Sure, but if he wanted to build a winner around Dame, why wouldn't he at least listen to calls leading up to the selection and even right after selecting Scoot in case a team got desperate and gave him the type of deal he supposedly wanted? I'd guess there's logistical reasons why you have a timeline on vendors submitting bids in whatever you do that wouldn't exist for sports.
Anybody who thought Cronin was going to win free agent battles here in Portland wasn't living in reality.
We shouldn't assume everything available was only what was rumored, or that rumored packages is the most other teams would give up.
Did Cronin not listen to calls? I assumed he had... and I assume he still is...
Yup. That statement was either extremely misguided or him lying out his ass. Considering he admitted later that free agency wasn't in his plans, I'd lean towards the latter.
Like what though? "Other assets and moves" is too vague for me to really consider.
Wiggins for Love, is the most recent example I can find.
That's what I figured. But I also know full well that he has to lie about it to do his job.
For Scoot? Everything leading up to the draft was that he wasn't seriously taking calls. There was a report from someone reputable (might've been Shams?) right around the time of the pick that New Orleans tried calling Portland about #3/Scoot and Portland rebuffed them.
The 23rd pick. Opening up future 1sts. Anfernee Simons (his trade market seems sub-optimal for what it's worth). The Full MLE.
I don't remember any report about Portland rebuffing anybody (*Edit* like not taking calls or considering trades */Edit*). I remember them saying they were looking for star value.
Just as long as he didn't lie privately to Dame. Maybe everything I've heard is completely wrong and he didn't. But even Sly heard he did. Too much smoke. But I'm tired of arguing about that and want them to just move on from Dame already.
And those rumors about N.O. being interested in #3 said it was a future picks based package, not any sort of win now player that might keep Dame around. Being rebuffed means it was rejected, which is a lot different than him not taking calls. If #3 in what was originally billed as a 2 player draft, with the #2 guy falling to 3, isn't enough to land a Brown or Siakim, or Bridges, why would further out unknown picks have been enough?
... Yes there was.
I would really question Dame's intelligence if he thought Portland was going to go out and sign star free agents to put us over the top.
There were a ton of rumors going around that N.O. was interested in #2 or #3, which is when this board ran wild with Zion or Ingram potential. It then came out that it was based on future picks, not win now players. Easy to see why it was turned down.
If New Orleans had been rejected based on a certain package already and called right around the time of the selection, I would assume they were ready to offer something better because it makes no sense to offer something that's already been rejected. If one's serious about building a winner around Dame, they should at least answer. They might've finally offered Zion or offered Zion + an asset or two. Regardless on how you feel about Zion (I'm not high on him), it doesn't make sense to not find out.
How do you know Dame didn't believe that way because he had made serious headway with free agents or guys with one year left on his deal? I think Dame knows the business of free agents and Portland better than any of us considering he's been here over the past decade. I wouldn't question his intelligence no matter how he felt about trying to recruit guys here because he's lived that.
So you're saying they refused to even answer the phone on draft night? I find that very difficult to believe, but ok.
I find it very hard to believe there were star free agents available (who wanted to come to Portland) that we just refused to sign.
I'm just going off a Shams report. And piecing together what Eric heard regarding his utter reluctance to do anything with #3 two weeks before the draft plus talking to Dame about keeping the pick two days before the draft, which I don't think they do unless they fully plan on keeping it. Plus their inactivity in every other area, Jody being cheap, the rumors that they got tired of Dame's pressure, as well as Dame's recent comments about them not wanting the same thing anymore.
I don't believe there were. I believe there was a guy with one year left on his deal that Dame convinced to play with him and Jerami and would've re-signed here next off-season.
Definitely. So if they're calling around the time of the selection, why wouldn't Portland answer to see if they lowered the package?
I don't think Shams is vengeful. He was definitely reporting it from New Orleans side of things though.
So you skated around it in your last reply, but are again saying that Portland refused to answer any calls during the draft. I again find that really hard to believe.
