- NBA warns players that publicly requesting one team could result in disciplinary action
- League met with Lillard and his agent to discuss the details of his trade request
- Lillard’s agent denies telling teams that Dame will only play for the Heat
Since Damian Lillard issued his trade request earlier this month, both he and his agent have been clear about his intentions to join the Miami Heat. Despite having multiple years left on his deal, Lillard has been doing almost everything he can to force Portland’s hand and give him what he wants.
Interestingly, though, it seems Lillard has gone a step too far in his demands. As reported by Shams Charania on Friday, the NBA has warned Lillard and his agent that any further comments about wanting to move to the Heat may lead to league intervention.
“The NBA sent a memo Friday to all 30 teams informing them that they have interviewed Damian Lillard and Aaron Goodwin about his stance that he only wants to play in Miami. The league advised both Lillard and his agent that any future comments of this sort (as far as him only wanting to play in Miami) 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.”
NBA sent a memo Friday to all 30 teams about Damian Lillard’s trade request and the stance that he only wants to play in Miami. Reporting details on @TheRally: pic.twitter.com/xkgMfcTeqI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 28, 2023
The NBA is open to player movement and player empowerment, but when players like Lillard limit their trade requests to just one single team, it really hurts the leverage of the franchise and puts them in an impossible situation.
Had Lillard and his agent not been so vocal about their desire for the Heat, the NBA might have let the whole thing slide but this latest development with Dame forced them to send a message.
The Clock Is Ticking For The Miami Heat
It will be interesting to see how this memo impacts trade requests in the future, but the Lillard situation could get more complicated if it continues to drag on.
With years left on his deal, nothing is stopping Portland from just holding Lillard, and it’s up to the Heat to find a package that the Blazers are willing to accept.
But as more and more time goes by, the likelihood is increased that another team will get bold enough to make an offer to outbid Miami.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
