As the 2023-24 NBA season approaches quickly, James Harden and Damian Lillard are both not where they want to be. They each requested trades from the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively, but have yet to get their wishes granted.

Both stars demanded the trade with a specific destination in mind, making it harder for each team to honor them. As the offseason went on with no significant progress made toward a deal, each player tried to put pressure on their respective teams. These situations have gone further than trade demands of the past, as the outright desires for lone preferred destinations and lengths to get each trade done were made more public and upfront.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver came right out and said he is not a fan of the trade requests from Damian Lillard and James Harden, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.

“In terms of trade demands, of course, don't like them,” Silver said. “As a league, we want players, and teams, to honor their contracts. I am watching both the situation in Portland and Philadelphia and hope they get worked out to the satisfaction of everyone before the season starts. I am glad things have seemed to settle down somewhat, at least in terms of public discourse. On superteams, just to be clear, I think from a league standpoint, we love superteams as long as they're formed in a way that seems competitively fair across the league. Smart drafting, smart trades, et cetera, as opposed to one team has [sic] the ability to spend an enormous amount more than another team does. I think the new provisions in this CBA go a long way towards a leveling impact across the league.”

The discourse has indeed calmed down, though both dilemmas got NBA fans riled up at different points in the offseason. Harden made things really hit the fan when he outright called Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a liar during an Adidas tour in China.

James Harden, who wants to join the Los Angeles Clippers, opted into his player option and asked the Sixers to trade him. When the team halted trade talks amid a lack of good offers, Harden called Morey out by name. His relationships with the players seem to be fine but his dissatisfaction with the Sixers is very unlikely to change.

Damian Lillard's staunch desire to join the Miami Heat and insistence that he would only honor his contract to play for Miami caused the league to issue a memo to teams and players that such comments would be subject to discipline. Portland has a collection of young players, highlighted by rookie guard Scoot Henderson, signaling a desire to rebuild rather than compete for the playoffs.

There have been rumors supporting and refuting the idea that Harden and Lillard would each skip out on training camps for their incumbent teams. The latest rumor on Lillard dictates that he will only participate in Portland or Miami's camp, though even that got refuted. Both teams begin on October 2 and will start their slate of preseason games soon after.

The NBA's new rules regarding resting star players will force the Trail Blazers and Sixers to have their disgruntled veteran guards play in order to avoid penalization. Neither team has shut the door entirely on trading away its star but it's clear that patience is a virtue in the quest to receive quality compensation. Until the trade market changes, Damian Lillard and James Harden will have to ride it out with their current squads.