Dame asks for trade (And there it is) (3 Viewers)

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Who knows where this is really coming from, but "Fentress is talking out of his ass" too often seems, 'situation normal'.

SNAFU

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

He needs to come out and say this himself or i won't believe it.
Damian Lillard 'remains unwavering' he only wants to play for the Heat

The Portland Trail Blazers’ desire to explore alternate destinations (beyond Miami) in trade talks involving Damian Lillard hasn’t softened Lillard’s position. The seven-time All Star guard remains unwavering that he wants to play only for the Heat, a source with direct knowledge reiterated to the Miami Herald on Sunday night.

– via Miami Herald

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Let's let it be messy.
So if the Blazers attempt to trade Lillard to a team other than Miami, a potential standoff looms. Though Lillard does not have a no-trade clause, his mind-set — at this time — is to remain resolute and adamant that Miami is the only place he wants to play. If the Blazers attempt to send him to a different location, Lillard will need to decide how he wants to handle it and how messy he wants it to become.
– via Miami Herald

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Yeah, I am absolutely on board the Simmons for extra picks wagon. Play him as a center that can run the break and is another ball-handler when the Blazers get bogged down in the half-court. That's absolutely fine.

Not trying to be rude, but some of you just don't get it. The national media thinks it's very possible he's played his last game. He was supposed to play this summer and he opted out to "rehab". The only player who needed to rehab after taking 6 months to rehab is Greg Oden (ok, Bill Walton and some others, but you get the point).

If you have to take him to get a starter, you do it... but getting a non-starter is a non-starter, imho.

 

[PCmor7]

At the same time why would Fentress just make this kind of stuff up?

Because TECHNICALLY Dame's camp could try to do that, and throwing out that speculation will get people reacting to his tweet and sharing it and talking about and, if it turns out it only was just speculation, there aren't any consequences for Fentress. It'll be another day, another story. No one could sue him for the tweet, because he was just saying they could do that. And the news cycle moves too fast these days for many people to long remember what he did ... but he will have driven a lot of views to his site and his employer's.

We can see from this thread that he did that. At the same time, we can't just ignore it because it might be true.

Anyway, there are absolutely reasons he could be playing very loose with the truth, implying something that he thinks, not something that he was told.

 

[glazeduck]

Not trying to be rude, but some of you just don't get it. The national media thinks it's very possible he's played his last game. He was supposed to play this summer and he opted out to "rehab". The only player who needed to rehab after taking 6 months to rehab is Greg Oden (ok, Bill Walton and some others, but you get the point).

If you have to take him to get a starter, you do it... but getting a non-starter is a non-starter, imho.

Again... SO WHAT? He's a bad contract for one year in a year where we're not going to be good and we've never been able to use cap space.

If BKN's trying to leverage him as value in a trade, then yeah, they can fuck off. But if they're truly paying us to take him, we're in the absolutely perfect situation to do just that. We're rebuilding, we need to leverage every opportunity to add assets to this team. He's a high-upside/zero downside acquisition.

 

[SlyPokerCat]

Not trying to be rude, but some of you just don't get it. The national media thinks it's very possible he's played his last game. He was supposed to play this summer and he opted out to "rehab". The only player who needed to rehab after taking 6 months to rehab is Greg Oden (ok, Bill Walton and some others, but you get the point).

If you have to take him to get a starter, you do it... but getting a non-starter is a non-starter, imho.

If that is all true, then i would expect Brooklyn to want to give us some assets to move him while acquiring Herro.

Again, we want to lose games and he would be an expiring next year. I don't really see the problem.

If Brooklyn refuses to give up some assets to move off him, then just tell them to fuck off and include a different third team.

 

[andalusian]

Not trying to be rude, but some of you just don't get it. The national media thinks it's very possible he's played his last game. He was supposed to play this summer and he opted out to "rehab". The only player who needed to rehab after taking 6 months to rehab is Greg Oden (ok, Bill Walton and some others, but you get the point).

If you have to take him to get a starter, you do it... but getting a non-starter is a non-starter, imho.

I am fine with dead-weight on the roster for 2 picks in the 2 years the Blazers are in youth movement as well.

I imagine he is training because he believes he can play, if he can't, that's fine too. The compensation is the 2 picks. Paying a bloated salary for these in 2 years the Blazers will be under the tax is a no-issue. And if he works out as a small-ball center, even better.

 

[Natebishop3]

Don't post these clickbait youtube videos. They're all over Youtube where they have some bullshit headline like "BREAKING DAME TRADED TO THE LAKERS" and they link some video from ESPN that has nothing at all about that. They're meant to get people to click on them so they can get revenue.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Again... SO WHAT? He's a bad contract for one year in a year where we're not going to be good and we've never been able to use cap space.

If BKN's trying to leverage him as value in a trade, then yeah, they can fuck off. But if they're truly paying us to take him, we're in the absolutely perfect situation to do just that. We're rebuilding, we need to leverage every opportunity to add assets to this team. He's a high-upside/zero downside acquisition.

This:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/BRK.html
says 2 years, no team option.

 

[BBert]

At the same time why would Fentress just make this kind of stuff up?

Haha. You're a funny dude.

 

[LayneStaley]

I have a hard time believing Dame is gonna give his haters that much ammo. Going from “I hate super teams” to “I will only play on a super team that made the finals last year” is some Jekyll and Hyde kinda shit.

 

[Natebishop3]

Not trying to be rude, but some of you just don't get it. The national media thinks it's very possible he's played his last game. He was supposed to play this summer and he opted out to "rehab". The only player who needed to rehab after taking 6 months to rehab is Greg Oden (ok, Bill Walton and some others, but you get the point).

If you have to take him to get a starter, you do it... but getting a non-starter is a non-starter, imho.

If they're willing to give us a few picks to take that contract, I do it.

Look at how OKC has been rebuilding. They took bloat contracts with picks. Now they have a talented young core and they're on the precipice of contending again.

 

[PCmor7]

Because I don't think he's technically reporting it as something that Dame told him. He's basically saying that Dame and his agent COULD force their way to Miami.

Yep. He has a caveat that he can play. He's got a captive audience he's riling up for personal gain.

 

[glazeduck]

This:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/BRK.html
says 2 years, no team option.

Well aware. After next season that contract becomes a massive expiring contract. Maybe that means value in a trade, maybe not. But if the worst outcome is us swallowing 2 high paying years for no value from him... in years where we're clearly rebuilding... on a franchise that simply is not a free agency draw...

If we're getting value to take him, I think that's well worth the maybe 1% risk of not being able to throw stupid FA money at someone. Because we've seen how that plays out over and over again.

 

[BBert]

I had this same discussion with a buddy last night. In a vacuum, Simmons' contract is brutal. But specifically for a post-Dame Blazers...

• We're not going to be competitive next year, so who cares?
• After that year, it becomes a huge expiring, so really only one year to "swallow" before it could become a positive asset.
• We're going to be well under all the cap ceilings in that timespan, so who cares?
• Per the rumors, including him in a deal allows us to get additional asset, so isn't that a good thing?
• Looking at all the big contracts out there -- most are either of untouchable or aging players. A few (KAT, Zion, Ayton, Simmons) are young, talented but mercurial. If one of those types is being included as a negative asset but still has high potential... isn't that good thing?
• If he somehow figured things out... he's still an extremely skilled big man who can defend 1-5, rebound, doesn't need shots and likes to facilitate. Doesn't that sound like the perfect role player at a position that we've struggled to find good fits forever?

To me, concerns about Simmons' contract is worrying about a billionaire's money and no real other concerns. In the absolute worst case scenario, he's a locker room cancer (something I've never heard anything of the sort said about him previously) and we tell him to stay home until we can trade his contract. The guy at least looks like he is at least doing all the right things to get back to playing... I see almost no downside to including him.

You take Simmons if they include a sweetener, like a draft pick, to take him. I certainly wouldn't then pay another team to take him from us.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I am fine with dead-weight on the roster for 2 picks in the 2 years the Blazers are in youth movement as well.

I imagine he is training because he believes he can play, if he can't, that's fine too. The compensation is the 2 picks. Paying a bloated salary for these in 2 years the Blazers will be under the tax is a no-issue. And if he works out as a small-ball center, even better.

understood. Great, I'll take the 2 picks for taking him. What are we getting for Dame? A pick and 2 bench players with "potential"?

 

[SlyPokerCat]

If they're willing to give us a few picks to take that contract, I do it.

Look at how OKC has been rebuilding. They took bloat contracts with picks. Now they have a talented young core and they're on the precipice of contending again.

Yet plenty on this board shit all over what OKC was doing. They are in the drivers seat of some pretty powerful leverage with that haul of picks and Chet, SGA and Giddey.

 

[Natebishop3]

You take Simmons if they include a sweetener, like a draft pick, to take him. I certainly wouldn't then pay another team to take him from us.

I don't see any downside to taking Simmons. If he is able to come back and be a decent player, great. He can help the rebuild, OR we can flip him.

If he sucks... he's gone in two years and we got a pick or two for him.

 

[B-Roy]

Hold out

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Well aware. After next season that contract becomes a massive expiring contract. Maybe that means value in a trade, maybe not. But if the worst outcome is us swallowing 2 high paying years for no value from him... in years where we're clearly rebuilding... on a franchise that simply is not a free agency draw...

If we're getting value to take him, I think that's well worth the maybe 1% risk of not being able to throw stupid FA money at someone. Because we've seen how that plays out over and over again.

gotcha, makes sense. I'll ask again, though: What are we getting for Dame?

 

[andalusian]

understood. Great, I'll take the 2 picks for taking him. What are we getting for Dame? A pick and 2 bench players with "potential"?

