Perfect time to blow it up

[Portland2014]

All superstars are now in the Western Conference, no reason to continue this basketball purgatory any longer.

Let Nurkic go, trade Lillard and McCollum for as many picks as possible or young prospects, let Turner, Leonard and the other bad contracts expire and set the 2021/22 season as the season to start winning games.

There's literally no other direction better than this for this franchise, we should follow Philly's path, even if it will be rough in the first months/years.

 

[Natebishop3]

Honestly, I'm starting to come around to this. Build around Collins/Simons/Nurk (maybe?).

Get some young players or picks. I'd go to Phoenix and Philly. Build for 3-4 years from now.

 

[BonesJones]

I'd rather have Dame here his whole career and not won it than to win one without him. We can rebuild later.

 

[Portland2014]

I'd rather have Dame here his whole career and not won it than to win one without him. We can rebuild later.

Root for the franchise we trade Lillard to then, you are clearly not a Blazers fan if you prepend Lillard's career to Blazers success.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'd rather have Dame here his whole career and not won it than to win one without him. We can rebuild later.

Do you really think Dame is gonna stay here when his contract is up if we are exactly the same team in 3 years that we are today?

 

[Portland2014]

Who fucking cares about Lillard, I care about the Trail Blazers.

 

[BonesJones]

Root for the franchise we trade Lillard to then, you are clearly not a Blazers fan if you prepend Lillard's career to Blazers success.

I'm not a Blazer Fan. Right. Get outta here kid.

 

[BonesJones]

Do you really think Dame is gonna stay here when his contract is up if we are exactly the same team in 3 years that we are today?

Yes.

 

[BonesJones]

Who fucking cares about Lillard, I care about the Trail Blazers.

You have a shitty way of showing it. I've never seen you in here supporting the team. You're only here to whine and complain. You're not fooling anyone.

Is 2014 when you were born?

 

[Portland2014]

You have a shitty way of showing it. I've never seen you in here supporting the team. You're only here to whine and complain. You're not fooling anyone.

Is 2014 when you were born?

Do you support your wife jumping off a bridge? That's the same, supporting this losing project is not a good thing if you are a Blazers fan, you should want the best for your wife/team.

How much more evidence do you guys need, we're the worst team in the NBA project wise along with the Hornets.

 

[theprunetang]

Do you support your wife jumping off a bridge? That's the same, supporting this losing project is not a good thing if you are a Blazers fan, you should want the best for your wife/team.

How much more evidence do you guys need, we're the worst team in the NBA project wise along with the Hornets.

I'm not going to bludgeon you with truth, but that was the most inane analogy I have ever read.

 

[BonesJones]

Do you support your wife jumping off a bridge? That's the same, supporting this losing project is not a good thing if you are a Blazers fan, you should want the best for your wife/team.

How much more evidence do you guys need, we're the worst team in the NBA project wise along with the Hornets.

Yes because supporting your favorite team is the same as supporting suicide. That shows what kind of "fan" you are.

If you love something/someone, you support them through thick and thin.

Actually, I think 2014 is a little early... a 4-year old could come up with a better anology than that.

 

[DollaBel]

Dame gives everything he has to this franchise and I’d like to think Portland would show him a level of loyalty other franchises don’t show. Until the day he decides he’s just like Durant and the rest, I’m sticking with him. He has already said he’s loyal to us over ring hunting which is enough for me. I’m not giving up on him for 5+ years of failure and sabotage for success that isn’t guaranteed whatsoever. We could end up in the same position with a franchise player who is worse, and a supporting cast who is hopeless. No thanks.

 

[theprunetang]

Dame gives everything he has to this franchise and I’d like to think Portland would show him a level of loyalty other franchises don’t show. Until the day he decides he’s just like Durant and the rest, I’m sticking with him. He has already said he’s loyal to us over ring hunting which is enough for me. I’m not giving up on him for 5+ years of failure and sabotage for success that isn’t guaranteed whatsoever. We could end up in the same position with a franchise player who is worse, and a supporting cast who is hopeless. No thanks.

Boom. Nice take.

 

[WillG]

The Blazers brass is frustrating, in that they wont commit to a direction.

The words from their mouths say they want to commit to, and support CJ & Dame with veterans to make a push for winning it all.
Yet their draft picks project of a group who is committed to a rebuild - yet they refuse to trade one or both of their guards to facilitate a rebuild done properly.
They also commit to a coach that has proven incapable in the playoffs.

They could have brought in some fully finished, developed vets to make the best run possible at future post-seasons (not that it would help).
Now that you have used your assets (draft picks) on young prospects - it's time to do the rebuild properly.
This half-half(assed) / retool approach is what got us here in the first place after LMA left.

BLOW IT UP & DO THE REBUILD PROPERLY!!

 

[H.C.]

Look he's back.
I'm ever so shocked.
If only he'd just go away.

