Dame asks for trade (And there it is)

[Mediocre Man]

Shams just posted on the Athletic that there is still no traction. A day later, but there it is. At this point Blazers are good

 

[RonBrewer]

Shams just posted on the Athletic that there is still no traction. A day later, but there it is. At this point Blazers are good

Can't wait to see the pissed off Heat Pod Casts. Anyone feel free to link

 

[e_blazer]

Shams just posted on the Athletic that there is still no traction. A day later, but there it is. At this point Blazers are good

Shams could have just linked his statement from last week. Absolutely no new information.

 

[Natebishop3]

The LMA situation is apples to oranges with the Dame situation. LMA never requested to be traded. He played out his contract and decided to move on. Ironically he decided not to re-sign with the Blazers because he was butt hurt that Dame was becoming the #1 option over him and he wanted to be the face of the franchise.

This is not true. There was plenty of rumors that LMA did request a trade the year before we beat Houston. Many of us wanted to trade him that summer because it was very apparent that he would leave the team.

 

[Phatguysrule]

All the Blazers need to do is give meaningful roles to Scoot and Sharpe and win more games than they lose to start the season, and (almost) all will be forgotten.

I think that's what Cronin would like to see.
I believe Cronin did his best to add talent to "win now" while keeping the future bright.

I agree. I think adding Scoot was far and away the best talent Joe could have added.

*Edit* I want to qualify this by saying, leading up to the draft, I expected the value of the pick to be much higher than it wound up being. But as it turns out, draft picks didn't have that much relative value as I thought. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have gotten Scoot. I think Charlotte would have traded the pick if offers were better.

 

[Phatguysrule]

This is not true. There was plenty of rumors that LMA did request a trade the year before we beat Houston. Many of us wanted to trade him that summer because it was very apparent that he would leave the team.

I was one who wanted to trade Aldridge. But that situation was far different. We didn't have him locked up for 4 years.

Rumors are far different from what has happened with Dame.

However, I was pretty sure Aldridge was leaving. Olshey had no leverage at all with Aldridge, but he hadn't publicly asked out.

Olshey was an idiot for not trading Aldridge as soon as he didn't sign that extension.

 

[Natebishop3]

I was one who wanted to trade Aldridge. But that situation was far different. We didn't have him locked up for 4 years.

Rumors are far different from what has happened with Dame.

However, I was pretty sure Aldridge was leaving. Olshey had no leverage at all with Aldridge, but he hadn't publicly asked out.

Olshey was an idiot for not trading Aldridge as soon as he didn't sign that extension.

It was the summer after Dame's rookie season, so LMA still had two years left on his deal.

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/6...ade-rumors-lamarcus-aldridge-portland-blazers

 

[Phatguysrule]

It was the summer after Dame's rookie season, so LMA still had two years left on his deal.

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/6...ade-rumors-lamarcus-aldridge-portland-blazers

Yes, that's when his value was probably it's highest, and when we should have started working out an extension. I actually just wanted to trade him at this point, as I didn't like how soft and moody he was. He didn't seem committed to me. He certainly wasn't a pro, like Dame has been throughout his career.

As soon as he showed hesitation to signing the extension he should have been traded.

 

[Kano John]

This is not true. There was plenty of rumors that LMA did request a trade the year before we beat Houston. Many of us wanted to trade him that summer because it was very apparent that he would leave the team.

Rumors ----- LMA did not ask for a trade. He played out his contract and moved on. He did not sign a super max like Dame and then demand a trade the next year to a single team. Like I said, apples to oranges.

 

[Whyachi]

The LMA situation is apples to oranges with the Dame situation. LMA never requested to be traded. He played out his contract and decided to move on. Ironically he decided not to re-sign with the Blazers because he was butt hurt that Dame was becoming the #1 option over him and he wanted to be the face of the franchise.

Aldridge bounced because the Blazers were slapping together undersized rosters. Turning games into an uphill battle from the opening tip. Meyers Leonard & Joel Freeland were the only frontline players in Portland to help Aldridge defend the paint. The 2 new guards Lillard and McCollum were absolutely atrocious defenders. Opponents were controlling the glass & ramming nasty dunks home. People began blaming an aging Aldridge (who was never an elite defender) for playing bad defense.

