'Give me Damian Lillard. I’ll show you how appreciated he’ll be' - LeBron James’ comment resurfaces amid the Bucks’ struggles

What was going on in 2018?

For those wondering why James decided to play with fire and risk getting fined for tampering, it perhaps stemmed from his desire to have another elite floor general by his side after former Cleveland Cavaliers buddy Kyrie Irving left him in the summer of 2017.

At that point, though, a trade wasn't possible anymore. So, LeBron was probably preparing for the upcoming offseason already, and the rumor is that he indeed recruited Lillard. Upon signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018, he reportedly asked the then-Blazers star to join forces.

Of course, Dame stayed put, and his loyalty was rewarded with the greatest postseason run of his career so far. If it weren't for the Golden State Warriors sweeping Portland in the 2019 Western Conference Finals, he would have finally gotten a taste of what it's like to play on the championship stage. But it all went downhill for the eight-time All-Star from then on.

Milwaukee to Los Angeles?

After two straight first-round exits followed by two years of playoff absences, Lillard decided his time with the Blazers needed to come to an end. He requested a trade specifically to the Miami Heat, which his former team had no plan of accommodating.

As a result, he has been a Buck since the 2023 offseason, and it looks like that stint could have gone better for the potential Hall of Famer.

He is still optimistic Milwaukee can pull it together, although evidence has shown that it will be easier said than done for the squad that ranks in the bottom half of the league in both offense and defense.

Unless the Bucks are able to turn things around, we should expect Lillard to feature prominently in suggestions for trades. For instance, several pundits have already mentioned the possibility of "Dame Time" making his way to the Lakers.

Will James finally be given Lillard and have the opportunity to show how much he appreciates the California native? Don't bet on it. However, the idea of a Big 3 of LeBron, Dame, and Anthony Davis sounds intriguing, even if the Purple and Gold would have to sacrifice depth to make the trade happen.