- Ongoing trade drama forces a response from NBA commissioner
- Adam Silver admits he “doesn’t like” trade drama
- The new NBA season could force an end to stalemates for Blazers/76ers
The summer of 2023 is hardly the first time in NBA history that the trade demands of star players turned ugly. But this year, amid the ongoing saga in Portland and Philadelphia, it’s hard not to notice how damaging player trade requests can really be.
Speaking on the subject, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver outright condemned the actions of Damian Lillard and James Harden and called for both players to honor their contracts. “Don’t like them as a league. I want players and teams to both honor their contracts,” Silver said to Howard Beck. “I’m watching everything going on in Portland and Philadelphia and hoping they get resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. I’m glad it seems to have calmed down as far as public discourse.”
While Adam Silver has remained mostly neutral on this topic, he may have no choice but to step in and take action if things don’t get resolved soon. This summer, we’ve seen some really ugly tactics from the players, particularly Harden, to force their team’s hand and it has soured the situation for everyone involved.
While player trade requests are not unusual in the league, things can turn toxic when the two sides stop being friendly with each other. In the case of Lillard and Harden, the scene is noticeably tense amid the bitter stalemate.
Adam Silver Has Already Given A Warning
After 11 years with the Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard expected a smooth transition when he put in his trade request to the Miami Heat. Instead, his requests were met with silence and it forced him and his agent to publicly denounce any team not named the Heat who tried to trade for him.
The situation essentially robbed the Trail Blazers of their leverage, and it also drew the attention of Adam Silver, who warned that further action from Lillard could result in disciplinary action: “The league advised both Lillard and his agent that any future comments of this sort will potentially subject him to discipline as well as a warning to the NBPA that any future comments by players, their agents, that are similar to the ones that ‘I only want to play for this specific team’ that could also be subject to discipline as well.”
The NBA has made its stance on the issue very clear, and it remains to be seen what will happen if this saga gets dragged out into the season. But if Harden and Lillard don’t stop now, there’s no telling how much worse things will get.
Disgruntled Stars May Have To Return To Their Teams
The player empowerment era has given stars a free pass to pick and choose who they play for, and the importance of a long-term contract with any team has decreased drastically in recent years due to franchises having almost no control over their own players.
In the case of Damian Lillard, he put the Blazers in a tough position by limiting his list of preferred destinations to just a single team, and now he may be stuck there for years after killing all the remaining leverage they had. So, while Damian Lillard may be set on his move to the Heat, don’t be surprised if he’s still with the Blazers come opening night.
Finally, for James Harden, he’s got an easy out as a free agent next summer but he really has no choice but to suit up and play this season if he wants to avoid causing problems for his free-agent eligibility. After publicly insulting Daryl Morey and promising never to play for his team again, it really highlighted how ugly these things can get, and it’s only a matter of time before the NBA finds a permanent response.
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