LAS VEGAS – Damian Lillard smiled. Why shouldn’t he be? The NBA offseason was less than two weeks old and Lillard had already emerged as a big winner. Last week, from a podium at the Thomas & Mack Center flanked by Portland GM Joe Cronin and trainer Chauncey Billups, Lillard officially announced his two-year contract extension. The deal — which reportedly adds $122 million to Lillard’s contract, bringing his remaining total to $258 million and guaranteeing the All-NBA guard more than $450 million in career earnings — keeps Lillard tied to the blazer through the 2026/27 season.
Or is it?
Lillard is firm in his desire to win in Portland. “Something our league lacks is character,” Lillard said at the press conference. “And the fight and the passion and the pride in not just the name on the back but the name on the front.” There’s no reason to doubt him. For years, fans and the media have speculated about Lillard’s future. He hasn’t. Lillard has stayed true to the small-market blazers, only emphasizing a desire to build a winning team around him.
But if Lillard wanted a trade, he could get one. If he asked, assuming Lillard was still playing at a high level, the Blazers would do the favor, likely to a target of his choosing.
It’s the reality of today’s NBA: Long-term contracts have become meaningless. (Of course, teams also have the option to move players at any time.)
Contracts — particularly the length and type of contracts players choose to sign — have been a hot topic in the NBA for years. In the early 2000s, the league and players’ union fought over the length of players’ contracts. The NBA wanted to limit it to four years, five if a player re-signs with their current team. The union wanted six and seven. They agreed on five years, six with the current team. 11, the NBA shortened the length to four and five.
In the ten years since then, the landscape has changed. Superstar players, who value pricing flexibility and the power (read: roster influence) that comes with it, signed shorter contracts. LeBron James did it when he signed with the Cavaliers in 2014. Then he did it again. 16, Kevin Durant signed a one-year contract with the Warriors. He went on to sign two more — like James, Durant got player options for a second year in each of his contracts — before leaving Golden State 19.
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The bigger shift is more recent: players sign long-term contracts…then tell their teams they don’t want to play for them anymore. In 2017, Kyrie Irving, who had just finished a third straight finals run in Cleveland and had two years left under contract, said he wanted to leave the Cavaliers. In 2020, James Harden, who had two seasons left on his contract, asked from Houston. The Rockets traded him eight games that season. Ben Simmons had four years left when he told the 76ers he wanted to move. Philadelphia moved him to Brooklyn before the trade deadline. Durant didn’t make a dime on the $198 million extension he signed last fall. Still, he has made it clear he wants a deal from Brooklyn – and the networks are expected to comply.
KD has four years left on his contract with the Nets.
Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports
Players pushing themselves out of unwelcome situations is a burgeoning trend that is expected to continue. In Washington, Bradley Beal signed a five-year, $251 million extension with the Wizards. “I want to win a championship and I want to do it here,” Beal said. Maybe. But if the Wizards don’t reach title-fighting levels soon — and Washington, who hasn’t won a playoff series since 2017, is a long way off — Beal has the power to force his way out. Lillard’s commitment to Portland is genuine. But if the Blazers’ recent moves don’t move them up the Western Conference rankings — and, like Washington, Portland has more questions than answers — Lillard can approach management about a trade. And the Blazers would probably work with him on that.
At the Summer League, team and league officials recognize the challenge. “It’s the owners,” said a senior team official. “They are soft. They can’t bear to be uncomfortable.” Several cited Philadelphia’s handling of the Simmons situation as a model to follow. The Sixers refused to trade Simmons, fined him and only moved him because the return (Harden) warranted the deal. “But how many GMs can do that?” said another executive. “How many are as comfortable in an environment like this as Daryl? [Morey] and do you have the property reserve to do it?
The NBA is working with union officials on a new collective agreement — both the league and players can opt out of the current deal in December — but there’s no apparent solution there. The league could push for maximum deal provisions. For example, a player who has signed a Max contract is not tradable for the first three years of it. But that may not have the support of team owners who want the flexibility to ditch a contract. Additionally, some team officials do not see the issue as an issue worth addressing. It’s better to have the player and be able to win something back for them through trading, officials say, than lose them for nothing.
The Durant situation will be the next test. Brooklyn has signed several teams for Durant. As sports illustrated The asking price was reportedly high. If it’s not met, several opposing team officials told SI they hope the Nets don’t just dump him. It would be a win for the teams. And it could be a victory for Brooklyn. In the NFL, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers asked for a trade after the 2020 season. Green Bay declined. Rodgers reports. The Packers went 13-4 last season with Rodgers picking up a second straight MVP. Last March, Rodgers signed a contract extension that will keep him at Green Bay into his 40s. Different sport but the Nets, if they show determination, can hope for the same result.
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