Fans turned on the Blazers only All-Star, because the flashy new young guys padding stats while playing matador defense was better for their fantasy teams.

Aldridge was burned out with the Front Office retooling, rebuilding, we're small but we try hard, OK we're not very good, we will fix it but we won't, check out all these cool offensive stats, look at all these amazing college players we might draft. Similar to what the Blazers have put Lillard through for the past 2 seasons.

 

[Kano John]

Aldridge bounced because the Blazers were slapping together undersized rosters. Turning games into an uphill battle from the opening tip. Meyers Leonard & Joel Freeland were the only frontline players in Portland to help Aldridge defend the paint. The 2 new guards Lillard and McCollum were absolutely atrocious defenders. Opponents were controlling the glass & ramming nasty dunks home. People began blaming an aging Aldridge (who was never an elite defender) for playing bad defense.

Fans turned on the Blazers only All-Star, because the flashy new young guys padding stats while playing matador defense was better for their fantasy teams.

Aldridge was burned out with the Front Office retooling, rebuilding, we're small but we try hard, OK we're not very good, we will fix it but we won't, check out all these cool offensive stats, look at all these amazing college players we might draft. Similar to what the Blazers have put Lillard through for thes past 2 seasons.

It was mostly because of injuries. Oden then Roy and then Wesley got injured. One year the Blazers were full of promise and the next they started falling apart. Wesley's injury was the straw that broke their back. If I recall even LMA was nursing an injured finger the same year. But even LMA said later that he wished that he had stayed and given his relationship with Dame a chance before leaving.

 

[blazerfan11]

Aldridge bounced because the Blazers were slapping together undersized rosters. Turning games into an uphill battle from the opening tip. Meyers Leonard & Joel Freeland were the only frontline players in Portland to help Aldridge defend the paint. The 2 new guards Lillard and McCollum were absolutely atrocious defenders. Opponents were controlling the glass & ramming nasty dunks home. People began blaming an aging Aldridge (who was never an elite defender) for playing bad defense.

Fans turned on the Blazers only All-Star, because the flashy new young guys padding stats while playing matador defense was better for their fantasy teams.

Aldridge was burned out with the Front Office retooling, rebuilding, we're small but we try hard, OK we're not very good, we will fix it but we won't, check out all these cool offensive stats, look at all these amazing college players we might draft. Similar to what the Blazers have put Lillard through for the past 2 seasons.

I really wanted Steven Adams in the 2013 draft.
He was as raw as a player could be, but I watched him in the combine and his fitness level was at a different level than the other centers. He was also built like a rock.

I wonder if things would have gone differently with Aldridge if the Blazers had drafted Adams instead of McCollum.
Adams certainly would have been good at doing all the dirty work that a big man does. He still does it, setting fantastic screen and was sorely missed by the Grizzlies in the postseason.

 

[Natebishop3]

Rumors ----- LMA did not ask for a trade. He played out his contract and moved on. He did not sign a super max like Dame and then demand a trade the next year to a single team. Like I said, apples to oranges.

Rumors….. that didn’t just materialize out of nowhere.

 

[Strenuus]

He's doing a listening party in Portland at the Roseland.

Do that shit in Miami or something since that's the only place you want to be, you fuck. Portland ain't it for you anymore.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Aldridge bounced because the Blazers were slapping together undersized rosters. Turning games into an uphill battle from the opening tip. Meyers Leonard & Joel Freeland were the only frontline players in Portland to help Aldridge defend the paint. The 2 new guards Lillard and McCollum were absolutely atrocious defenders. Opponents were controlling the glass & ramming nasty dunks home. People began blaming an aging Aldridge (who was never an elite defender) for playing bad defense.

Fans turned on the Blazers only All-Star, because the flashy new young guys padding stats while playing matador defense was better for their fantasy teams.

Aldridge was burned out with the Front Office retooling, rebuilding, we're small but we try hard, OK we're not very good, we will fix it but we won't, check out all these cool offensive stats, look at all these amazing college players we might draft. Similar to what the Blazers have put Lillard through for the past 2 seasons.

This is either satire or the inane rambling of someone who want actually watching the Blazers 10 years ago. CJ barely played before Aldridge left. Lopez/Aldridge were one of the largest and best rebounding frontcourts in the league, and Matthews/Batum were one of the better defending pairs of wings around. Undersized roster and porous defense were absolutely not the reasons LMA left.

