It was three weeks ago on Friday that Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard requested a trade from the organization after 11 seasons.
Almost immediately, Lillard was linked to the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. In fact, there have been several suggestions that Dame will not report to training camp in September if he’s not dealt to his preferred landing spot.
The NBA has apparently taken note. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, it sent a memo to all 30 NBA teams about Lillard’s trade request and the stance that he only wants to play for Miami.
The memo included information that the Association has interviewed both Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin. The NBA informed both Lillard and Goodwin that any further comments about solely wanting to play for Heat could be subject to discipline. For his part, Goodwin denied telling teams that his client only wanted to play for Miami.
In terms of the initial trade request, it’s something we have seen happen a whole lot around the NBA in recent years. Most notably, that includes Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant requesting trades from the Brooklyn Nets during February’s NBA trade deadline.
Former Nets star James Harden also requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this summer with all indications being that he’s looking to force his way to the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Where a Damian Lillard trade stands
There’s really not a whole heck of a lot brewing on this end during a slow part on the NBA calendar. Miami had previously reportedly offered up Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and multiple first-round picks to pry Dame from the Pacific Northwest.
Meanwhile, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has made it clear that he’s willing to let this play out to get his team the best possible trade.
- Damian Lillard stats (2022-23): 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.3 APG, 46% shooting
It’s still a widely held belief around NBA circles that Lillard will end up with Miami before the 2023-24 season gets going. Though, it’s also likely that the Heat and Blazers would have to get more teams involved to pull off a trade that would appease both.