Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

karlhungis wrote:

Phalanx wrote:

karlhungis wrote:Man, it isn't easy being a blazer fan. I wouldn't be surprised if Dame demands a trade now. We even fail at failing.

I can't tell if you are saying this unironically or not. They only fell one spot, and it was a spot they probably shouldn't have had in the first place, if they were fielding an honest team. The tanking started with less than 30 games to go - before that Portland was looking like at least a play-in team. So to get to #7 is pretty successful tanking. As for Dame demanding a trade, one can only hope. I kind of wonder if Cronin hopes that too - it would look better from a PR perspective than just coming out and trading him.

You want Dame to leave?

Yes, don't you?

I think they need to trade Dame or Simons.

Phalanx wrote:

karlhungis wrote:

Phalanx wrote:

karlhungis wrote:Man, it isn't easy being a blazer fan. I wouldn't be surprised if Dame demands a trade now. We even fail at failing.

I can't tell if you are saying this unironically or not. They only fell one spot, and it was a spot they probably shouldn't have had in the first place, if they were fielding an honest team. The tanking started with less than 30 games to go - before that Portland was looking like at least a play-in team. So to get to #7 is pretty successful tanking. As for Dame demanding a trade, one can only hope. I kind of wonder if Cronin hopes that too - it would look better from a PR perspective than just coming out and trading him.

You want Dame to leave?

Yes, don't you?

Absolutely not, but they need to surround him with better 3 and D players. With McCollum the perimeter defense was atrocious, and they didn't have anyone down low that could guard the pick and roll. Simons was making great strides with his defense before they sat him, and little has shown that he has that ability. I'd be curious what it would look like if they picked up Ayton and held onto nurkic. Since they both rely on being so close to the hoop on offense I don't think they could both exist in the court together, but if Billups could find a way to make it work then there's potential there for Portland to be a defensive monster that could out rebound almost anyone in the league.

Lillard is a millstone around the team's neck at this point as his cap hit increases and his skills and health diminish. The Blazers have already traded away several first-round picks in an effort to make up for Lillard's deficiencies and be in 'win now' mode, and all they did was make the team worse. Now, having spent a season tanking for a pick, there are rumors they are looking to do the same thing and trade away #7 for a player rental. All of this is being done to placate Lillard, who has never led a contender in his entire career. The sooner they jettison him, the sooner they can start rebuilding in earnest.

Now that it has been revealed that P.A.'s sister has to sell the team soon, you have to wonder if they are still as committed to paying Lillard every dollar possible. Any potential buyer seeing such a massive contract for a 32-year-old guard who doesn't play defense and just spent most of last season injured might think twice before investing in the 'build around the past-his-prime-guard' strategy. The moves by Joe Cronin so far are very consistent with selling the team, but paying Lillard a massive extension and trading away the future don't fit that theme very well.

This would be big if true.

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Phil Knight buying the team would trump anything else the Blazers could possibly accomplish this offseason.

Regarding Dame, I hope we keep him and trade Simons. I wouldn't be terribly upset if the franchise went the other direction, trading Dame and keeping Simons, but nobody should fool themselves into thinking that Simons is the next Lillard. Most of Simons' success came during a throwaway season with virtually nothing on the line. I loved that he played well enough to be diagnosed with "back spasms" or whatever (wink wink!) but let's not kid ourselves -- he is not Damian Lillard. Maybe in three or four years he might be closer, but definitely not now.

Players of Dame's caliber don't come to Portland very often. We don't sign them as free agents, and because we don't get big-name FAs we rarely have the assets to trade for them. The smart play is to build around the proven superstar we have. This is especially true of PK can somehow buy the team sooner rather than later.

If we do trade Dame, then the Blazers should go into tank mode for a couple more years and just compile assets. We wouldn't have anyone on the roster for at least a few years capable of leading us to a title anyway.

Honestly, the only thing I don't want is to keep both Dame and Anfernee. I have no interest in Dame/CJ 2.0. Sadly, though, I think both will be on the roster when the new season tips off. The organization would be much better off going all-in on contending now or rebuilding to contend later.

I like the idea of Uncle Phil buying the Blazers in the short run - keeps them from moving somewhere else - but what's going to happen when he kicks the bucket?

Does Lillard still have a shoe deal with Adidas? That seems like grounds for PK to trade him right there.

Blazers are denying they're for sale but everyone knows they really are. The news leak about Knight looking to buy them seems to be part of the public negotiating process the various groups will have with Vulcan.

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Phalanx wrote:I like the idea of Uncle Phil buying the Blazers in the short run - keeps them from moving somewhere else - but what's going to happen when he kicks the bucket?

Does Lillard still have a shoe deal with Adidas? That seems like grounds for PK to trade him right there.

Ehh. Time to part ways with Lillard anyways. The playoffs have shown he is quickly dropping down the pecking order at PG. The best thing the blazers can do for themselves is trade him for draft picks.

buckmarkduck wrote:

Phalanx wrote:I like the idea of Uncle Phil buying the Blazers in the short run - keeps them from moving somewhere else - but what's going to happen when he kicks the bucket?

Does Lillard still have a shoe deal with Adidas? That seems like grounds for PK to trade him right there.

Ehh. Time to part ways with Lillard anyways. The playoffs have shown he is quickly dropping down the pecking order at PG. The best thing the blazers can do for themselves is trade him for draft picks.

Agreed. This surround Dame with just enough talent to get to the playoffs mode is worn out. Trade him for draft picks. Let the real rebuild begin.

greenyellow wrote:Blazers are denying they're for sale but everyone knows they really are. The news leak about Knight looking to buy them seems to be part of the public negotiating process the various groups will have with Vulcan.

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My conspiracy theory is that PK knew they wouldn't take the offer, and he was making it so that they couldn't easily move the team to another city. I don't know the rules on this, but my recollection is that the NBA doesn't just let teams move unless there are no viable local plans put forward. So Phil and Co. are demonstrating a feasible local alternative and foiling ownership's attempt to move the team, and now they will have to wait until Phil is gone to do it.

Rumors now that the Blazers might trade the pick they tanked for to get John Collins. Collins, you may recall, was on the board in 2017 when Olshey got the bright idea to trade picks 15 and 20 for #10 to draft Zach Collins, who ended up being a colossal bust. So the Blazers could have picked John Collins and still had pick #20 for any of OG Anunoby, Jarrett Allen, Derrick White, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, or even Dillon Brooks. Actually, Kuzma, White, Hart, and Brooks were all still there when Olshey picked Swanigan at 26 as well.

To sum up, you could have blindfolded a monkey and had him pick three names in the projected draft range out of a jar and it would almost certainly have been better than the mugs Olshey ended up with. No wonder he was so grumpy in the office.

Olshey was an awful drafter. Portland not hitting on any of those 2017 draft picks is basically what has set the franchise back to where it is right now.

So Thursday is the NBA draft. What is everyone hoping for? There are a lot of rumors that the Blazers are shopping the pick for a player rental to placate Lillard as they have been doing now the last two years, and five of the last eight years. I would prefer they use the pick and start developing the future again. Rookie deals are a lot cheaper and create more opportunity for exceeding expectations than overpaying for a few known quantities.

Anyway, I am curious if anyone has a specific player in the draft that they are in love with, or a favorite among the rumored trade targets if they go that route. I am just starting to read about the possible players in Portland's range.

I have no clue what they'll actually do with the pick considering how many rumors are flying around.