 

[Kano John]

This is either satire or the inane rambling of someone who want actually watching the Blazers 10 years ago. CJ barely played before Aldridge left. Lopez/Aldridge were one of the largest and best rebounding frontcourts in the league, and Matthews/Batum were one of the better defending pairs of wings around. Undersized roster and porous defense were absolutely not the reasons LMA left.

True this !!!!!

 

[Whyachi]

I really wanted Steven Adams in the 2013 draft.
He was as raw as a player could be, but I watched him in the combine and his fitness level was at a different level than the other centers. He was also built like a rock.

I wonder if things would have gone differently with Aldridge if the Blazers had drafted Adams instead of McCollum.
Adams certainly would have been good at doing all the dirty work that a big man does. He still does it, setting fantastic screen and was sorely missed by the Grizzlies in the postseason.

EVERYONE in Portland wanted Adams except the Blazers Front Office!! Portland drafted a short, terrible at defense PG McCollum to replace Wesley Matthews and pair with Lillard.

I think I got suspended from Blazers Edge for disagreeing with writers and Olshey moochers, who spent all day defending everything about CJ McCollum and bad Blazers roster decisions.

"Dear Wyachi, your bad jokes are beginning to sound like you are constantly trolling our beloved GM Neil Olshey, and our terrificly wonderful shooting guard who averages 20ppg.

CJ McCollum is the most amazing SG since Drexler, and we strongly support giving him more shots so he can become an All-Star very soon.

You are dragging down our super duper optimistic Blazer fan website, and we have asked that you remove yourself until you decide to stop posting bad stats after losses. When you can agree to say only positive comments about our Blazers, you may return."

 

[Pinwheel1]

EVERYONE in Portland wanted Adams except the Blazers Front Office!! Portland drafted a short, terrible at defense PG McCollum to replace Wesley Matthews and pair with Lillard.

I think I got suspended from Blazers Edge for disagreeing with writers and Olshey moochers, who spent all day defending everything about CJ McCollum and bad Blazers roster decisions.

"Dear Wyachi, your bad jokes are beginning to sound like you are constantly trolling our beloved GM Neil Olshey, and our terrificly wonderful shooting guard who averages 20ppg.

CJ McCollum is the most amazing SG since Drexler, and we strongly support giving him more shots so he can become an All-Star very soon.

You are dragging down our super duper optimistic Blazer fan website, and we have asked that you remove yourself until you decide to stop posting bad stats after losses. When you can agree to say only positive comments about our Blazers, you may return."

The Irony in this post is how slow Adams looked against the Blazers in 2019 when Portland won the series 4-1.
Adams was so slow that CJ and Dame made it look easy. Adams is a decent backup center though.

 

[BIG Q]

This is not true. There was plenty of rumors that LMA did request a trade the year before we beat Houston. Many of us wanted to trade him that summer because it was very apparent that he would leave the team.

Never heard he requested a trade. Were there any rumors we missed? I know we all speculated on trades we would all like.

 

[riverman]

Neil Olshey is probably the reason LA bailed on Portland...now that Olshey has been fired for being an asshole, he was probably still an asshole when LA's contract was expired.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Shams could have just linked his statement from last week. Absolutely no new information.

True sort of. A little new info and some sound. Not released yet? No idea why?

 

[Whyachi]

someone on a different forum just told me, "Lillard has had some of the best rosters in the West to play with."

it's mind blowing how dumb people can sound.

can we at least make ragging on Dame have intelligible wording to back it up? Short, ballhog, sucks at D, gets paid too much, this all can be debated. Lying about the bad rosters Portland put around Dame is a disqualifying low blow.

 

[Natebishop3]

Never heard he requested a trade. Were there any rumors we missed? I know we all speculated on trades we would all like.

Yes, there were rumors that he asked out that summer. But of course he didn't say anything publicly because... well... you're not supposed to.

Dame and his agent just don't give a fuck.

 

[Whyachi]

The Irony in this post is how slow Adams looked against the Blazers in 2019 when Portland won the series 4-1.
Adams was so slow that CJ and Dame made it look easy. Adams is a decent backup center though.

That entire OKC team looked slow. Wasn't Raymond Felton coming off the bench??

case closed

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I was one who wanted to trade Aldridge. But that situation was far different. We didn't have him locked up for 4 years.

