In 2010 and 2011, the concept of players making big free agent moves for a chance to play for their hometown team became a prevalent one. Dwyane Wade seriously considered heading home to Chicago in the summer of 2010–he would make good on that idea 6 years later, as we now know–and Carmelo Anthony worked his way to a trade to New York, where he was born. A couple years later, LeBron James decided to go “home” to Cleveland and try to bring the city its first championship (which he did, as we now know), and big names like Dwight Howard and Jeff Teague followed suit just months later (Howard now plays for his hometown Hawks, Teague is so home he’s moving into his parents’ Indiana basement.) There were even early rumors that Kevin Durant was considering a return to his native city of Washington D.C., but Durant, who is now a Golden State Warrior, quickly rid the air of those murmurs.

So, the following isn’t really as far-fetched a rumor as some might think. Damian Lillard, making a move to play for his hometown Golden State Warriors when his lengthy deal with Portland is up? (Lillard signed a 5-year, $120 million extension with the Blazers last summer.) Who knows, by the time 2020 comes, Klay Thompson might have decided he deserves to have a team of his own–his 4-year, $70 deal is up in the summer of 2018–and there will be a gaping hole on Golden State’s perimeter.

Well, at least for now, Lillard isn’t too fond of the idea. A Twitter user proposed it to Big Game Dame, and the 2-time All-Star had a pretty simple response: “Hell no.’

Lillard and Russell Westbrook should be teammates.

July 15, 2016