Damian Lillard had been heavily linked with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the offseason, and for a good reason. After all, a lot of his actions—from being spotted with LeBron James and posting an Instagram photo with a purple and gold background in it—indicated or sparked talked that he wants to be traded to LA.

While Lillard's future with the Portland Trail Blazers remains uncertain, he made one thing clear: He won't be playing for the Lakers any time soon.

During his interview with Complex News, Dame talked about his response to a fan who asked people how much they are willing to bet that Lillard would be on the Lakers before the 2020-21 season starts. Lillard basically shut down any chance of him joining LA by saying he would bet a million, and he gave a reason for that this time around.

“He said ‘I would bet  anybody that when the season starts, Dame's going to be playing for the Lakers,'” Lillard recalled. “And the Lakers just traded for Russell Westbrook, so I'm not going to play for the Lakers. We play the same position, so (I was) like bet a million.”

Did the Lakers waste their chance of possibly adding Damian Lillard? Possibly, but it's unlikely given that Dame remains unsure of his future with the Trail Blazers. It's clear that he wants to stay in  Portland, though his issue is if he'll be able to compete for the championship.

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Certainly, the Purple and Gold couldn't risk and wait for him. Also, when the opportunity to acquire another All-Star guard came, they made the quick decision to pull it off.

Of course, it would have been great to see Lillard alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well. Nonetheless, that is surely unlikely now with the current roster the team has.