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via Getty

Damian Lillard is the star point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers. He’s nicknamed “Dame Time” for his awareness and accuracy in hitting clutch shots. The 7x NBA All-Star has also represented his nation in the Tokyo Olympics and brought a gold medal for his country. Using his stage name Dame D.O.L.L.A, he showcases his talents as a rapper and has already released 4 studio albums. But his trade requests have shocked the NBA world.

The Portland Trail Blazers star guard recently expressed his desire to play for the Miami Heat. This set off a series of discussions and debates across the basketball world. The league’s response to Lillard’s sole focus on joining the Heat has ignited further intrigue and speculation.

Preference story of Lillard and his agent

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In a memo sent to all 30 teams, the NBA revealed the league had interviewed Damian Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, about the trade request. In that memo, they expressed the player’s unwavering commitment to joining the Miami Heat. Goodwin even revealed that having trade talks with any of the teams in the league will be pointless as the player has his sights set on playing for the Heat.

The NBA had an objection regarding the player and his agent talking publically about such matters and warned them to make any further comments. They would fine the player with a lump-sum amount of $150,000 if he made any comments publically as per the ESPN NBA Front Office Insider.

While the actions against the player may look to be very strict, some fans and analysts think that the League is targeting Lillard as this incident has occurred in the past with many players. Many players in the past, like Anthony Davis, Paul George, and Kevin Durant, have shown their inclination toward a specific team.

But one factor that separates them from this incident is that their agents never spoke about these matters publically.

Lillard’s loyalty to the Blazers

Even though Lillard wants to move from the Blazers, you cannot doubt his loyalty. He has given 11 years of his prime career to the team and never lacked in his performances.

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Due to his insane scoring ability and dominant leadership, he was a favorite for the Portland Trail Blazers. His brilliance as a player was on display last season when he averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game on an impressive 0.645 true shooting percentage. Despite his outstanding efforts, the Trail Blazers struggled down the stretch, finishing with a 33-49 record.

Read More: Dwyane Wade Warns Damian Lillard to Stay Wary of LeBron James & Kevin Garnett Type of Pressure: ?Don?t Think You Need to Tell Dame That?

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Lillard’s plea for better roster support seems to have been neglected, causing him to seek other opportunities. As his trade requests continue to be in the spotlight, the NBA’s response and repercussions for the matter have caused the news to become a controversy. Regardless of the outcome, fans are excited to watch Lillard sport a new jersey and help his new team achieve greatness.

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