NBA GM: Damian Lillard Not Getting Heat Trade Shows 'Teams Are Taking Back Control'

The resolution of Damian Lillard's trade saga is a sign that the scales are tilting back toward NBA teams in the opinion of some inside the league, according to The Ringer's Howard Beck.

The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, with Portland holding firm and not granting his wish on a move to the Miami Heat.

One executive from an Eastern Conference team told Beck this was a sign "teams are taking back control." Another general manager called it "significant" that Lillard didn't wind up in Miami.

The outcome of the Dame sweepstakes didn't happen in isolation, either.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James publicly lamented his team's failure to land Kyrie Irving ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. That was a bit of a contrast from the 2021 offseason, when James played an active role in the recruitment of Russell Westbrook at the possible cost of other targets such as DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield.

The Brooklyn Nets ultimately traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns but not before first declining to acquiesce to his request ahead of the 2022-23 season. Brooklyn also threw its support behind general manager Sean Marks despite rumored friction between him and Durant.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers are content to play hardball with James Harden despite the potential pitfalls that might have.

In a less dramatic but potentially more telling example of the shifting landscape, the Los Angeles Clippers appear to be no longer bending over backward for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported in June that neither player may be assured of getting a full four-year, max extension due in part to their injury track records. Based on comments from important figures within the organization, the Clippers may not rest Leonard and George as aggressively as they have within the past, an acknowledgement that load management has its limits.

Star players are always going to be afforded more luxuries than their peers. The power they collectively wielded the last few years may be receding slightly, though.