Okay, so it's that part of the season when I'm finding it hard to care. If I DO care, it's just draining, and I need my energy for other stuff (like caring about the heat death of the planet). Right now we're sucking, and we're pretty much at full strength. As nothing is likely to happen until the team is sold, there isn't even any big change to look forward to. But that's not going to stop me imagining one. So, here's the game: imagine the new owner hires Sam Hinkie and says "start a new process". The first step is trading Dame. But out of loyalty to him, you can't dump him on a shitty team. So suggest a trade that gives him a shot at a title but gets us something useful to begin a rebuild.
Here's my suggestion (we also get the pick Philly got from Phoenix and one of their own): (Helps that I already like Philly and this would instantly make them title favorites.)
In reality, if the new ownership decides to nuke the team, yeah they'll need to trade Dame for some package of recent and future lottery picks. But I don't think that's going to happen.
I'm just going to post a bunch of different ones, not that I'd do them: http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ycg83hx3 We get Isaac and Bamba from Orlando plus they throw in two future 1sts.
http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybzpbbb4 Atlanta gives us their 2019 pick and the one they got from Dallas.
Boston I don't want Kyrie (maybe they can trade him somewhere else) so it doesn't make a lot of sense but... http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yd48hgdk Boston throws in the Kings 2019 1st pick, Clippers 2019 1st round pick, and Memphis 2019 1st round pick
Brooklyn would have to give up something along the lines of what the gave Boston: http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y7472y24 Plus 3 unprotected 1st round picks and pick swap rights in the other years and Denver's 2019 1st..
I would really like to do a CJ trade first just to see what would happen. I don't see CJ as part of the next generation Blazers, so move CJ first, then if you still can't get something going in one year, then you free Dame. I appreciate him wanting to be here his whole career, but would even more like to see him get a real shot at a title--just like I was happy for Clyde.