Damian Lillard had apparently been expecting a trade to Miami from the Blazers, but his agent unintentionally ruined the transaction

Ben Maller of Fox Sports claims that Aaron Goodwin’s actions were a major factor in Portland’s decision to back out of the transaction.

Maller stated, “From what I’ve heard, Portland was ready to send Lillard to Miami.” Then, his agent made some remarks to the media that offended a number of Portland residents. The Blazers made a change at that point. The team was embarrassed by Lillard’s agent.

Lillard solely desired to play for the Heat, the agent openly disclosed to NBA media.

It also appears that Goodwin was calling NBA teams to warn them that they would be getting an unhappy player if they traded for Lillard. despite the fact that Dame’s contract contained no no-trade clauses.

Adrian Wojnarowski wrote last summer, “As far as interference goes, this is a time-honored agent maneuver to depress offers and clear a path to a predetermined destination.”

The Blazers and the NBA, though, took issue with this.

Because in the end, in order to complete a trade, Miami and Portland had to bring in a third team, Milwaukee.

Additionally, the NBA issued a memo alerting Goodwin about his actions.

This was the memo, in case you missed it:

The NBA sent a message to clubs that stated, “We spoke with several NBA teams to whom Goodwin spoke, and we also interviewed Goodwin and Lillard.” “Wells refuted saying or suggesting to any team that Lillard wouldn’t play for them. We received confirmation from Goodwin and Lillard that, in the event of a trade, Lillard would fulfill all of the obligations outlined in his player contract. The pertinent teams gave us accounts of their interactions with Goodwin that, for the most part, aligned with what Goodwin told us.

Related Article: James Harden Trade Rumors: An NBA Insider Update”We have informed Goodwin and Lillard that they will be susceptible to disciplinary action by the NBA for any future remarks, whether made in public or privately, that imply Lillard won’t fulfill all of the responsibilities outlined in his player contract in the case of a trade. Additionally, we have informed the Players Association that any future remarks made by players or their representatives may result in disciplinary action.

In this instance, Goodwin’s attempt to behave in the client’s best interest backfired.

He can’t be too upset about it though, because Dame still managed to put together a championship-caliber club in the Bucks.