I'm just saying that before Portland could say that Lillard needs to open up his list of teams so we can get competitive bids. Now NBA has stepped in and is basically saying that Lillard must open his list. What if now no one is interested?
In general I agree... I'd modify the statement and say "I don't believe Goodwin would do anything without Dame's approval." It's possible Goodwin gave Dame bad advice to do this "only Miami" thing and Dame trusted him that it would work because Goodwin is supposed to be the expert in how these things work.
I think more importantly, if Goodwin/Dame come out and say pubically they're opening to playing anywhere, do any of the other 28 teams buy it? I can't imagine this statement by the NBA has changed how Goodwin/Dame feel, but it might mean the messaging will come from "sources" further removed from Dame's camp.
that's not accurate as far as I can tell the NBA is telling Dame and his agent to put corks in that kind of Miami-or-bust talk. Any more tactics likt that and Dame would be facing fines but the NBA is not telling them to expand their list of preferred teams; just telling them to shut the fuck up. Without affirmative action from Dame and his agent I can't see this situation changing any. And I don't expect that kind of action
Warning shots across the bow. They let it slide ... no trade got done ... and they had to say "Enough." One of their teams was getting played by an agent, player, and another team with a complicit national media. Awaiting the third act of this play.
I enjoyed listening to Shams the Sham stammer as he related the contents of the memo. Words probably were getting caught on the statements he was having to eat about how the Blazers had no leverage here. Blazers 2, Shams 0.
I don't think the Blazers have enough cache for any request to sway the league office. The NBA saw this playing out in the national and social media. It was giving the NBA a black eye, ruining the rep of one of the people they market as a "good guy" and was going to make it a lot harder for but a handful of teams to compete if the Blazers caved and traded Dame to the Heat for a bag of stale chips because it'd set a precedent for every subsequent player no matter their contract situation.
this is exactly my thought as well. ain't nobody in the league offices give one damn about Portland or Cronin. they just don't want to set the precedent of all small market teams becoming farm teams for larger markets.
Someone needs to PhotoShop a meme of Dame as Gru with Goodwin, Haynes, Fentress, Shams and a couple of Miami media as minions.