Rumors are far different from what has happened with Dame.

However, I was pretty sure Aldridge was leaving. Olshey had no leverage at all with Aldridge, but he hadn't publicly asked out.

Olshey was an idiot for not trading Aldridge as soon as he didn't sign that extension.

Aldridge was not eligible for a max extension. Virtually none of the All-stars signed extensions back then. After Aldridge left the NBA changed the rules, now all the stars sign extensions.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

This is not true. There was plenty of rumors that LMA did request a trade the year before we beat Houston. Many of us wanted to trade him that summer because it was very apparent that he would leave the team.

Your posts on this are full of shit.

Find one post here where Blazers fans wanted to trade Aldridge in the summer of 2014 after Dame won the first Blazers playoff series in 14 years on the 0.9 shot. Aldridge had two monster games in the series setting it all up.

Aldridge said he wanted to retire a Blazer that summer and all Blazer fans were good running that team back. An extension couldn't be completed due to cap rules.

What some fans thought 12 months prior when the Blazers finished the year losing 13 straight or 12 months later when Aldridge walked for nothing after Wes Achilles snapped were totally different periods of time.

I'm all for criticizing the shit moves Neil did but running the Blazers team back with Aldridge in 2014 was absolutely the right move. That was the best roster Portland had since 2000 or since.

Sucks it didn't work out. Sucks Aldridge plans changed on a whim. Sucks we lost Aldridge for zero assets.

But this revisionist misleading "I told you so" statements are totally untrue back then as well as now.

 

[RR7]

Your posts on this are full of shit.

Find one post here where Blazers fans wanted to trade Aldridge in the summer of 2014 after Dame won the first Blazers playoff series in 14 years on the 0.9 shot. Aldridge had two monster games in the series setting it all up.

Aldridge said he wanted to retire a Blazer that summer and all Blazer fans were good running that team back. An extension couldn't be completed due to cap rules.

What some fans thought 12 months prior when the Blazers finished the year losing 13 straight or 12 months later when Aldridge walked for nothing after Wes Achilles snapped were totally different periods of time.

I'm all for criticizing the shit moves Neil did but running the Blazers team back with Aldridge in 2014 was absolutely the right move. That was the best roster Portland had since 2000 or since.

Sucks it didn't work out. Sucks Aldridge plans changed on a whim. Sucks we lost Aldridge for zero assets.

But this revisionist misleading "I told you so" statements are totally untrue back then as well as now.

It's not revisionist misleading at all. There were many, a few? Who had heard he wanted out and wanted us to be proactive. Nate was definitely one who heard something or I dunno. But it's not revisionism. I wasn't one. But there were plenty here. And... they were right.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Aldridge was not eligible for a max extension. Virtually none of the All-stars signed extensions back then. After Aldridge left the NBA changed the rules, now all the stars sign extensions.

That's irrelevant to my read at the time.

I would have offered him the highest dollar extension possible and if he didn't sign it I'd have traded him. I probably would have traded him anyway as soon as possible after he signed it if I could get a comparable player in return.

That's not hindsight, that's what I wanted to do at the time.

 

[Natebishop3]

Your posts on this are full of shit.

Find one post here where Blazers fans wanted to trade Aldridge in the summer of 2014 after Dame won the first Blazers playoff series in 14 years on the 0.9 shot. Aldridge had two monster games in the series setting it all up.

Aldridge said he wanted to retire a Blazer that summer and all Blazer fans were good running that team back. An extension couldn't be completed due to cap rules.

What some fans thought 12 months prior when the Blazers finished the year losing 13 straight or 12 months later when Aldridge walked for nothing after Wes Achilles snapped were totally different periods of time.

I'm all for criticizing the shit moves Neil did but running the Blazers team back with Aldridge in 2014 was absolutely the right move. That was the best roster Portland had since 2000 or since.

Sucks it didn't work out. Sucks Aldridge plans changed on a whim. Sucks we lost Aldridge for zero assets.

But this revisionist misleading "I told you so" statements are totally untrue back then as well as now.

I’m talking about the year before that. And if you’re seriously gonna make me go back and dig up my posts just to rub it in your face, I will gladly do it. Just let me know.

 

[Natebishop3]

Your posts on this are full of shit.

