Yes we should go after Dame!

[13 - 3]

This is the person we need to go get

https://thespun.com/nba/portland-tra...ract-offseason

https://www.blazersedge.com/2021/6/3...ayoffs-nuggets

Someone wants out of Portland?

[JJackisangry]

It takes two to tango though. Curious if Dame would even consider us (he is locked in his contract though, so maybe it doesn’t matter).

[Pelicanidae]

It takes two to tango though. Curious if Dame would even consider us (he is locked in his contract though, so maybe it doesn’t matter).

Yeah it's one of those situations where, on paper, it doesn't matter what he thinks. He's under contract for another 4 seasons.

That contract though is massive. Like, $54m in the final year.

You have to think that you have the direct route to a contender by adding him because the cost of that acquisition is every bit of cap flexibility for the next half decade.

[JJackisangry]

Yeah it's one of those situations where, on paper, it doesn't matter what he thinks. He's under contract for another 4 seasons.

That contract though is massive. Like, $54m in the final year.

You have to think that you have the direct route to a contender by adding him because the cost of that acquisition is every bit of cap flexibility for the next half decade.

I guess I was kind of thinking that he may down tools if he doesn’t get his destination, but I think he is too good to really throw a tantrum like that. Considering his age and the money he is on, we’d have to be a contender right away or it’s a failure. Def a risk to throw the farm at him

[13 - 3]

I love Dame’s loyalty. His willingness to stay in Portland & play is admirable. Still, if he stays there he won’t win a ring. The Trailblazers might wanna tear this down & start over. Is Dame gonna be okay playing through that?

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) June 4, 2021

[13 - 3]

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A post shared by Damian Lillard (@damianlillard)

[Eman5805]

Our chances of getting him go up precipitously if we literally hit the lottery.

[Pelicanidae]

I think one of the funniest things about Lillard is how the media perception of him is this ultra-loyal mega-leader, mainly just because he's stuck around in Portland so long, but in reality he's constantly whining and complaining as much as any other superstar in the media.

There's an old saying that if you give a man a reputation as an early riser, he can sleep 'til noon. Dame's press reflects that effect a lot.

[JJackisangry]

I think one of the funniest things about Lillard is how the media perception of him is this ultra-loyal mega-leader, mainly just because he's stuck around in Portland so long, but in reality he's constantly whining and complaining as much as any other superstar in the media.

There's an old saying that if you give a man a reputation as an early riser, he can sleep 'til noon. Dame's press reflects that effect a lot.

I’ll still give Dame props as I think it’s good for the league that he was willing to stay with Portland for so long, but yeah- this romantic notion that these players are “undyingly loyal” is quite frankly bollox. Doesn’t mean I can’t respect it to some degree and wish there was more of it and talent would quit jumping ship.

[Pelicanidae]

I’ll still give Dame props as I think it’s good for the league that he was willing to stay with Portland for so long, but yeah- this romantic notion that these players are “undyingly loyal” is quite frankly bollox. Doesn’t mean I can’t respect it to some degree and wish there was more of it and talent would quit jumping ship.

It's not even about the loyalty, I actually respect that. It's all the stuff about him being this stoic leader who never gets rattled and is the ultimate champion for his team, when he's actually just as whiny as all the other big stars. He's constantly complaining about something. That doesn't make him worse than anyone else because, like I say, everyone else does it as well, but the idea that he's this particularly tough, unbothered Ultra-Leader who rolls with the punches and never says a bad word is pretty bizarre.

[JJackisangry]

It's not even about the loyalty, I actually respect that. It's all the stuff about him being this stoic leader who never gets rattled and is the ultimate champion for his team, when he's actually just as whiny as all the other big stars. He's constantly complaining about something. That doesn't make him worse than anyone else because, like I say, everyone else does it as well, but the idea that he's this particularly tough, unbothered Ultra-Leader who rolls with the punches and never says a bad word is pretty bizarre.

