Dame Trades Thread

[Strenuus]

“Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer spoke with several NBA execs about the Lillard situation, and most don’t expect the star point guard to be traded this summer. If Portland did move Lillard, however, the belief is that the return could potentially be unprecedented.”

Gah it's such a weird time to be a Blazers fan. I'm one of the biggest Dame lovers out there but I'm wholly intrigued by the unprecedented nature of what he could bring back... but we have Neil fucking olshey and he has fucked everything up here so here we are.

 

[tykendo]

Nah, I'll stick with Dame. I'm sure any team that traded a generational talent would get unprecedented talent in return, except Houston's GM, who got a cheese sandwich & a bag of chips to be named later. And picks you say. Unless the team you trade said player to is complete garbage, and in a city where it's hard to get talent, those picks will be glorified 2nd rounders when it's all said, and done, due to that team getting real, to amazingly good.

 

[Strenuus]

Nah, I'll stick with Dame. I'm sure any team that traded a generational talent would get unprecedented talent in return, except Houston's GM, who got a cheese sandwich & a bag of chips to be named later. And picks you say. Unless the team you trade said player to is complete garbage, and in a city where it's hard to get talent, those picks will be glorified 2nd rounders when it's all said, and done, due to that team getting real, to amazingly good.

If you're a city who can't get talent to come here... why would getting draft picks be a bad thing?

I wanna keep Dame too, but you gotta be realistic with the assets we have... will we be able to trade enough to get a team Dame says "this is a contender"?

And again... we have no trust olshey.

 

[calvin natt]

It really is weird that Damian (or anyone) thinks a title contender can be built with this team. Like the NBA talent fairy is going to drop a stud out of the sky. Our B+/B- talent is going to bring back an A player and then what, they have two great players?

 

[RipCityWarrior]

The lack of faith that I have in Olshey to do anything that can make Lillard happy long term makes me think that he basically has one foot out the door.

With the comments he made putting pressure on the blazers to get him a roster that can compete sooner rather than later kind of hamstrings the team to not get fleeced on any deal that doesn’t have Dame in it going forward.

I could and hope to be wrong but there hasn’t been a consistent track record in the past for me to see a positive solution no matter how much I want there to be one.

 

[MickZagger]

It really is weird that Damian (or anyone) thinks a title contender can be built with this team. Like the NBA talent fairy is going to drop a stud out of the sky. Our B+/B- talent is going to bring back an A player and then what, they have two great players?

Especially now that the league knows Olshey is desperate. You don’t get great deals when they can smell the desperation in the air. It’s poker game being a GM and it’s obvious to everyone now that Olshey has a shitty hand

 

[tykendo]

If you're a city who can't get talent to come here... why would getting draft picks be a bad thing?

I wanna keep Dame too, but you gotta be realistic with the assets we have... will we be able to trade enough to get a team Dame says "this is a contender"?

And again... we have no trust olshey.

Unprotected Draft picks from an awful team, great. Lotto Baby. Draft picks from a very good to great team, meh. Borderline second round picks, and a serious crapshoot in the One and Done Era.

 

[Strenuus]

Unprotected Draft picks from an awful team, great. Lotto Baby. Draft picks from a very good to great team, meh. Borderline second round picks, and a serious crapshoot in the One and Done Era.

I'm sure there are Brooklyn net like gms circa 2011 still running around. Sucks that one of them is our gm but maybe there's another one dumb enough.

Point still stands. We're fucked. Lol.

 

[PCmor7]

Reading this last page makes me want to reach for a cup of hemlock.

 

[blazerkor]

It really is weird that Damian (or anyone) thinks a title contender can be built with this team. Like the NBA talent fairy is going to drop a stud out of the sky. Our B+/B- talent is going to bring back an A player and then what, they have two great players?

Do you believe that Philly would take CJ and every draft asset we could send in return for Simmons? Simmons can be an absolute stud. Buying low on a guy who has just struggled and trusting in his talent, skill and our coaching is the kind of move that turns the team into a contender.

 

[calvin natt]

Do you believe that Philly would take CJ and every draft asset we could send in return for Simmons? Simmons can be an absolute stud. Buying low on a guy who has just struggled and trusting in his talent, skill and our coaching is the kind of move that turns the team into a contender.

I don’t know if they would. Portland should try. I wish I felt more confident in him that’s for sure. At this point they have to take risks so I guess go for it.

