Damian Lillard was stunned by Portland’s decision to trade Josh Hart during their WARM-UP
A stunned Damian Lillard is stunned by Portland’s decision to trade Josh Hart to the Warriors during their WARM-UP… as the forward is forced to sit out at the last minute before his move to the Knicks
Portland Trailblazers superstar Damian Lillard was visibly stunned after learning of his teammate Josh Hart’s transfer to the Knicks just before the Warriors clash in the NBA.
Footage from Portland’s Instagram Story showed Hart practicing his three-point shot during the pre-tip warm-up, but the forward was forced to sit out the 125-122 win after news of his move to New York broke.
The Knicks gave up Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick to lure Hart to the Eastern Conference to bolster their roster with an extra play to go deep into the playoffs.
Lillard gave the 27-year-old a hug just before the game – apparently unaware of the news – before cutting a perplexed figure, obviously amazed at his team-mate’s imminent departure.
The rest of the Trailblazers then rallied to confirm the news on their phones, showing just how little NBA players know about their franchise’s decisions.
Damian Lillard was stunned to learn of Josh Hart’s trade with the Knicks during the warm-up
The rest of Portland’s roster quickly checked their phones, apparently unaware of the news
The former Lakers star has been a key player at Portland since joining from the Pelicans in 2022, boasting both a solid defense and a well-rounded offensive skillset.
Hart looked good hitting three consecutive jumpers during warm-up, but Lillard was still able to lead his franchise to victory without the forward, producing an excellent triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists .
Portland, currently 10th in the Western Conference, is bidding to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020-21 after missing out last season.
Hart’s move to the Knicks wasn’t the only shocking trade of the last 24 hours as Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant made a stunning move to the Suns.
Phoenix have received Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round draft picks and a pick trade for letting go from Durant and TJ Warren.
The forward will now join New York, with Portland claiming Cam Reddish and a first-round pick
Hart was in good form when he dropped three consecutive jumpers in his warm-up on Wednesday
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nba/article-11731177/Damian-Lillard-STUNNED-Portlands-decision-trade-Josh-Hart-WARM-UP.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Damian Lillard was stunned by Portland’s decision to trade Josh Hart during their WARM-UP