He certainly isn’t unshakeable and I agree. There is a reason he is a regular season dynamo and a postseason flop. Maybe in the right side he would get over the hump, but I’m still worried about whether someone like him would fit our timeline or not. If Zion and BI were in their late 20’s, sure. Get that vet squad together and go for the ring. Neither of our guys have postseason experience which is a big reason why I’m hesitant to throw the house at him.

[Pelicanidae]

He certainly isn’t unshakeable and I agree. There is a reason he is a regular season dynamo and a postseason flop. Maybe in the right side he would get over the hump, but I’m still worried about whether someone like him would fit our timeline or not. If Zion and BI were in their late 20’s, sure. Get that vet squad together and go for the ring. Neither of our guys have postseason experience which is a big reason why I’m hesitant to throw the house at him.

I'm not too worried about the timeline. Zion showed last year that while there is definitely room to improve in a few areas, he's good enough now at the game to make a real top 25 player impact and win. Dame being 30 is less of an issue if they are trying to win next season, which we really should be (though, as you said, you have to be careful at how much you throw at what, because that window isn't infinite and you don't want to bankrupt yourself of assets for the next decade for two years of playoff contention).

My issue is just whether we'd be able to field a roster around them that was capable of supporting that talent.

Zion and Lillard, between them, are enough that with even just mediocre roleplayers around them I'm confident in a good offense. Both of them are astronomical scorers, and having to choose between triple teaming Zion in the paint and trapping Dame at 30 feet is a nightmare scenario. Their individual gravity is so immense that trying to defend both at once would drive defenses into the dirt; there's only so far you can stretch a defense before it just tears in half. The concern for me is

A) Could we assemble that group of good roleplayers and
B) What about the defense?

Zion improved on defense throughout the year such that, by the end, he was just a slight negative, and we hope that he improves to being actually solid next year (or good, in a perfect world) but that's a gamble. We don't know it for certain yet. And Lillard is one of the worst defenders who gets major minutes in the NBA, he's really awful. Could we supply the requisite defense and shooting around them to make that pair actually work?

That problem gets amplified if we still have Ingram (though in reality he'd probably be asked for in a Dame trade). Zion, Ingram, and Dame in your starting 5 is a recipe for a horrific defense unless Zion takes a giant leap very quickly, and the quality of defensive pieces you'd have to put around that in order to insulate them is hard to imagine us actually acquiring.

[pelicanchamp]

Lillard would be very tough to trade for. What would we have to give up to get him? Brandon Ingram, multiple draft picks, NAW, Hayes. I don?t think Portland would do it unless we win lotto.

I would love to get Lillard. I wish we could have a lineup like this:

Lillard, NAW, Hart, Zion, Hayes

Backups: ???

We need role players.


We could try sending Kira, Adams, Ingram and Bledsoe, with multiple picks.

Then re-sign Hart


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[As I See It]

Zion improved on defense throughout the year such that, by the end, he was just a slight negative, and we hope that he improves to being actually solid next year (or good, in a perfect world) but that's a gamble. We don't know it for certain yet.

To say Zion's defense is now only a slight negative is like saying that AD's left groin is only slightly strained. In both cases, the players are hugely ineffective.

Like the MSM, just because you repeat some falsehood over and over again hoping to make it so DOESN'T MAKE IT SO. Zion's defense sucks.

[Eman5805]

Is saying Zion got marginally better on defense at the end of the season a falsehood?

[Taker597]

Adding Dame is a championship move, but we are still a few more championship moves away from a championship team.

You look at the best team... They got 12 deep scoring options at 10+ ppg. If we are gonna be an all offense team... That's what we gotta have.

[Eman5805]

Adding Dame is a championship move, but we are still a few more championship moves away from a championship team.

You look at the best team... They got 12 deep scoring options at 10+ ppg. If we are gonna be an all offense team... That's what we gotta have.

I'd be willing to work backwards from having Lillard and whomever we keep from the trade and build a team from there around him and Zion.

