I honestly think that if Joe doesn't knock it out of the park around draft day that Dame will go to Jody and ask for Joe to be replaced before free agency starts. By doing this Dame will either get a new GM or they will trade Dame and Dame will be able to say that he wanted to stay loyal but they didn't want him anymore. All of the stuff he's been saying lately and his most recent songs are saying the he is planning on being here for the rest of his career and Joe needs to do what it takes to make the team competitive immediately.
Is it really a fear? I’ve got to say, I kind of hope Dame asks out. It’s apparent that we have virtually no realistic shot at contending with him. and we won’t trade him unless he demands it. here’s what I’d say… the only way this team is a legitimate contender is if we had Giannis with Dame. what would our team look like after a Giannis trade? Whatever it is, probably still not good enough to win a chip.
joe said they're gonna keep pursuing guys they tried to get at the deadline. he also said there's a few guys on the list the would not even get phones picked up for. mikal bridges is probably one of those guys. BK isn't gonna trade him. i'm guessing they'll pursue Cam Johnson in some S&T possibility. and hard cap us again. but we've been linked to him before. Other names we have been in connection with: - John Collins - OG/Siakam - Vanderbilt
One thing outside of Dame and Cronin that stood out for me and maybe I am reading WAY more into it then there is but I think Ant wants to stay but open to leaving. I think he very much open to being traded to a team where he might be the 1st option or at least 1B and right now he might have that next year but even that in not certain with Sharpe and maybe lotto luck. I like Ant but I am not sure even with him being young if he will get much better cause I think he needs to be 1 or 1B to really grow and IF he cannot his ceiling is around where CJ was when he was traded away maybe a tad higher but not much more. I am not saying he SHOULD be traded but it should be explored and done IF the return is right and can help the Blazers get to the next level. This offseason is a make or break for everything in Ripcity cause the aftershocks of the results will determine if Dame asks out and to me that is what we need to avoid at least for two more years cause that is what I think the window is for this team. They need to put together a Top 3 in the west team in 2 years or you might as well just get what you can for Dame and rebuild and as much as I hate that idea it is what needs to prolly happen.
Wasn't there some pictures of Dame and Jerami talking from the year before...maybe we can find something like that this season, with who they're targeting.
mikal bridges went to cabo to celebrate dame's bday last year. dame has repeatedly called bridges an idea SF. bridges was also a counselor at dame's camp. unless BK wants to entertain the idea of a Ant + stuff for Bridges swap, we have no way of landing him.
I'm not sure there is single team in the NBA where Ant could be traded and be the best player & #1 option. Maybe the Spurs but Johnson is as good as Ant...and Ant's defense would give Popovich and aneurysm.
I don’t think he necessarily want to be the number one option, I think he want to play point guard full time
I would bet that Portland offers Ant + the pick (not #1) + any other draft capital they can cobble together. And I don't think there's any way at all the Nets accept I'm pretty sure that Cronin won't trade Sharpe. I don't think Dame would go for that either
I think Cronin would trade Sharpe for Bridges. It might look back in hindsight, but it would be putting the chips in so to speak.
If we somehow win the lottery I wonder if Dame understands the timeline is gonna be reset around Wemby and Sharpe? I don’t want him traded but at that point if he wanted to be dealt to an immediate contender I think the return plus Wemby/Sharpe would make us a very exciting team for the next decade.
Sharpe should start next year, ideally we win the lottery and Dame, Sharpe, and Wemby are 3/5 of the starting rotation. At that point I’d try to send Ant/Nurk/3 1s/Pick swaps for Brown/Filler. One can dream I guess.
I think Dame is a pretty smart guy. Just like most of us, he knows that there is a big difference between Victor and the rest of the draft class. You keep #1, but every other pick is for sale.
Agreed. You gotta go all in unless you get #1. I was skeptical on Sharpe but I think you gotta keep him. Him and dame stay, rest can be shopped. The thing I fear, is that as a collective there just isn't much return for our guys. At least not a needle mover. It sucks.