Find one post here where Blazers fans wanted to trade Aldridge in the summer of 2014 after Dame won the first Blazers playoff series in 14 years on the 0.9 shot. Aldridge had two monster games in the series setting it all up.

Aldridge said he wanted to retire a Blazer that summer and all Blazer fans were good running that team back. An extension couldn't be completed due to cap rules.

What some fans thought 12 months prior when the Blazers finished the year losing 13 straight or 12 months later when Aldridge walked for nothing after Wes Achilles snapped were totally different periods of time.

I'm all for criticizing the shit moves Neil did but running the Blazers team back with Aldridge in 2014 was absolutely the right move. That was the best roster Portland had since 2000 or since.

Sucks it didn't work out. Sucks Aldridge plans changed on a whim. Sucks we lost Aldridge for zero assets.

But this revisionist misleading "I told you so" statements are totally untrue back then as well as now.

Here you go..

Obviously it's a big "if" because of the source, but if it's true it raises a few questions.

1) Why would the team be looking to trade Aldridge? Is it because Aldridge wants to be traded or is it because the team wants to trade Aldridge?

2) What does the team want to get back for him? Young players? Vets? Picks?

3) What is the current plan? Obviously things have changed because of the recent Olshey quotes about wishing he had upgraded the bench. Is Olshey in a "win now" mode? If that's true, why would they want to trade Aldridge?

I've looked around the league and I simply don't see a good trade partner. What are our holes? Basically our whole bench. We need a backup point guard, we need a backup shooting guard, we need a backup small forward....

Should we go for vets for these positions or should we keep trying to bring in young talent to build around our core? It seems like the team is caught between a desire to build long term and an unforeseen quicker advance in the progress of Lillard and the other starters.

You guys are hilarious. How is this a fan issue?

Where there's smoke, there's fire. First the Cleveland rumor a few weeks ago, then Bucher, now this.

Do you think these rumors would surface for no reason at all?

Do you think Olshey would trade Aldridge unless either he requested it, he had strong indications that Aldridge would leave in two years, or that there was a good offer on the table?

Why can't you at least consider the idea that Aldridge wants out and that it's not about running him off? I am with Brian. I think Aldridge is gone one way or another when his contract is up, and I think it will most likely be a team in Texas.

For some teams I think the strategy is sound. Cleveland should have traded LeBron. Denver traded Melo. Utah traded Deron Williams. Sometimes a star player wants out, they make it clear they want out, and you need to trade them while you can still get reasonable value. The Cavs were never going to get fair value for LeBron. How do you get fair value for the best player in the league? If you were Cleveland, and you could go back, would you trade LeBron knowing that he's going to skip town?

In our case, it worked out for us, and I give most of the credit to Neil, but I also give props to LA for stepping up his game. He has been a huge part of our success this year.

Cool man. I'm just saying you're acting like the deal is done. It's not done until he actually signs the contract.

Well then I don't understand why you think you need to put to rest the idea of trading him for draft picks when you have said that you would do the deal.

A lot of people have said they would deal him because of a number of different factors, not just because they think he's going to bolt. Some people are uncomfortable giving a guy who will be turning 30 next summer a deal around $100 million. Some people are uncomfortable with even the risk of him bolting, not even necessarily that he will, but the fact that he COULD scares them enough to trade him. Some people feel like our core isn't enough to win a championship, so trading for Wiggins could potentially give us a Kevin Durant type player. Those are just some of the reasons I've read on here.

I never said he wasn't going to re-sign this summer. In fact, I think I specifically said that I hope he does re-sign, but that I'm not holding my breath either way.

Brian and I were absolutely roasted for suggesting that it would be smart to trade Aldridge when we had all the leverage. Now suddenly everyone is worried he'll leave. Funny how that works. I wonder if we could have had Andrew Wiggins right now.

We do. I guess it just depends on how Aldridge views the future of the team. If he thinks we have enough to win, he will probably stay. If he thinks the team is lacking, and locking up all those players would essentially end our chances of adding another star player, he might decide to leave. It's too hard to predict right now what's going to happen. My fear from the beginning is that he wants to play closer to home. I don't see him leaving for LA or NY. I could very easily see him leaving for SA or Dallas.

If he walks away this summer, do you still think we were dumb asses?