But again. Lillard would have to verbally go to managment and ask for a trade for the Blazers to not just move heaven and earth to make the team and staff around him more suitable.

[msusousaphone]

I agree. We can easily 'bet the farm' because we literally have two farms. You could bet a farm and a half and still have Dame, Zion, half a farm, and as we've seen with every other superstar pairing in the NBA, people will take paycuts to play alongside Dame, Zion, and half a farm.

[Taker597]

I agree. We can easily 'bet the farm' because we literally have two farms. You could bet a farm and a half and still have Dame, Zion, half a farm, and as we've seen with every other superstar pairing in the NBA, people will take paycuts to play alongside Dame, Zion, and half a farm.

If you trade for Dame... You gotta keep Ingram somehow. The game works in big threes.

[luckyman]

Terry Stotts officially out in Portland.

[AUSSIE_PELICAN]

Damian Lillard’s top preference to become the next head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers is Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd. “Jason Kidd is the guy I want,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports on Friday night. Lillard intends to have significant input on the next hire, sources said. – via Chris Haynes @ Yahoo! Sports

There I thought that Lillard was intelligent.

[Pelicanidae]

Lillard with the clown decision.

I cannot understand how Kidd keeps getting looks in at these jobs.

He was a mediocre coach at the absolute best, and is a terrible human being.

The NBA loves to try and crow its progressive nature because it's marginally less racist than the NFL, but there isn't a single team in basketball which hasn't rostered or otherwise supported a domestic abuser or sexual predator, at least not that I can remember.

The Bucks had Kidd as a coach, the Lakers supported Kobe, Terrence Jones kept getting NBA jobs including in New Orleans, Kendrick Nunn has been a media darling for the last two years, Porzingis has a (still open, I think) rape case going on that basically nobody discusses and goes back to his time at the Knicks, etc etc.

No team seems to have a problem paying and promoting total trash people, it's absurd.

[Pelicanidae]

Lakers assistant Jason Kidd has withdrawn his name from consideration for Portland’s head coaching vacancy, Kidd tells ESPN. “Portland’s a first-class organization and will have great candidates…but I’ve decided not to be one of them.” https://t.co/UQgZ0YNxv5

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 6, 2021

Wonder what's got Kidd deciding not to go for it after Dame named him specifically.

Unrest in Portland?

[tdcreator]

Lillard is a dream that doubt has a chance even though we have the assets. He would have to say he wants to play here and that’s not happening, same with Beal. That’s why I always focus on the draft or a third team in trades. Maybe when we are a steady playoff team we’ll have a chance at those guys but by then they’ll be old.

Beal pushing to go to Boston could be interesting. Maybe Zion could talk Tatum and Beal to come to NO. Hahahaha. That was funny

[Pelicanidae]

Lillard is a dream that doubt has a chance even though we have the assets. He would have to say he wants to play here and that’s not happening, same with Beal. That’s why I always focus on the draft or a third team in trades. Maybe when we are a steady playoff team we’ll have a chance at those guys but by then they’ll be old.

Beal pushing to go to Boston could be interesting. Maybe Zion could talk Tatum and Beal to come to NO. Hahahaha. That was funny

Doesn't really matter what Dame wants, honestly. Now, I'm not as big a fan as some other people of Dame (though I do like him, and obviously him and Zion would be an insane offensive core duo) but the reality is that if Portland decides to move him, they can move him wherever they want.

Dame has 4 years left on his deal: he is no threat to walk. He doesn't have a no trade clause. He has absolutely zero leverage other than just saying he will refuse to play, and I don't think he's the kind of person who would do that. Maybe I'm wrong there, but very few players actually do that regardless of where they end up so it feels like a fair assumption to make.

If they decide to move him, and if we decide to go all in for it, only really OKC could beat us in terms of the haul available. If Portland wants him gone, and we want him in, we can make as good an offer as anyone else - and better than most - and Dame doesn't get a single say in it.