Following the high-profile trade requests of Damian Lillard and James Harden this offseason, the NBA has taken decisive action. In a move designed to discourage players from making their trade requests public, the NBA has announced that players will now face hefty fines and mandatory suspensions for such actions.
What Is The New NBA Rule On Trade Demands?
The new ruling stipulates that any NBA player making a public trade request will be required to pay a significant fine of $150,000 in addition to serving a mandatory suspension. This comes in the wake of Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Brooklyn Nets’ guard James Harden expressing their desires for a team switch in full view of the public eye.
Senior NBA Insider, Chris Haynes revealed the full memo that NBA sent out to all 30 teams after Damian Lillard and his agent Aaron Goodwin came forward with the trade request.
Full NBA memo sent to all 30 teams regarding rhetoric on trade request made by Damian Lillard and his agent Aaron Goodwin.
“Recent media reports stated that Damian Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, called multiple NBA teams to warn them against trading for Lillard because…— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 28, 2023
The memo stated that Lillard will face disciplinary actions from the association if he continues to make trade demands. Lillard’s agent Goodwin was also mentioned in the memo and the same will apply to all other players of the NBA.
“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.”
Moreover, ESPN NBA Insider, Bobby Marks also added that under Section 18 of the new CBA, players will be fined $150,000 and face a suspension for publicly demanding trade requests by himself or via his agent.
From the 2023 CBA
Any player (or, for clarity, any player representative or person acting with authority on behalf of a player) who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another Team shall be subject to a fine and/or a suspension. The maximum fine that may be imposed by… https://t.co/ZaDCK3jdb5
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 28, 2023
What Were Damian Lillard and James Harden’s Trade Demands?
Damian Lillard never publicly demanded or requested a trade. However, his agent, Aaron Goodwin has spoken on his behalf in public. In an interview with The Miami Herald, Goodwin stated his client’s intention to be traded to Miami.
“I do what I should for my client. Some teams I did call. Other teams have called me. It’s a respectful relationship with most teams. Truthfully, he wants to play in Miami. Period.”
On the other hand, James Harden‘s intention to be traded to the LA Clippers has been abuzz for quite some time. The NBA All-Star player has made it pretty clear that he wishes to be traded. However, the Philadelphia 76ers are awaiting a good trade deal before they could trade Harden to another team.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the Portland Trail Blazers have set their asking price for their star player Damian Lillard. The Trail Blazers have turned their eyes to Phoenix Suns’ trade deal for Kevin Durant as a benchmark. In their pursuit of Durant, the Suns had to part ways with two promising talents, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, in addition to four first-round picks.
The Miami Heat have already secured the young talent of Tyler Herro and hold two first-round picks. Despite this, rumours suggest that the Trail Blazers aren’t particularly keen on Herro. This could pave the way for the Heat to use him in a third-party deal to lure Lillard to Miami.
