While the Heat continue to explore options to acquire star guard Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers, the NBA eliminated one potential option that could have led to Portland delaying a trade, notes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
As part of the league’s ruling that healthy star players can’t sit out from games, the NBA also prohibited teams from making any long-term shutdown “when a star player stops participating in games or plays in a materially reduced role in circumstances affecting the integrity of the game.”
As Jackson notes, ESPN’s Bobby Marks said the rule specifically precludes Lillard and Portland from mutually agreeing for the seven-time All-Star to stay away from the team while it works on a trade. A punishment for disregarding the rule would involve significant fines, per Marks.
While it’s unclear whether either party was exploring that as an option, it won’t be possible anymore. This is advantageous for the Heat, writes Jackson, who says that Portland must decide whether to play Lillard and risk possible injury, which would diminish his value.
There are still a handful of notable free agent point guards available if the Heat don’t get Lillard, such as the recently released Cameron Payne, but the Heat haven’t been actively pursuing one, Jackson writes. According to Jackson’s source, the Heat could look at options that involve Tyler Herro or Josh Richardson as the starting primary ball-handler if the team is unable to land the star guard.
Of the available free agent point guards, Goran Dragic is a veteran option who spent 2015-21 in Miami. Jackson writes that Dragic has interest in joining the Heat.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly was one of the 2023 draft’s biggest risers, culminating in him being selected with the No. 7 overall pick. Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to three anonymous NBA scouts about Coulibaly, who spent part of the last year playing alongside No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. The scouts agreed that athleticism and an impressive defensive toolbox and instincts are among Coulibaly’s strengths, while his shooting and physicality are improvement points. However, all scouts appeared to be high on the 19-year-old’s upside. “The sky’s the limit for him,” one anonymous scout said to Robbins.
- Hornets forward P.J. Washington re-signed with Charlotte on a three-year, $46.5MM deal in August, nearly two months after free agency began. While there was some speculation about whether Washington would ultimately return to the Queen City, the 25-year-old forward sounds relieved to be back with the Hornets. “It means the world to me,” Washington said in a video posted by the Hornets social media team (Twitter link). “Obviously, back in 2019, Charlotte took a chance on me and I’m just blessed to be in the position I am today.”
- The Magic announced they signed Brandon Williams and Mac McClung to Exhibit 10 deals on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Orlando’s G League affiliate Osceola Magic acquired the returning player rights to both Williams and McClung. If an Exhibit 10 player is waived by an NBA club before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with that team’s G League affiliate, he can earn a bonus worth up to $75K. This week’s G League trades assure that Williams and McClung can suit up for Osceola this season if and when they are waived by Orlando. Williams was acquired from the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for Joel Ayayi, Robert Baker II and a 2023 G League first-round pick, per the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Twitter link), while McClung was acquired from the Delaware Blue Coats in exchange for the rights to Jeff Dowtin and a 2024 G League second-round pick (Twitter link).
Nba put that rule in so teams don’t blatantly tank to keep a traded pick like Dallas did last year.
But will they actually enforce it?
I’m sure all that would have happened if that rule was in place last season is Cuban would’ve still kept everyone on the bench to lose on purpose and just paid the fine to keep his draft pick still.
It’s embarrassing what this league has come to. Players don’t want to play and the league has to force teams to make them play. I can’t imagine what the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s players feel about this. Sad.
And these guys get paid more and how are they more athletic if they can’t even play 82 games
Probably arthritis
And real pride unlike these kids who pretend to be greats
All the better for the Blazers. The longer Dame stays, the better. He ain’t getting hurt. He’ll stay in better shape. The kid just drafted gets invaluable experience and mentorship. And the fans know they-ve got limited Dame time before he goes for the ring. The org will get to cash-in one more time before the rebuild begins. Everybody wins.
Btw.. MIA can wait, too. Nobody seems to be clamoring for Herro right now. They are going to showcase that dude. Enough games will go by and his value is going to go up… and if he really shows out, well… again everbody wins.
Silver can’t do much right. The play-in tournament he assured everyone would prevent tanking, ended up encouraging it. Now his load management prevention rules look feeble to that purpose, but might have some teeth in preventing the tanking practice of benching good players so you don’t win.
Still, I’m very skeptical, despite what Marks says (or maybe because of it), that these load management rules will apply to Lillard’s situation. When a player indicates he’s no longer on board with the team agenda, separating him from the team is NOT load management, and it’s NOT a benching for tanking purposes. It’s really just common sense, and what most businesses would do with any key employee that’s publicly expressed a desire to be elsewhere. AD’s situation with the NOP was somewhat similar. Whatever one thinks of what the NOP did, it’s not OKC with Horford, or HOU with Wall. I could argue, with history backing me up, that sending AD home, and getting him out of the locker room, was simply about winning.
There is an arguement that in this situation keeping Lillard on the court is a form of tanking…
Dame might not Harden his way out the door but someone who hasn’t bought in to the teams concept is going to add losses no matter who they are…
Definitely. Having a key player with an agenda to leave for another team would probably be one of the best ways to assure the team goes nowhere. Even Durant knew he had to withdraw his trade request (at least publicly) before BKN or his teammates there would really want him back on the court.
Williams and Mac are good options to keep at PG. Better than what they have already
The Magic have a ton of potential point guards on their roster. Cole Anthony is more of a sixth man, but Fultz, Black, Suggs, and Jett Howard can all play the point, and now McClung and Williams are both points. Fultz probably has the inside track, but I’m excited to see Black and Howard go to work, and Suggs showed potential when he was healthy last year (though more as a 2-guard).
Howard and Suggs will play SG