The quiet regarding the desire of Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard to be traded to the Miami Heat is about to turn to deafening silence if the NBA has its way.
No, nothing changed Tuesday regarding Lillard’s stance. But what did change was the NBA’s stance with the league’s other dueling demand, James Harden’s insistence on being dealt from the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the wake of Harden stating he is finished playing for 76ers President Daryl Morey, the NBA on Tuesday fined Harden $100,000, the maximum allowable under the league’s new collective-bargaining agreement, “for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”
The NBA’s statement went on to say, “The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded.”
Last month, with Lillard agent Aaron Goodwin indicating his client not only is seeking a trade from the Trail Blazers, but that the seven-time All-Star only would accept a deal to the Heat, the NBA issued a statement of warning.
That statement read, in part, “We have advised Goodwin and Lillard that any future comments, made privately to teams or publicly, suggesting Lillard will not fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade will subject Lillard to discipline by the NBA. We also have advised the Players Association that any similar comments by players or their agents will be subject to discipline going forward.”
Harden then followed with his comments at a promotion appearance in China, when he said, “Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
For his part, Lillard has kept himself above the fray, including interviews at the camp he ran last week in Phoenix for leading prep prospects.
“Mentally, I’m strong,” Lillard said, according to the Arizona Republic. “I think the last year and some change in my life overall, it’s not even just sports, it’s been a tough time, but right now, I’m in a strong place.”
Otherwise, conjecture regarding Lillard has been limited to reading into his actions, which included over the weekend unfollowing the Trail Blazers on his Instagram account.
The situations with Lillard and Harden are similar to the trade-market impasses at this stage last August with Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell. Durant was not traded by the Brooklyn Nets until the February trading deadline, but Mitchell was sent by the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sept. 3. The Heat had been linked to trade interest in both.
As for potential timing with Lillard, Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin on July 10 said, “We’re going to be patient. We’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”
Harden and Lillard are under similar high-end salaries for the coming season. The difference is Harden, 33, holds an expiring deal for $35.6 million for 2023-24, with an acquiring team unable to extend. Lillard, 33, not only is due $45.6 million for this coming season, but has a total of four seasons remaining at almost $200 million.
A Heat package for Lillard likely would center around guard Tyler Herro, first-round picks, potentially also with prospects such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic. Additional contracts also would be required to meet salary-matching requirements, such as those of Kyle Lowry and/or Duncan Robinson.
Herro, like Lillard, has not publicly commented on the situation, including at the youth camp he held Sunday in Deerfield Beach.
Media day for the Heat and Trail Blazers is Oct. 2, with training camp opening for both teams the following day.
The Heat currently stand with the NBA offseason maximum of 21 players under contract. That must be cut by the Oct. 25 regular-season opener against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center to no more than 15 players under standard contract and no more than three under two-way contract.
