7-time All-Star Damian Lillard and agent Aaron Goodwin have been warned against tampering with the trade negotiations between the Portland Trail Blazers and prospective teams as Portland attempts to acquiesce to Lillard's demands to play elsewhere.

However, despite the league sending out a memo to all 30 teams in their effort to deter Dame — and other players who may find themselves in a similar situation in the future — from making it exceedingly difficult to generate player movement, Lillard “is not inclined to expand his list of preferred destinations beyond Miami” (per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).

“With the Portland Trail Blazers feeling no urgency to complete a Damian Lillard trade — and their executives on vacation — there doesn’t appear to be anything imminent in the Heat’s pursuit of a trade for the seven-time All Star guard,” Jackson adds.

Reading in between the lines, it doesn't seem as if Lillard will be making his way to South Beach for anything but a vacation in the immediate future. Furthermore, there could be growing tension between Lillard and the Blazers front office, as both likely feel as if they're being asked to sacrifice too much by the other party.

Ultimately, the longer this saga stretches out, the uglier it may become. Perhaps even to the point of being untenable, though not necessarily irreconcilable. However, while such a series of events could expedite the trade process, its likely to lead to the Blazers being short-changed on trade offers or Lillard being sent to another team he doesn't want to play for.

As a result, the best course of action for all parties involved could be the very path they're on now — the slow, drawling path of least resistance.

Unless Lillard wants to play somewhere else, that is.