lillard with Randle would be enough to attract a marquee free agent in the future. Having Lillard here would offer a bona fide star to sell other stars on the Knicks as a destination where they can win. Having World Wide Wes in the front office should also help since he is well connected to players and could have a good read on whether a move for Lillard would change the minds of future stars about playing at MSG.

This decision isn't easy for the Knicks but there is a star quality that Lillard can add that simply isn't available with a deal for Bradley Beal, for example. The road to true title contention in the NBA is tricky since you have to be careful not to avoid capping out your roster with a group of players whose upside is the second round of the playoffs. Adding Lillard is probably worth the gamble if Portland decides to move him but it will be very costly.