 

[Graduate32]

Do you believe that Philly would take CJ and every draft asset we could send in return for Simmons? Simmons can be an absolute stud. Buying low on a guy who has just struggled and trusting in his talent, skill and our coaching is the kind of move that turns the team into a contender.

As long as Dame is *potentially* available, I don't think they would. It illustrates the most unfortunate circumstance for the Blazers: the Blazers most tradeable player (and best trade asset in terms of on-court production) is like a lesser replica of the discontented star player. The teams that might want CJ would much rather have Dame, even for the significant extra cost.

I honestly don't believe that Morey would take CJ and four first round picks for Simmons right now (even if you added swaps in the intervening years). I think the Blazers will need to get really creative now if they want to continue to build around Dame.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

They are out in delusional force right now.

 

[tiredhunter]

And again... we have no trust olshey.

That extends to contemplating him building a post-Dame team too. Rather see him fuck up trying to bring talent around Dame than making a cluster fuck out of assembling a young core for the future.

 

[calvin natt]

 

[illmatic99]

can this shit thread die already?

 

[LayneStaley]

The more I think about it after seeing what Giannis just did at 26 years old the only 2 Dame trades I’d do are…

Murray/MPJ/1st for Dame

Brown/Smart/Williams for Dame

The idea of pushing back the clock a bit is intriguing, I just don’t think we have the assets or creativity to build a true contender now.

Murray
Powell/Simons
MPJ/Nas
Simmons(CJ/1st trade)/RoCo
Nurk

That team is still most likely the same seed we were this season, I’d also expect if you pulled off the Dame and CJ trades that you would ship RoCo out for a younger piece and possibly even S&T Powell somewhere for players in that 22-27 age range. Our best chance might be playing the lottery on MPJ/Simmons type players. It might be the only way we ever truly get a “Big 3”

 

[SharpesTriumph]

The problem with doing a win now trade, is first it's hard to pull one off that works well. But even if we do succed now, in 3 years we will likely be back in the spot we are in now, where the team is not a contender, has lost their draft picks, has Lillard on a contract worth much less in a trade as its an expiring. About the only way this can work well is the Blazers win a title which seems very unlikely.

Sure if we can get a Paul Gasol trade go for it.

I'm thinking the best option will be to trade Lillard now even though it sucks to do.

 

[tykendo]

The problem with doing a win now trade, is first it's hard to pull one off that works well. But even if we do succed now, in 3 years we will likely be back in the spot we are in now, where the team is not a contender, has lost their draft picks, has Lillard on a contract worth much less in a trade as its an expiring. About the only way this can work well is the Blazers win a title which seems very unlikely.

Sure if we can get a Paul Gasol trade go for it.

I'm thinking the best option will be to trade Lillard now even though it sucks to do.

C'mon Laker Wes. Best option? Uh NO!

 

[B-Roy]

Will seriously stop following the team for a season or two if they trade Dame.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

This is what they post when they realize they have a garbage roster and no realistic way to land him

 

[TBpup]

NBA Rumors: This Blazers-Magic trade features Damian Lillard to Orlando https://www.nbaanalysis.net/2021/07/20/nba-rumors-portland-trail-blazers-orlando-magic-trade-damian-lillard/2/ Jim, is this what you were referring to with the Orlando trade? If you are going to reset, that is a LOT of assets coming back. Certainly nothing the talent of Dame, but those draft picks are better than you are going to get from anyone else's future pics and you could get legit impact younger players on cheap contracts.

This from USA Today may have already been posted.
But if Portland where to do that, I would also move CJ (+ whatever) to Cleveland for Love and the number 3 pick. Love may retire out of that and you would have so much young talent and potential for the future. The likelihood that one of them is as good as Dame is small, but over all you may have a much better team in 3 to 5 years anne's be in a much better cap situation.
And they would win as many Western conference final games in the next 5 years as the entire franchise has in the last 20.
It would also give this franchise some hope… which is in very short supply right now with the way things are.

 

[tykendo]

Sure, and in 3 to 5 years, when those merry mix of meatheads gets decent, they will move on as well. Lets NOT become the Colorado Rockies. Please.

 

[tykendo]

This what they post when they realize they have a garbage roster and no realistic way to land him

Instead of Flashbaq's, it should say DOUCHEBAG's.

 

[TBpup]

Sure, and in 3 to 5 years, when those merry mix of meatheads gets decent, they will move on as well. Lets NOT become the Colorado Rockies. Please.

