Damian Lillard’s anticipated trade to the Miami Heat took an unexpected turn, culminating in his surprising move to the Milwaukee Bucks.
According to recent reports by Ben Maller, Lillard’s agent’s public comments caused discontent within the Trail Blazers organization, leading them to alter their plans and ultimately negotiate with the Bucks instead of the Heat.
Maller’s insights suggest that the agent’s remarks rubbed influential figures within the Trail Blazers the wrong way, resulting in a significant change of direction in the trade negotiations.
The reported friction caused by the agent’s public statements seemingly led the Trail Blazers to pivot from their initial agreement with Miami and pursue an alternative deal with the Bucks, culminating in Lillard’s trade to Milwaukee.
“Here’s what I’ve been able to decipher from sending random text messages to people who are very plugged in and the streets have been talking,” Maller said on his show.
“From what I’ve gathered, Portland was prepared to give Dame Lillard what he wanted – to send him to Miami. Then his agent gave some comments to the media that rubbed several big people in Portland the wrong way. It was at that point that the Blazers pivoted… Lillard’s agent had embarrassed the franchise…
“The perception is that the agent crossed the line by making some threatening comments publicly when they had kind of an under-the-table deal that this is what was going to happen,” Maller said.