 

[Sarni]

Dame is in a difficult position now. He's an All-NBA player but at the same time he's not so far ahead of other point guards to be considered by another contender like Houston or Golden State and I doubt he'd go to Lakers. He really doesn't have that many opportunities to move and get himself in a better situation. Maybe go to one of the younger teams and grow with them but even then, Boston and Philadelphia don't need him, Phoenix don't have the assets to get him...

CJ would actually find it easier to get on a contender right now.

 

[oldmangrouch]

First of all, it appears some fans learned nothing from the whole LMA situation. In this era, you have to choose between loyalty to the team and the individual players. I don't like it, but there is nothing we can do about it.

Second, the Blazers have no realistic chance to compete for the duration of Dame's and CJ's current contracts. When they leave, the team will have no choice other than to rebuild, so why not start now? I have heard every argument against tanking. The pro-tanking argument is very simple: a small market team has no other realistic option.

One final observation: the salary cap/FA system is a sick joke. The Blazers can't afford $4million a year for Ed Davis - but the Warriors can sign KD with no problem? When the system has the integrity of pro-wrasslin', you have to choose between being a victim or getting down-and-dirty with everybody else.

 

[Sarni]

First of all, it appears some fans learned nothing from the whole LMA situation. In this era, you have to choose between loyalty to the team and the individual players. I don't like it, but there is nothing we can do about it.

Second, the Blazers have no realistic chance to compete for the duration of Dame's and CJ's current contracts. When they leave, the team will have no choice other than to rebuild, so why not start now? I have heard every argument against tanking. The pro-tanking argument is very simple: a small market team has no other realistic option.

One final observation: the salary cap/FA system is a sick joke. The Blazers can't afford $4million a year for Ed Davis - but the Warriors can sign KD with no problem? When the system has the integrity of pro-wrasslin', you have to choose between being a victim or getting down-and-dirty with everybody else.

Yes, because when they signed KD they did not have their cap loaded by average talent like we have.

We could have paid Ed $4million a year, we just chose not to.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

There's very few players that you trade Dame for.

Most of whom are unavailable - i.e. Anthony Davis.

 

[Portland2014]

There's very few players that you trade Dame for.

Most of whom are unavailable - i.e. Anthony Davis.

Who says this? You, it's your opinion.
Personally there's a lot of players I would trade Lillard for.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Who says this? You, it's your opinion.

You goddamn right.

 

[BonesJones]

Who says this? You, it's your opinion.
Personally there's a lot of players I would trade Lillard for.

Common sense says this.

 

[BonesJones]

I bet this kid doesn't even know who we drafted this year.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

OR:
just relocate the team to Portland Maine. Finals, baby!

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Maybe go to one of the younger teams and grow with them but even then, Boston and Philadelphia don't need him, Phoenix don't have the assets to get him...

I dunno - Philly could probably use him. He can play at the PG position as a SG while Simmons handles the ball. Particularly if they're about to lose JJ Redick. If they offered a package including NW native Fultz and that Miami pick they just acquired off Phoenix....

Philly is now in direct competition with Boston, who beat them WITHOUT their two star FA acquisitions. So Philly needs to upgrade. (Of course, if they get Kawhi, then never mind.)

 

[jlprk]

Who says this? You, it's your opinion.
Personally there's a lot of players I would trade Lillard for.

If a young League Star playing Center or PF were offered straight up for Lillard, we should definitely take it.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

The time to "blow it up" was probably just before the draft when there was a shot at possible franchise players. Now we're stuck for another year.

If we do blow it up, let's start with the front office. I don't trust the current one to manage a rebuild.

 

[oldmangrouch]

There's very few players that you trade Dame for.

Most of whom are unavailable - i.e. Anthony Davis.

Getting fair value for a star player is always difficult. Take the case of LMA - would they have been better off taking $.75 on the dollar for him, or were they better off just taking the cap relief? I'm the first to admit there is no easy answer here.

 

[TBpup]

It sucks to have to think this way but if other teams are healthy, I don't see any way the Blazers get HCA this year and even with it last year, they obviously weren't close to being a contender.

So maybe it is time. Get in a 3-way with SA and the Lakers and trade CJ for whatever young pieces you can get from LA. SA doesn't want Ball and Randle doesn't want to be there anymore. I don't really want Ball either (not because of him but because of having to deal with Sr.) but he would be an interesting piece. Would much rather have Ingrahm but don't think you could get him and Randle for CJ.

Then the unthinkable comes although if somehow it was Ingrahm/Randle, I think this team would be as good as with CJ and contend for a Playoff spot just like last year. But would Dame still buy in?

At that point, you might have to consider moving him as well and Philly has a lot of picks/young assets and Dame is coming off a 1st Team All-NBA season which I don't see happening again this year. If you are strictly doing it from a 'highest value' standpoint, I'm not sure when Dame's value will be any higher.

Sadly, due to the Summer of Neil, circa 2016, this is what Portland is stuck with. However, with those young pieces and likely a Lotto pick or two, this team could actually make some noise in 2-3 years as the Warriors start their decline, CP3 is old, and LeBron inevitably starts to go downhill.