Kofi Inkoom
Following Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster three-team transaction, the NBA community has been abuzz with startling developments.
The new development suggests that the Portland Trail Blazers may face NBA investigation and potential penalties.
On September 28th, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report unveiled that the Trail Blazers had requested Damian Lillard to refrain from playing in the final 10 games of the season with the intention of improving their draft position.
The team documented Lillard as having a calf injury on their official injury reports, and during his absence, they suffered defeats in 9 out of the 10 games.
Ultimately, this strategy resulted in the Trail Blazers securing the third overall pick in the NBA draft, which they used to select Scoot Henderson.
“According to sources, Portland had asked Lillard to sit out the final 10 games of the 2022-23 regular season to help the franchise improve its lottery odds. He was told the higher the draft pick, the better chance they had at using the pick to facilitate a trade for a proven veteran player. He reluctantly acquiesced to being shut down, citing a “calf injury.” Haynes wrote
The news about Portland’s decision to bench their star player emerged shortly after Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a drawn-out saga where the Miami Heat were consistently rumored as his likely destination.
MORE : Joe Cronin Denied Damian Lillard’s Bid To Stay In Portland
This news is nothing short of explosive. The fact that it’s clearly stated in an article where Damian Lillard himself provided comments on the record is a major development. It’s significant enough to prompt an investigation by the league.
Let’s not be naive; NBA fans have long been aware of tanking. The Trail Blazers, in particular, have been known to employ this strategy, especially towards the end of seasons.
However, this story has brought it out into the open. What the Blazers are alleged to have done goes beyond what the Mavericks were fined $750,000 for last season when they openly tanked their final two games to improve their draft position.
Here, we’re talking about a reported 10-game stretch and a fake injury to their star player.
If the league decides to probe this and finds any truth in these allegations, the Trail Blazers could face serious consequences, such as substantial fines, loss of draft picks, and more.
It’s a significant accusation, though there’s room for skepticism. It’s no secret that Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Damian Lillard are close friends.
This raises questions about Lillard’s role in bringing this to light. Is he trying to settle a score with his former team? That’s unclear.
Nevertheless, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. Even if only a fraction of this story is accurate, it’s a significant concern for the NBA, and an investigation is warranted.
The league has introduced new rules to prevent such incidents from happening in the future, reducing the problem compared to previous NBA seasons.
Given this, they may decide not to delve deeper into this situation, especially as they work on their next television deal.
However, this story will undoubtedly cast a shadow over the Trail Blazers, and it’s likely the NBA will closely monitor the situation going forward.