Damian Lillard's agent is calling teams and ‘warning’ them not trade for Blazers star
Damian Lillard's agent Aaron Goodwin is doing his best to ensure his client gets what he wants — a trade to the Miami Heat.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Goodwin has been calling prospective trade suitors beyond the Heat and warning against trading for the seven-time All-Star. Goodwin is informing organizations outside of the Heat that if they traded for Lillard they would be acquiring an "unhappy player."
As Wojnarowski highlighted, Goodwin's antics are nothing less than a "time-honored agent maneuver to depress offers and clear a path to a predetermined destination." Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers last week, naming the Heat his desired landing spot, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Thus far, the Blazers and GM Joe Cronin have been reluctant to seriously entertain Miami's offer for Lillard, a package built around former Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro. Wojnarowski recently reported on ESPN's SportsCenter that Portland has zero interest in adding Herro to an already deep backcourt made up of Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and rookie Scoot Henderson.
In the meantime, the Blazers have been fielding calls from other interested clubs. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported that the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves are among the teams to "reach out" about a potential Lillard trade.
The Athletic's Sam Amick also named the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz as possible suitors for Lillard if he doesn't find his way to Miami.
Ultimately, the expectations remain that, in a player-first league like the NBA, Lillard will eventually land with the Heat. While the Oakland native doesn't have a no-trade clause, chances are the Blazers will look to do right by their long-time franchise cornerstone.
Of course, the return for the Blazers must be worth their while and with Jimmy Butler and Adebayo almost certainly untouchable, the Heat lack the trade assets to offer a viable straight-up trade. Look for a third team to latch on to the team's offer to help facilitate Lillard's desire to join the reigning Eastern Conference champions in Miami.
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