Blazers 2023-2024 Thread

[nogerO]

It could have all been different with Lillard if he had been driven by a desire to win instead of a desire to squeeze out every dollar for himself that was possible. If he had just had the wisdom to realize that his crazy contracts were hurting the team's ability to put a team around him. But he wanted his cake and eat it too. He wanted all the money, but he also wanted to complain about the lack of talent around him. In the end, it was always about Lillard and never about the Blazers, and the team suffered one of the driest spells in terms of playoff success in franchise history as a result.

Cronin made a decision to save the team instead of inviting that cancer back in. People who are Lillard fans instead of Blazer fans will not understand why Cronin didn't re-open the door for that toxic relationship, but this outcome is better for the Blazers, and better for Lillard too. He goes to a new competitive team where it won't be all about him anymore and he will learn what his role should always have been, as a second fiddle to the main star. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, they will have to bear the brunt of that contract in a few years, so their window is going to be pretty short. It was a desperation move for them to try to keep Giannis in town a little longer. We'll see if it pays off for them.

Meanwhile, the Blazers will hopefully be able to move on from the wasted years and start with something like what they had before LMA left: A couple of young exciting guards and a dependable scoring big man to build around. This iteration of the rebuild may not work, but at least there is hope instead of just the Groundhog Day we have all been stuck in for the better part of the last decade.

Absolutely! Spoiled, entitled cancer on the Blazers. Give ME all your money, but get ME great players to get ME a championship. ME ME ME! Good riddance.

[nogerO]

Knowing that story is jaded heavily in favor of Dame, all I can think of is what a rotten, spoiled attitude he has.

My tough times would be a dream to someone else - Geno Smith

I have zero sympathy for a player who has achieved massive individual success in the league, been consistently paid as one of the NBA's top players while always talking about how "real" and "loyal" he was to the City/org and then acts like he is entitled to play for whoever he wants. That this Haynes article even needed to be published shows that on his way out, Lillard wants to make sure he tars other people in the process and that's a callous indifference to actual people.

He's made 233 Million so far in 11 Seasons and is set to almost double that over the next 4 years and he wants to rag on Portland and Cronin for doing him wrong. Throwing a hissy fit on your way really takes the mask off.

^^^This.

[pudgejeff]

I bet what really happened is that Cronin started talking to Toronto as a scorched-earth option and suddenly Lillard found that he was open to other contenders after all.

Agree 100%.

I'm honestly still amazed by how badly Miami, Dame, & Goodwin misread/mismanaged this entire situation. I'm most shocked by how Pat Riley imagined he had all kinds of leverage that never really existed. Clearly they all ****ed around and found out, and at the last second they came to Geez and the trade to Milwaukie was carved out.

Regarding that story, I don't think Dame is lying about anything, but it clearly lacks Cronin's side of things. Blazer fans (and basketball fans) should understand that however Dame felt about Cronin betraying him, Cronin almost certainly felt the exact same way when Dame requested his trade and then his agent tried to poison the well. I still don't know what to make of Cronin -- he pulled a W from the Dame trade, but I'm still not convinced he had any real "plan" up and through this recent draft -- but I don't think he's a liar. I think he honestly tried to build around Dame, but he didn't want to get fleeced, and other teams were trying to fleece him because they knew he was under pressure from Dame. And Dame reportedly was on board and had his back... until suddenly he didn't.

Breakups/divorces are rarely ever clean and that's all this is. Nobody here is the bad guy, just two people with big egos (required in their lines of work) who realized they'd grown apart & didn't want to admit fault.

The end result was the optimal ending, even if getting there was a bit messy.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, my only real beef with the story is about Chris Haynes. Apparently he said on a podcast that Dame was only interested in returning long enough for a Miami deal to be worked out (and I presume that would have extended to other contenders). The Athletic reported the same thing. That detail clearly seemed to be missing from the emotional climax of this story. So either there's a weird gray area there or Chris Haynes fudged the truth to spin a more visceral moment. As a former journalist, that definitely rubs me the wrong way. Again, would love to hear Cronin's side, but I know we never will.

It's because Riley has always gotten what he wanted for next to nothing. Bron and Bosh just signing there, Jimmy butler for actual nothing.

[buckmarkduck]

Embedded Tweet

Love this trade. Now what can we get for Brogdon?

[Duck07]

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1708511470542037182?s=20

Love this trade. Now what can we get for Brogdon?

Oh hell yes, Ayton AND Williams inside. Literally a SF away from having a pretty great rotation to start the year for Scoot to work with. As it is, Thybulle is a great 5th option to start and Murray and Walker will have every chance to earn a role on the 2md unit.

[Tray Dub]

Cronin killed this. Lots of reason to be excited about the future now.

[bellsduck]

Cronin killed this. Lots of reason to be excited about the future now.

Absolutely. I only hope I'm alive in 5 years to see what Portland does with these picks

[Tray Dub]

Cronin killed this. Lots of reason to be excited about the future now.

Absolutely. I only hope I'm alive in 5 years to see what Portland does with these picks

You doing okay?

[Phalanx]

So that is 3 first round picks, all unprotected, 2 pick swaps, Ayton, Williams, a 2nd round prospect, and Brogden, who may also be traded. Too bad Cronin isn't a real GM, just think what he could have done.

Maybe now we don't need to hear from Miami any more what they were prepared to trade.

Brogden for a small forward and the Blazers can make a run at the playoffs. If they make it, they convey that pick to Chicago and those pick swaps are no longer in jeopardy.

So nice to be on the other side of the Lillard/ Olshey years.

[bellsduck]

Cronin naysayers have to be eating some crow right now. Great job Flip Brogden for another future 1st has to be the next move.

[Phalanx]

I may be wrong, but it looks like Cronin. while trading for players on multi-year contracts that better fit coach Billup's system, also shed $3 million in salary with these trades. Golly, if only that dude had some kind of plan.

[mrpd21]

Plus...not only didn't deal to Miami but made 2 of their Eastern rivals better. Man this worked out much better than I could have expected.

[squintsdd]

Plus...not only didn't deal to Miami but made 2 of their Eastern rivals better. Man this worked out much better than I could have expected.

Wouldn't that be funny to watch the bucks lose to the Celtics in the Eastern conference finals

[Phalanx]

Plus...not only didn't deal to Miami but made 2 of their Eastern rivals better. Man this worked out much better than I could have expected.

Wouldn't that be funny to watch the bucks lose to the Celtics in the Eastern conference finals

In addition to the Blazers making noise in the playoffs, this is the outcome I will be rooting for, and I hope Jrue Holiday is instrumental in the victory.

[buckmarkduck]

These. Moves are even better tgat they hurt the heat. Who tried to bully us into a garbage deal.