We should AT LEAST start the season with Dame

[Rastapopoulos]

I've been on the "trade Dame" train since just after the Dame Era peaked with us getting swept in the WCFs... but I don't think we need to rush to trade him this Summer. Let him get intrigued by our young talent, and also let other teams convince themselves they're one Dame away from a title and get more generous in their offers. Also, I don't think teams do well when they're led by youngsters. You need a more gradual transition so that the young'uns can be mentored.

Ant, on the other hand...

 

[blazerkor]

I've been on the "trade Dame" train since just after the Dame Era peaked with us getting swept in the WCFs... but I don't think we need to rush to trade him this Summer. Let him get intrigued by our young talent, and also let other teams convince themselves they're one Dame away from a title and get more generous in their offers.

Ant, on the other hand...

I think it just depends on where he is at. We shouldn't start the season with a disgruntled Dame. Also if we are going to move him we should actually do it as soon as possible for a fair return just so we can get the pieces we get for him playing with the rest of our roster. I also think if Dame wants traded that he will want to start the season with his new team so they can also build chemistry and continuity.

 

[RonBrewer]

We will start and finish the season with Dame. We aren't trading him and he will wait to see what is here.
We aren't done

 

[Whyachi]

I would sit out if I were Lillard. The Blazers haven't done anything they promised to do. Adding 3 rookies to the squad is what the tank teams do, not teams building a battle hardened playoff roster.

Maniacal Dame, give me 50, 55, 62m to rest comfortably while ya'll keep losing all these games and wish you could have traded me.

 

[Blazinaway]

Let's just get real, best thing for Dame is to go to a team that has a decent chance for a title, and that IS NOT Portland. Best thing for Blazers is to continue a rebuild and get what they can for Dame. Let's quit holding on to some unrealistic dream, change is good for both sides and time is now IMO.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I would sit out if I were Lillard. The Blazers haven't done anything they promised to do. Adding 3 rookies to the squad is what the tank teams do, not teams building a battle hardened playoff roster.

Maniacal Dame, give me 50, 55, 62m to rest comfortably while ya'll keep losing all these games and wish you could have traded me.

Yeah, that does not sound like something someone like Dame would do. Or 99% of any other NBA Players

 

[Sloth]

I would sit out if I were Lillard. The Blazers haven't done anything they promised to do. Adding 3 rookies to the squad is what the tank teams do, not teams building a battle hardened playoff roster.

Maniacal Dame, give me 50, 55, 62m to rest comfortably while ya'll keep losing all these games and wish you could have traded me.

Dame is too much a professional to do that imo. And tbh, I despise players who 'sit out' in sports and I don't want to have those kinds of feelings towards him. We all would love for him to be playing in Portland when the season starts, but that is very much in doubt now.

 

[julius]

I'm firmly in the "wait until the season starts before I panic" mode.

 

[Tince]

My stance is mostly unchanged from before the draft:

If there is a good deal for Dame, then you probably have to take it. If the deals for Dame are awful, then hang on to him.

 

[julius]

My stance is mostly unchanged from before the draft:

If there is a good deal for Dame, then you probably have to take it. If the deals for Dame are awful, then hang on to him.

You need to clarify if after there are awful deals for him, do you still complain?

 

[Tince]

You need to clarify if after there are awful deals for him, do you still complain?

I'm highly unlikely to complain about Dame staying in Portland. Especially if I know the offers for him have been crap.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Hit reset

 

[e_blazer]

I would sit out if I were Lillard. The Blazers haven't done anything they promised to do. Adding 3 rookies to the squad is what the tank teams do, not teams building a battle hardened playoff roster.

Maniacal Dame, give me 50, 55, 62m to rest comfortably while ya'll keep losing all these games and wish you could have traded me.

Dame asked for veteran players on the team. The fact that the Blazers drafted three rookies is irrelevant as to meeting Dame’s wishes. The Blazers still can use any or all of the players they drafted in trades. They can trade other current players for vets that fit better. They can cut a deal with the Bulls to free up the ability to include future firsts. So basically nothing has changed since before the draft except that there are now names attached to the 3 picks. By all reports, all three guys they got are solid picks that would appeal to other teams. I figure that Dame and his agent are smart enough to know that all of the above is true and will wait to see what other moves Cronin makes before deciding whether or not to stay or push for a trade.

