Hold firm, Joe!

[Everything Beagle]

I agree. I'm not talking talent level either. I don't think this is all Dame. I think there are a lot of outside influences that hammering him right now. I could be wrong. But in a perfect world, I think he'd rather stay in Portland. Durant is a mercenary. Dame is not.

Dame isn't coming back, but I appreciate the sentiment.

 

[RonBrewer]

And anyone that didn't think CJ had inside information over a month ago that he said this was the year Dame would want out of Portland, i've got some oceanfront property in South Dakota to sell you

 

[glazeduck]

I'll add this. This team will be sold. It's not a matter of "If" but "When" we can worry about the PR then.

None of national pundits GAF about us anyway. Who gives a shit what they think now?

100% this. EVEN IF the Blazers come out as the "bad guys" in all of this, we're probably no more than 24-36 months away from new ownership (and hopefully leadership along with it). With new ownership comes a clean slate for this kind of thing...

 

[Strenuus]

And anyone that didn't think CJ had inside information over a month ago that he said this was the year Dame would want out of Portland, i've got some oceanfront property in South Dakota to sell you

Yeah when CJ said that I knew something was up.

And you know he ran that through Dame before he said it.

 

[Chris Craig]

100% this. EVEN IF the Blazers come out as the "bad guys" in all of this, we're probably no more than 24-36 months away from new ownership (and hopefully leadership along with it). With new ownership comes a clean slate for this kind of thing...

They going to get as much for the team with no Dame?

 

[tykendo]

And anyone that didn't think CJ had inside information over a month ago that he said this was the year Dame would want out of Portland, i've got some oceanfront property in South Dakota to sell you

After that Yellowstone super volcano erupts, there may very well be ocean front there.

 

[Everything Beagle]

They going to get as much for the team with no Dame?

Depends on the current team. I don't think a 36-year old Dame would net Jody more money than a 22-year old Scoot.

 

[Chris Craig]

And anyone that didn't think CJ had inside information over a month ago that he said this was the year Dame would want out of Portland, i've got some oceanfront property in South Dakota to sell you

He wasn't even confident when he said that. He's just one of the talking heads that helped push Dame out.

 

[RonBrewer]

He wasn't even confident when he said that. He's just one of the talking heads that helped push Dame out.

I am now wearing the Tin foil hat brother.

I think every step has been pre-calculated.

 

[glazeduck]

They going to get as much for the team with no Dame?

Likely not. I posited before Dame made the request public, that Jody was trying to "build around Dame" as cheaply as possible to sell a team with an aging superstar and cheap, young talent around him.

None of that matters though...

 

[Strenuus]

He wasn't even confident when he said that. He's just one of the talking heads that helped push Dame out.

I'd agree with you, except that was a couple days after they saw each other. It was all too coincidental to be an accident.

 

[Natebishop3]

Yeah when CJ said that I knew something was up.

And you know he ran that through Dame before he said it.

Actually I don't think he did. Because Dame was surprised when he heard about it and then CJ quickly retracted the statement.

I think CJ wanted his moment in the sun and he said some shit he wasn't supposed to say.

 

[Chris Craig]

I am now wearing the Tin foil hat brother.

I think every step has been pre-calculated.

I don't think so. I think the Media, his agents, friends like CJ, etc got into his ear and their repeated suggestions of him leaving helped push him out.

 

[Everything Beagle]

I am now wearing the Tin foil hat brother.

I think every step has been pre-calculated.

I personally think Cronin and Dame have been playing chicken with each other since Cronin took over as GM. It may not have been pre-calculated but it has been a battle the entire time, just now it's public.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't think so. I think the Media, his agents, friends like CJ, etc got into his ear and their repeated suggestions of him leaving helped push him out.

Maybe, gut I fought back and forth with people about what would happen if we used the pick. Dame repeated multiple times that if we used the pick, that was not his path. He said he did not have the appetite to play with another 19 year old rookie. He said that if we chose not to use the assets that we had to get pieces to help him compete, he would have a separate conversation with the team. He said that back in... what.... April?

Dame drew a line in the sand, we ignored it. Now he has followed through and he asked out. I'm sure that Dame knew what was coming. He saw that we were getting excited about Scoot or Miller. The die was cast.

 

[blazerfan11]

This trade didn't happen until Brooklyn got what they wanted.

 

[Natebishop3]

I personally think Cronin and Dame have been playing chicken with each other since Cronin took over as GM. It may not have been pre-calculated but it has been a battle the entire time, just now it's public.

People argued with me at the time, but that post about Judas walking amongst us and taking a picture of dialogue about traps waiting for him.... that HAD to be aimed at the team and Joe.

 

[Everything Beagle]

This trade didn't happen until Brooklyn got what they wanted.

This is CJ's burner account

 

[SlyPokerCat]

I don't think so. I think the Media, his agents, friends like CJ, etc got into his ear and their repeated suggestions of him leaving helped push him out.

Dude there was something (maybe Haynes?) Talking about how Dame wanted to ask out two years ago but didn't want to leave Chauncey hanging. I'd have to think the Blazers knew that and started considering alternative ways of building the team. This has to have been on his mind for awhile. He could have even asked Aldridge in their talks what it was like on the other side.

 

[Whyachi]

I will laugh my ass off if nobody makes a deal with Cronin, and Lillard sits out in protest collecting a 50 million dollar check, while the Blazers continue losing for ping pong balls.

