PORTLAND, Ore. — The NBA interviewed Damian Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, about Lillard's trade request and warned them against making any further comments, in public or private, indicating that Lillard wants to be traded only to the Miami Heat, the league said in a memo sent to all 30 NBA teams.
The news about the memo was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic. Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report later shared the complete text of the memo (included at the bottom of this article).
In the memo, the NBA referenced public statements by Goodwin that said Lillard only wants to be traded to Miami, as well as media reports stating Goodwin had warned other NBA teams against trading for Lillard because they'd be trading for an unhappy player.
The NBA said it interviewed Lillard and Goodwin, and that the agent "denied stating or indicating to any team that Lillard would refuse to play for them." The NBA said it interviewed teams Goodwin spoke to and those teams told the league that their communications with Goodwin were "mostly, though not entirely, consistent with Goodwin's statements to us."
The league said it told Goodwin and Lillard that any future comments, either in private or public, that suggests Lillard wouldn't "fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade will subject Lillard to discipline by the NBA."
The NBA said Goodwin and Lillard agreed to the terms.
"Goodwin and Lillard affirmed to us that Lillard would fully perform the services called for under his player contract in any trade scenario," the league said in the memo.
The league didn't cite specifics about which media reports or public comments it was referencing in the memo, but it's possible the NBA was referring to a July 6 report by Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald in which Jackson, based off an interview with Goodwin, reported that Goodwin was "advising other teams not to pursue a trade for Lillard."
"Those teams have been warned that they will be getting an unhappy player if they acquire Lillard," Jackson reported.
"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," Goodwin told Jackson.
Jackson also reported in the article that "Lillard hopes that message [from his agent] will discourage other teams from offering appealing trade assets to Portland."
Lillard's trade request was reported July 1 by multiple NBA reporters. Those reports included the information that the Blazers had been told Lillard wanted a trade "specifically" to Miami.
Full text of the memo
Haynes shared the full text of the memo:
Recent media reports stated that Damian Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, called multiple NBA teams to warn them against trading for Lillard because Lillard’s only desired trade destination is Miami. Goodwin also made public comments indicating that Lillard would not fully perform the services called for under his player contract if traded to another team.
We interviewed Goodwin and Lillard and also spoke with several NBA teams to whom Goodwin spoke. Goodwin denied stating or indicating to any team that Lillard would refuse to play for them. Goodwin and Lillard affirmed to us that Lillard would fully perform the services called for under his player contract in any trade scenario. The relevant teams provided descriptions of their communications with Goodwin that were mostly, though not entirely, consistent with Goodwin’s statements to us.
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.