 

[Sedatedfork]

I agree. Try to improve the team, but ask Dame to give it 20 games and then trade him to a true contender if he wants out. That’s best for him and the Blazers in my opinion. If he isn’t up for seeing how things play out and he wants out then you got to trade him before the season

 

[Sedatedfork]

I mean who would have predicted that Utah would have been as good as they were last summer?

 

[BigGameDamian]

Hit reset

It’s becoming reality more & more it’s just some people aren’t taking it in yet.

 

[RonBrewer]

Let's just get real, best thing for Dame is to go to a team that has a decent chance for a title, and that IS NOT Portland. Best thing for Blazers is to continue a rebuild and get what they can for Dame. Let's quit holding on to some unrealistic dream, change is good for both sides and time is now IMO.

Let's be real. None of our opinions are an end in the search for the truth. There are no guarantees that Dame would win or even compete for a tittle wherever we send him that returns equal value.

Nobody knows what the best thing for Dame is other than Dame. If he sees a chance to compete after we are done with our roster then he will stay. Staying is best for him and us IMO.

You don't kick a guy like Dame to the curb for pennies on the dollar to help a rebuild. That's just dumb

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I would sit out if I were Lillard.

Well I'm very glad you're not.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Think of how long Philly waited with Simmons - and ended up with Harden, which nobody would have DREAMED at the start of the whole Simmons business.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I've been on the "trade Dame" train since just after the Dame Era peaked

So that’s like last March?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Let's just get real, best thing for Dame is to go to a team that has a decent chance for a title, and that IS NOT Portland. Best thing for Blazers is to continue a rebuild and get what they can for Dame. Let's quit holding on to some unrealistic dream, change is good for both sides and time is now IMO.

Steven? Steven A is that you?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I'm firmly in the "wait until the season starts before I panic" mode.

Or at least training camp?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

My stance is mostly unchanged from before the draft:

If there is a good deal for Dame, then you probably have to take it. If the deals for Dame are awful, then hang on to him.

And because he is under one of the largest contracts in the entire NBA they can do that and Lillard would/should be just fine with it.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

You need to clarify if after there are awful deals for him, do you still complain?

Good point.
So if they trade Lillard for let’s say Tobias Harris and some other throw in crap will they still complain?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Hit reset

They have. Look what they got.

 

[Mediocre Man]

They have. Look what they got.

They have Dame, Grant, Nurk, Ant. That’s not hitting reset. It has been a potentially good start though

 

[RonBrewer]

I would sit out if I were Lillard. The Blazers haven't done anything they promised to do. Adding 3 rookies to the squad is what the tank teams do, not teams building a battle hardened playoff roster.

Maniacal Dame, give me 50, 55, 62m to rest comfortably while ya'll keep losing all these games and wish you could have traded me.

This is dumb. I've been one of Dame's biggest supporters but in hindsight, what has he done to help better the roster? He hasn't restructured to create more money. What Free agent has he brought in that wants to play with him? We've been good to Dame. He knows we tried to make trades. We did the best we could in this draft and got an A+ IMO.

Sit out? Nah. Restructure that contract, Make room for a bigtime FA. Come out and vocally support the movement. That's what Dame needs to do.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

They have Dame, Grant, Nurk, Ant. That’s not hitting reset. It has been a potentially good start though

I can’t see Nurk or Simons being here but who knows? Grant was part of that reset.
Dame isn’t going anywhere.

Edit- the reset was getting rid of Olshey.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

This is dumb. I've been one of Dame's biggest supporters but in hindsight, what has he done to help better the roster? He hasn't restructured to create more money. What Free agent has he brought in that wants to play with him? We've been good to Dame. He knows we tried to make trades. We did the best we could in this draft and got an A+ IMO.

Sit out? Nah. Restructure that contract, Make room for a bigtime FA. Come out and vocally support the movement. That's what Dame needs to do.

He has on everything other than restructuring his contract. Don’t think that happens until after next year at best.

 

[julius]

Good point.
So if they trade Lillard for let’s say Tobias Harris and some other throw in crap will they still complain?

Im sure that people will complain no matter what. Not saying Tobias is a bad player, but oof...if we're concerned about paying Damian the money he's owed, at least he's averaging over 25 ppg...

I think one thing that gives me peace (for lack of a better word) is that every single time we hear that Damian wants to be traded/is mad, etc...it's never directly from his mouth. And he's repeatedly said that he won't beat around the bush. Even the "I don't want to play with kids" stuff is ambiguous and often misquoted/miss-attributed/incorrectly interpreted by people.