Apple Watch band doesn’t slide in or out properly

I got my Apple Watch series 3 42mm (space grey aluminum + black sport band) in February this year, and i’ve been having some trouble swapping out the band. Whenever I try to swap the band out for a different one, the piece with the holes never comes out smoothly, while the top and ML piece slide in and out just fine. Is there a way to fix this? (Yes, I’ve tried cleaning it with water, the band and Apple Watch) Am I eligible for a replacement band? Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jort