NBA Trade Rumors: The NBA may be preparing to veto a Damian Lillard trade to the Miami Heat.
More than a decade ago, NBA Commissioner at the time, the late David Stern, elected to veto a Chris Paul trade that would’ve sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers. It would go down as one of the biggest “what ifs” in NBA history. We could be on the verge of something very similar happening with Damian Lillard.
Late Friday afternoon, it was reported that the NBA sent a memo to all 30 teams warning them of the behavior that was taking place with Lllard and his agent, allegedly telling opposing teams that he only wanted to play for the Miami Heat. The NBA noted that if this did continue, any public comments on such issue could be punishable.
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
It’s certainly quite the twist in the Lillard saga. On the surface, it may not seem like much. But it’s hard not to get the feeling that this could be getting to a point where the NBA may be preparing to step in a veto any Lillard trade to Miami. Similar to what Stern did when Paul was traded to the Lakers in 2011.
Would the NBA veto another trade?
The backlash that occurred after the veto was strong. It was a win for management, small markets, and a huge hit to player empowerment at the time. You can make the case that some of that would follow this time around as well. Would that be something the NBA would be willing to do again?
It would be an interesting experiment. If Lillard is successful in this endeavor, it could absolutely set a bad precedent for future stars demanding trades. Lillard isn’t the first player to demand a trade to one team; heck, he isn’t even the only player to do so this offseason.
But it’s quickly becoming clear that the NBA may be putting its ducks in place to potentially veto a trade.
Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe this is all about optics. Maybe this is all nothing and something they want to address before it gets out of control. We won’t truly know until something gets settled or until Lillard is traded.
However, if you’re a Heat fan or in Lillard’s camp, this is not good. This is not going to help things at all and you can’t help how this could potentially change his trade market, if at all.