The quiet regarding the desire of Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard to be traded to the Miami Heat is about to turn to deafening silence if the NBA has its way.
No, nothing changed Tuesday regarding Lillard’s stance. But what did change was the NBA’s stance with the league’s other dueling demand, James Harden’s insistence on being dealt from the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the wake of Harden stating he is finished playing for 76ers President Daryl Morey, the NBA on Tuesday fined Harden $100,000, the maximum allowable under the league’s new collective-bargaining agreement, “for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”
The NBA’s statement went on to say, “The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these…