I imagine it will be a part of the Miami package, so that will include the 2 far out picks and a pick swap from them in addition to the pick(s) and Simmons from the Nets. (BTW, almost wrote New Jersey before I correct it to "the Nets")

 

[wizenheimer]

That's exactly what the rest of us have been saying about OKC lifting protections. It isn't unfathomable for it to happen so we get three firsts from Miami.

ok...by the way, what the rest of you have been saying is what I've been saying

the only difference is I've been saying OKC has to cooperate with the fantasy. My hunch is that they'd prefer that unprotected 2026 pick over the lottery protected 2025, so it might be easier to gain their cooperation on releasing 2025. OKC won't just say "sure, we like you guys so we give it back, good luck with Dame". They'll use their leverage and force Miami to pay something; a 2nd round pick, maybe two of them. Of course, that's complicated because they owe all their 2nd round picks thru 2030 after the Oladipo trade

so, we've gone thru all this so the Blazers can get Miami's 2024 first, which will probably be in the 25-30 range in what seems to be, according to analysts, a weak draft. It squeezes Miami, which is what we want, but in the scheme of a Dame trade it's not a significant consideration

I suppose, if Miami offered their 2025 unprotected, getting back their 2026, OKC might accept that. I doubt it because they'd probably want to bet on Dame/Butler being more diminished in 2026 than 2025, but who knows. That would move their available 1st's ahead one year allowing the Blazers to get Miami's 2027 & 2029 picks. And it would also allow Portland to get swaps in 2026, 2028, & 2030. Of course, the monkey wrench there is Olshey's stupid fucking deal with Chicago and the Bulls holding the 2026 & 2028 swaps hostage. Blazers would probably have to un-protect or top-4 protect their 2025 first to convince the Bulls to release 2026-2028. And that's only 2 years away; it would be a really stupid and risky move just to gain some swaps

 

[glazeduck]

gotcha, makes sense. I'll ask again, though: What are we getting for Dame?

It would seem a lot of questionable picks and young players...

If the rumor of Miami basically saying "take anything and everything but Bam and Jimmy" is true (I'm skeptical), I'd expect Jaime, Jovic, Martin, every possibly traded pick, and whatever other salaries to match.

Sounds like there's a few teams interested in Herro, hopefully we're able to flip him for a pick and another young piece. If it's BKN, Simmons gets pulled in as some of that "whatever other salaries to match" and we leverage taking that to get more assets as well.

 

[BBert]

I don't see any downside to taking Simmons. If he is able to come back and be a decent player, great. He can help the rebuild, OR we can flip him.

If he sucks... he's gone in two years and we got a pick or two for him.

Keep him for a year, then trade his expiring contract the next.

 

[glazeduck]

ok...by the way, what the rest of you have been saying is what I've been saying

the only difference is I've been saying OKC has to cooperate with the fantasy. My hunch is that they'd prefer that unprotected 2026 pick over the lottery protected 2025, so it might be easier to gain their cooperation on releasing 2025. OKC won't just say "sure, we like you guys so we give it back, good luck with Dame". They'll use their leverage and force Miami to pay something; a 2nd round pick, maybe two of them. Of course, that's complicated because they owe all their 2nd round picks thru 2030 after the Oladipo trade

so, we've gone thru all this so the Blazers can get Miami's 2024 first, which will probably be in the 25-30 range in what seems to be, according to analysts, a weak draft. It squeezes Miami, which is what we want, but in the scheme of a Dame trade it's not a significant consideration

I suppose, if Miami offered their 2025 unprotected, getting back their 2026, OKC might accept that. I doubt it because they'd probably want to bet on Dame/Butler being more diminished in 2026 than 2025, but who knows. That would move their available 1st's ahead one year allowing the Blazers to get Miami's 2027 & 2029 picks. And it would also allow Portland to get swaps in 2026, 2028, & 2030. Of course, the monkey wrench there is Olshey's stupid fucking deal with Chicago and the Bulls holding the 2026 & 2028 swaps hostage. Blazers would probably have to un-protect or top-4 protect their 2025 first to convince the Bulls to release 2026-2028. And that's only 2 years away; it would be a really stupid and risky move just to gain some swaps

Man you seem to be really hung up on this one nuancical detail of a currently make-believe trade...

 

[blazerkor]

If Dame effectively turned down a good return for Portland to a team where him going there would make them good have have a chance to compete (as he said over and over and most recently) so he could go be part of a SuperTeam with Bam/Butler/Dame when he also said he would not do that, then that would be akin to personal suicide as well.

It sucks that it has all come to this.

It was Fentress and he was riffing. There is no reason (as of now) to believe that Dame would do that.

 

[TheGoldRanger]

I can’t wait for this to all be over… I hope Scoot torches Lillard on whatever team he’s on.

 

[Strenuus]

Hold out

Dame just needs to come out pubically, even cryptically (like his MO), either denying the forced move to Miami, or not. It's doing nothing but sowing more doubt and frustration.