We are basically irrelevant now. Take a chance at being better.
Some people or franchises can deal with changes and moving on. Some can't. This is definitely a 'Who Moved My Cheese' moment. Change inevitable. Might as well embrace it and make the best of moving forward.

 

[tykendo]

We are basically irrelevant now. Take a chance at being better.
Some people or franchises can deal with changes and moving on. Some can't. This is definitely a 'Who Moved My Cheese' moment. Change inevitable. Might as well embrace it and make the best of moving forward.

Why are we irrelevant as you say? Is it because Portland is seen as the Kabul of America to some. Whether some like it or not, Portland stepped up to the forefront of the Movement. Damage happened, both to property, and Identity. But why shouldn't that play into improving the team. Portland cares about equality, and being progressive on World Issues. This ain't just some apple pie, rainbows, and puppy dog Mayberry RFD. I Feel like Portland matters and it's Players should care that it succeeds, because Portland, the City, wants it's players to succeed, and not just on the court.

 

[Jax_Tiger]

Been thinking about the trade with the Knicks. If we can get Barrett, Quickley, and 3 first round picks for Dame, that could free up money to go after another free agent, like DeRozan or John Collins.

A lineup of:

CJ/Quickley
Powell/Simons
Barrett/Little/DJJ
Collins/RoCo
Nurk/Kanter

The thing I don't like about that lineup is the lack of a true starting point guard. None of our guards fills that role very well. We may need to trade for a top notch facilitator. With picks and either Quickley or Simons available to trade, we should find someone out there.

 

[tykendo]

Been thinking about the trade with the Knicks. If we can get Barrett, Quickley, and 3 first round picks for Dame, that could free up money to go after another free agent, like DeRozan or John Collins.

A lineup of:

CJ/Quickley
Powell/Simons
Barrett/Little/DJJ
Collins/RoCo
Nurk/Kanter

The thing I don't like about that lineup is the lack of a true starting point guard. None of our guards fills that role very well. We may need to trade for a top notch facilitator. With picks and either Quickley or Simons available to trade, we should find someone out there.

Reminds me of the early 80's teams. No Superstar, good players, competitive for a playoff spot, but nothing more. PASS!

 

[wizenheimer]

Been thinking about the trade with the Knicks. If we can get Barrett, Quickley, and 3 first round picks for Dame, that could free up money to go after another free agent, like DeRozan or John Collins.

A lineup of:

CJ/Quickley
Powell/Simons
Barrett/Little/DJJ
Collins/RoCo
Nurk/Kanter

The thing I don't like about that lineup is the lack of a true starting point guard. None of our guards fills that role very well. We may need to trade for a top notch facilitator. With picks and either Quickley or Simons available to trade, we should find someone out there.

sorry to pick on you, but this is an example of a trade, and a result, that makes no sense at all to me. As just about every Dame trade idea does

start with this: the Knicks had the 4th best record in the East last year. You put Dame on that team with Randall, and those 3 picks you're coveting will end up being in the 25-30 range. Those picks will be a real shitty return for trading the franchise player. And LOL at having Collins start ahead of RoCo by the way

then, you've created the abomination of not having Dame anymore, but still having Olshey running the show, and CJ there to be a world class ball-hog; and somehow you've managed to convince Powell to re-sign after trading Dame. That is a lottery team, but it's a good enough lottery team to not have any chance at a high draft pick. The worst kind of Purgatory

the problem with trading Dame is this: no rebuilding team is going to trade for Dame and his supermax contract. It will be a team close to contention which means all the draft pick capital Portland would get will be next to worthless for the first 3-5 years after the trade.

 

[TBpup]

Apparently the above link doesn't work. But here is the listed assets from Greg Patuto NBA Analysis:

Orlandto Magic receive: Damian Lillard

Portland Trail Blazers receive:
Markell Fultz
Gary Harris (ending contract)
Mo Bamba
Cole Anthony
2021 #5 pick
2021 #8 pick
2023 1st round pick
2024 1st round pick (swap)
2025 1st round pick

Those picks now are much better than what future picks in almost any scenario will be once Dame would go to another team. If you could get #3/Love from Cleveland for CJ (+), and especially if Love were to retire, you could significantly reset the cap hell Portland is in given the production in terms of post-season wins and you have legitimate talent/assets for the future if done right.

Of course, none of those Players is Dame, but Dame + what they have now or what they could get for CJ/Nurk etc, doesn't seem likely to be that contender we/he wants. For Dame, this needed to happen at least a couple of years ago.