#NBAFreeAgency was a frenzy over the weekend, and now we are left wondering where All-Star guards Damian Lillard and James Harden will end up. Both have requested to be traded from the Portland Trailblazers and Philadelphia 76ers. Dame wants to go to south beach and play for the Miami Heat, and Harden wants to go back home and play for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Both players aren't in the same boat that Bradley Beal was, since neither has a no trade clause in their contract. With how players have demanded trades over the last few years, I believe that NBA general managers are going to take some of the power back and make the best trade for the organization, not because the player wants to play for a certain team. I mean, it is a business at the end of the day.
Damian Lillard:
Damian Lillard has made it clear that he prefers to play in Miami. However, Portland is reportedly not keen on sending Lillard to his preferred destination. This is understandable, as Miami does not have many young players to send out, something Portland is looking for.
However, when a player requests a trade to a specific destination, it hurts the team's bargaining power. The Heat know Lillard prefers Miami, so the assets they would give up may not be as fruitful if he had not requested a trade. Miami must send out Kyle Lowry, as his contract is needed to match Lillard's contract. Adding the Mavs in this potential scenario alleviates some of Portland's concerns. Dallas would take on Lowry while also shedding multi-year agreements in this hypothetical trade.
The kicker here is that Miami can not afford to trade for Lillard without another team getting involved. There have also been talks that Jayson Tatum has been reaching out to Dame to try and recruit him to come to the Boston Celtics. I think Portland stands firm and doesn't make a deal to move Lillard unless they are getting a haul for the 7 time All Star.
Blazers Insider, @AaronJFentress says Damian Lillard and his agent could force his way to Miami “Let's say a team stepped up... with a Durant-like package, and Dame and his agent tell that team, 'Dude, we're not coming to play for you.' That'd be franchise suicide for a team to make that trade!” This is lame.
James Harden:
The Philadelphia 76ers are in the process of trying to find a new home for James Harden after the future Hall of Famer asked for a trade when he opted into his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season. Coming off a season where he averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 assists while shooting a career-high 38.5% from deep, Harden is looking at the Los Angeles Clippers as his desired destination for a deal. However, the Clippers don’t want to move any of their young players nor do they wanna move Paul George or Kawhi Leonard so that might not be the right move for the Sixers.
I think this deal takes a little more time to get done, compared to the Lillard trade. I wouldn't be surprised if Harden isn't move until after the season starts. The Sixers have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Damian Lillard, so they may try to include Harden in a deal for the star point guard. For now, there is reason to believe Lillard would not be in favor of that.
I think Harden never should've left Houston. Just keep getting a huge contract, pad your individual statistics, and come to terms you're never going to win a championship.