 

[wizenheimer]

I think in a case like this, there's kind of like a sine wave of value with one crest. The apex of Dame's value might be in 2-3 weeks. It might be now

but as this drags on and more negative shit comes out, most of it made-up or false by the way, Dame's value will decrease, and so will Portland's leverage. If it turns into a pissing contest between Portland and Dame's camp, the Blazers are going to lose, and lose where it matters most and that's their leverage and value they can extract from a Dame trade

right now it's just a divorce. If it becomes a messy divorce, Portland loses, big time. Dame may lose too but that's irrelevant for Portland. I know some want to be vindictive and not give Dame what he wants or say 'hold the line', but Portland's good options are really limited right now, and Dame can torpedo them at any time. Yeah, it would trash his image, but it's still Portland suffering the damage

 

[Phatguysrule]

Just trade him for something that helps build the team for the next era. If it's fast or slow does not matter. Once Dame decided he did not want to be a part of this era - any chance of a quick return to being a good team is delayed. Portland should not be in a hurry to get him where he wants for nothing. Let's not make the same mistake the previous GM made with LMA. Get good value for him - so we do not fuck the Scoot / Sharpe era the way NeO fucked the Dame era.

This exactly.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I think in a case like this, there's kind of like a sine wave of value with one crest. The apex of Dame's value might be in 2-3 weeks. It might be now

but as this drags on and more negative shit comes out, most of it made-up or false by the way, Dame's value will decrease, and so will Portland's leverage. If it turns into a pissing contest between Portland and Dame's camp, the Blazers are going to lose, and lose where it matters most and that's their leverage and value they can extract from a Dame trade

right now it's just a divorce. If it becomes a messy divorce, Portland loses, big time. Dame may lose too but that's irrelevant for Portland. I know some want to be vindictive and not give Dame what he wants or say 'hold the line', but Portland's good options are really limited right now, and Dame can torpedo them at any time. Yeah, it would trash his image, but it's still Portland suffering the damage

I don't see how Dame's value can drop at all, honestly. The Heat package isn't going to get any worse.

 

[maxiep]

I'll add this. This team will be sold. It's not a matter of "If" but "When" we can worry about the PR then.

None of national pundits GAF about us anyway. Who gives a shit what they think now?

That's actually a fantastic point. This ownership group can burn every relationship in the name of maximizing value. Then when they sell, the new ownership group will have a tabula rasa.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I will laugh my ass off if nobody makes a deal with Cronin, and Lillard sits out in protest collecting a 50 million dollar check, while the Blazers continue losing for ping pong balls.

I couldn't care less. It's not my money. Get max value.

 

[maxiep]

I think in a case like this, there's kind of like a sine wave of value with one crest. The apex of Dame's value might be in 2-3 weeks. It might be now

but as this drags on and more negative shit comes out, most of it made-up or false by the way, Dame's value will decrease, and so will Portland's leverage. If it turns into a pissing contest between Portland and Dame's camp, the Blazers are going to lose, and lose where it matters most and that's their leverage and value they can extract from a Dame trade

right now it's just a divorce. If it becomes a messy divorce, Portland loses, big time. Dame may lose too but that's irrelevant for Portland. I know some want to be vindictive and not give Dame what he wants or say 'hold the line', but Portland's good options are really limited right now, and Dame can torpedo them at any time. Yeah, it would trash his image, but it's still Portland suffering the damage

I disagree. Dame is one of the marquee players in the League. His value is sky high. Portland can point to the Durant and even the Gobert deals and say "we are willing to work with any team to get fair value, but teams are lowballing us." If Dame tries to dictate where he goes, that makes him and him alone look terrible.

I think we make a statement and set a bar on the return we want. And if it pisses off his agent, all the more reason to go with expiring deals with players we don't want (for cap filler), young players on long deals (or where we have Bird Rights) and draft picks (where we control them for at least five years). If we're going to piss off the agent class, we need to get players back where we have some measure of control. All will be forgotten with the agents in 5 years or so, but in the interim, we need to protect ourselves.

 

[Natebishop3]

I disagree. Dame is one of the marquee players in the League. His value is sky high. Portland can point to the Durant and even the Gobert deals and say "we are willing to work with any team to get fair value, but teams are lowballing us." If Dame tries to dictate where he goes, that makes him and him alone look terrible.

I think we make a statement and set a bar on the return we want. And if it pisses off his agent, all the more reason to go with expiring deals with players we don't want (for cap filler), young players on long deals (or where we have Bird Rights) and draft picks (where we control them for at least five years). If we're going to piss off the agent class, we need to get players back where we have some measure of control. All will be forgotten with the agents in 5 years or so, but in the interim, we need to protect ourselves.

Look what Utah got for Donovan Mitchell.

September 3, 2022: Traded by the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ochai Agbaji, Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, a 2025 1st round draft pick ( was later selected), a 2026 1st round draft pick ( was later selected), a 2027 1st round draft pick ( was later selected), a 2028 1st round draft pick ( was later selected) and a 2029 1st round draft pick ( was later selected). Cleveland also received a trade exception 2025 1st-rd pick is CLE own 2026 1st-rd pick is a right to swap 2027 1st-rd pick is CLE own 2028 1st-rd pick is a right to swap 2029 1st-rd pick is CLE own

 

[Cugel]

Mitchell wanted NYN not CLE

 

[TBpup]

Mitchell wanted NYN not CLE

Exactly. And Kawhi wanted LA and not Toronto. I'm shocked (maybe I shouldn't be) about how many examples the national media omits in trying to make their point. Then again, #media.

 

[Everything Beagle]

Exactly. And Kawhi wanted LA and not Toronto. I'm shocked (maybe I shouldn't be) about how many examples the national media omits in trying to make their point. Then again, #media.

Yeah but everyone loves Dame, and wants to be on his good side when he goes to his new team. Mitchell and Leonard both had detractors or at least people who only thought of basketball when they thought of them. Dame has a personality that people just follow.