Blazers 2023-2024 Thread

[greenyellow]

magic have a ton of young talent... why can't we get one of their young guys + pick(s) for Lillard? Seems like it'd be pretty easy to pull off.

At this point, take what you can get with Lillard. Fultz/Carter for Lillard or switch out one of those guys with picks.

The Magic don't have a lot of big contracts to absorb Dame's contract. They'd have to gut a big chunk of their talented young core to get him.

[buckmarkduck]

magic have a ton of young talent... why can't we get one of their young guys + pick(s) for Lillard? Seems like it'd be pretty easy to pull off.

At this point, take what you can get with Lillard. Fultz/Carter for Lillard or switch out one of those guys with picks.

Why? Because Lillard would refuse to be traded to the magic.

I don't see why. They have the cap + pieces to trade for Lillard + another star and still have a lot of nice depth.

Lillard chances of winning a championship go up 10x with Magic compared to us.

How do you figure they have 10x the chance to win a title? They had a losing record. They aren’t a better team that Portland right now, so adding Dame and losing a key player or two wouldn’t change that.

If we get rid of Dame, we are going to get fleeced the same way the Wizards just did. No reason to make a trade, unless we receive significant pieces in return. And if it’s just a money dump, then it’s a waste because no big time FA sign with Portland.

[pezsez1]

If Dame wants a trade then it's definitely in our interests to trade him even knowing Cronin will get fleeced. If we don't, then we'll be stuck with an undersized guard-heavy lineup and get nothing in return when he finally walks.

Better to do what makes everyone the happiest while also getting something rather than nothing. This team isn't going to win the West during the next five years anyway unless Cronin pulls some off some miracles -- which would be highly surprising, given how we've seen him operate.

[dd10snoop28]

magic have a ton of young talent... why can't we get one of their young guys + pick(s) for Lillard? Seems like it'd be pretty easy to pull off.

At this point, take what you can get with Lillard. Fultz/Carter for Lillard or switch out one of those guys with picks.

Why? Because Lillard would refuse to be traded to the magic.

I don't see why. They have the cap + pieces to trade for Lillard + another star and still have a lot of nice depth.

Lillard chances of winning a championship go up 10x with Magic compared to us.

How do you figure they have 10x the chance to win a title? They had a losing record. They aren’t a better team that Portland right now, so adding Dame and losing a key player or two wouldn’t change that.

If we get rid of Dame, we are going to get fleeced the same way the Wizards just did. No reason to make a trade, unless we receive significant pieces in return. And if it’s just a money dump, then it’s a waste because no big time FA sign with Portland.

They started something like 5-20... I think they had a winning record after that. Their talent-level is just so much higher than the blazers and much higher upside. Their best players are all in the 20-25yr old range and on sweet contracts. I expect they'll be a playoff team without Dame next year. They have cap space, youth, and a ton of assets to deal with to make a run at a championship. Unlike the blazers.

I don't buy the "fleecing" narrative either. Gobert went for 5 first round picks last year. Dame is highly valued in the league. Just because the wizards are dumb and Beal had a no-trade clause, doesn't dictate the rest of the market.

[dd10snoop28]

I don't think Lillard has a no-trade clause, so in theory we could send him anywhere. Cronin wouldn't do that, though -- that's generally not what happens when NBA superstars request trades, especially when they're not dicks about it.

That said, I'm not yet convinced that Cronin would trade Dame unless Dame asked him to. Dame is heavily invested in the community, his family is here, he just built a new house here, and clearly he loves it here. So even though the basketball part of me can't really see a viable Dame/Scoot tandem (it should be Dame/Scoot and Sharpe) I could also see Dame thinking things over and deciding to stay put regardless.

That's when Cronin would really be tested. He already struggles to make trades. How would he do making a trade against his star player's wishes? I don't think he'd handle it well even if he managed to do something.

The moment that a player requests to be traded, his trade value immediately goes down because the other teams know that the blazers are forced to move him within a specific time frame.

Now is the time to deal him, disregarding personal feelings. They have rewarded him with $200m and aren't obligated to him at all.

[pezsez1]

The moment that a player requests to be traded, his trade value immediately goes down because the other teams know that the blazers are forced to move him within a specific time frame.

That's only if players publically request a trade. I don't see Dame doing that. He might not like the organization's personnel choices, but Cronin has been in constant contact with him and his agent and appears to have handled business as respectfully as possible. I don't see that changing. If Dame wants out, he'll ask behind closed doors and his agent will accommodate. If news of this leaks then it will be from some other team trying to reduce his value (pretty much all "drama" surrounding Dame comes from outside sources) but it won't come from Dame or his camp.

That's actually a good thing for us. If/when the time comes, Cronin might not get fleeced quite as hard.

Now is the time to deal him, disregarding personal feelings. They have rewarded him with $200m and aren't obligated to him at all.

