Coming off of a lackluster finish with Team Liquid during the 2020 LCS Spring Split, Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng is rumored to be seeking a new team in the North American league.
LoL journalist Travis Gafford recently released a video with LCS caster Mark “TheeMarkZ” Zimmerman, discussing the possible trade outcomes involving Doublelift and his contract with Team Liquid.
While Gafford is a frequent collaborator of Doublelift, his remarks during the discussion were based mostly on his opinion, rather than any official word from the superstar ADC.
The two League analysts speculated that if Doublelift does not reconcile his differences with Team Liquid, he will likely be traded to another team even though his contract lasts only until the end of the year.
Gafford believes that Team Liquid will still act in good faith by moving Doublelift to a team where he would prefer to sign long-term — either Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, or his former squad, Team SoloMid.
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While it may be an attractive option, Cloud9 would be a far-fetched destination for Doublelift. The team is currently just days away from a playoff final following one of the best seasons they’ve ever had. Adding Doublelift to the line-up for the Summer Split and Worlds may cause issues in team chemistry, especially for Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen, Cloud9’s current ADC.
Evil Geniuses is another possible go-to spot for Doublelift due to the team’s solid track record. With the team heavily relying on midlaner Daniele “Jiizuke” Di Mauro, Doublelift may be able to step up their bot-lane dominance for the rest of the year.
However, Zimmerman believes that Doublelift may find more promise in staying with Team Liquid than moving to EG just because TL “looks better on paper” with members like Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersen and Nicholaj “Jensen” Jensen providing a firm foundation for future success.
Last but not least, Doublelift could make a dramatic return to TSM. Despite having left the team in 2017, he still holds the org in high regard. During the quick LCS hiatus last month, DL rekindled the flames with the TSM 2016 team in a few scrimmages, playing alongside current TSM players Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Vincent “Biofrost” Wang.
Although this may be the most plausible scenario for the star player, Doublelift might have to accept a lower pay-grade for his next deal considering TSM’s approach to salary-spending. Whether or not he’ll be up for such compromise, the League world will be keeping an eye on where he’s off to next.
Listen to the entire conversation below:
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