On the contrary, personal feelings matter quite a bit. The Blazers franchise is a business, and most Blazer fans deeply appreciate Damian Lillard. It would be a bad look for the franchise and a huge turnoff for fans for Cronin to just treat Dame like some expendable scrub. And when I say "bad look," I mean taking hits to ticket sales, merch, etc. Also, without Dame, this team is bound for at least a few rough years in an uber-competitive western conference, which isn't great for the bottom line, either. The Blazers must absolutely keep some emotion within the equation.

[squintsdd]

I don't think Lillard has a no-trade clause, so in theory we could send him anywhere. Cronin wouldn't do that, though -- that's generally not what happens when NBA superstars request trades, especially when they're not dicks about it.

That said, I'm not yet convinced that Cronin would trade Dame unless Dame asked him to. Dame is heavily invested in the community, his family is here, he just built a new house here, and clearly he loves it here. So even though the basketball part of me can't really see a viable Dame/Scoot tandem (it should be Dame/Scoot and Sharpe) I could also see Dame thinking things over and deciding to stay put regardless.

That's when Cronin would really be tested. He already struggles to make trades. How would he do making a trade against his star player's wishes? I don't think he'd handle it well even if he managed to do something.

To my knowledge Beal was the only player that had a no trade clause, and he waved that.

I would love to see them trade Simons and let Lillard play off the ball, eventually letting Scoot run the point as the starter and moving Lillard to SG full time.

[Duck07]

Pez that's a dumb argument to say that Dame or Scoot would be defending the Point Forwards of the league.

Didn't read a word beyond this because I never said any such thing. Of course they won't be assigned to guard forwards. But you do know that ends up happening in games, right? Or that there are taller guards who can pretty easily shoot over them, right?

Come on, man. You can do better.

Players like Dame & Ant can defend guys as hard as they want, but a 6-8 forward will always be able to shoot or drive over the top of a 6-2 guard

Don't be smug AND contemptuous all in the same breath now.

[Duck07]

I would love to see them trade Simons and let Lillard play off the ball, eventually letting Scoot run the point as the starter and moving Lillard to SG full time.

I think by the time that Scoot is ready to take over PG, Sharpe is already entrenched as the starting SG. This year should be Sharpe's 6th Man of the year campaign before taking over full-time the following year.

Would be a great thing to trade Dame in the final year of his contract for a bunch of picks and players and then he re-signs with Portland on a team friendly deal to be a 6th man in his final years.

[Duck07]

Now is the time to deal him, disregarding personal feelings. They have rewarded him with $200m and aren't obligated to him at all.

I think the trade deadline could be when a team is ready to hand over the best deal. His list of preferences may very well change as the standings reflect 3/5 of the season playing out.

[Phalanx]

Would be a great thing to trade Dame in the final year of his contract for a bunch of picks and players and then he re-signs with Portland on a team friendly deal to be a 6th man in his final years.

No way that happens, IMO. Lillard is slated to make $63.2 million the final year, and he will be 37. Blazers need to trade him soon, or nobody will want him.

[Everythingsducky]

Would be a great thing to trade Dame in the final year of his contract for a bunch of picks and players and then he re-signs with Portland on a team friendly deal to be a 6th man in his final years.

No way that happens, IMO. Lillard is slated to make $63.2 million the final year, and he will be 37. Blazers need to trade him soon, or nobody will want him.

His value definitely goes way down next year. What I don’t understand, is the complete negativity. The Blazers can’t deal Lillard until early July (after the one year anniversary of his extension), and the free agent market starts in about a week. The Blazers may have deals In the works to completely change their landscape. Good or bad, but nobody has a freaking clue. Not sure I have faith in Jodi, Burt, or Cronin, but give them the open market options before everyone freaks out.

[Duck07]

Would be a great thing to trade Dame in the final year of his contract for a bunch of picks and players and then he re-signs with Portland on a team friendly deal to be a 6th man in his final years.

No way that happens, IMO. Lillard is slated to make $63.2 million the final year, and he will be 37. Blazers need to trade him soon, or nobody will want him.

He's a likely trade deadline move imo. I think Cronin will get better offers once 3/5 of the season has played out and Dame changes his list of suitors to other teams that have some assets to give up.

[pezsez1]

Local radio regulars last night were saying they'd confirmed with their sources that Lillard was not happy with the pick. I agree he'll likely be gone by the trade deadline. The one thing I'm curious about is whether Dame -- being the competitor he is -- might convince himself that he and Scoot can co-exist with Sharpe at the 3. If that happens, Cronin's box would get a whole lot smaller.

[Boom]

Dame -- being the competitor he is -- might convince himself that he and Scoot can co-exist with Sharpe at the 3. If that happens, Cronin's box would get a whole lot smaller.

Too small to contend