Who do you think we SHOULDN'T trade? (If you select "nobody" then that has to be your only selection, obviously, but if you don't, you can select as many of the others as you want - you don't have to just pick one.)
I don’t think anyone should be off the table except Dame. But at the same time I would prioritize keeping the ones that defend over the ones that don’t. Ant is the exception just because none of our guards defend and we’re not gonna just dump them all.
AARGH! Forgot "nobody" as an option. Tried to edit the poll and it didn't seem to save the changes. Mods - help?
For me: Dame, Ant, Nas and Nance. No one is off the table except Dame if we are getting a top 10 player in the league back.
Welcome back Rasta....I want to keep Dame Norm Larry Nas, Watford and Dennis Smith Jr....but really Dame is the only one I'm not willing to trade...Ant has been great and if Dame wants Ant around I have no problem with that but I'd trade high on Ant right now before the deadline and not have to pay him next season 20 mil....he's been streaky for 4 years....I'd sell high on Ant for the right deal or first round good pick.
There isn’t anyone I would take off the table including Dame but would only trade Dame if he was on board. that said I do have guys I would like to keep Dame, Ant, Nas, Nance, and Powell in that order
If a legit poverty franchise like New Orleans or Minnesota offered us a billion unprotected picks and swaps id be like, “alright morons.” Jokic. Morant. Tatum. Doncic. Lamelo. Evan Mobley. MAYBE Cunningham/Barnes (with a boatload of picks.) There are a ton of trades I’d make for lesser talent, with the right (shitty) teams. Like Anthony Edwards + picks. No team is going to be like “ok, 4 swaps and 4 unprotected picks + a legit player” though. So Dame is pretty much off limits. Edit - Not all the players I listed would I take “straight up”. And the cap wouldn’t allow most of them anyway. But you get the idea. For the right price, anyone is obtainable. But it would literally take a “why on earth is X team trading away ALL that?” Kind of deal to get Dame. Everyone else - I would say could be had at a realistic price.
I dont think we could get Jokic, Morant, Tatum, Doncic for Dame. Their teams value them as we do Dame in Portlandia. They are younger too.
With everything said about deals that would make sense for Dame, I'm still keeping Dame as "off the table" because I think he's something for this organization to rally around. Winning a championship with Dame means more to this team and fan base than winning one without him. I really believe that. Dame isn't bigger than the team by any means but he just is a very important part of the team and it's history not just because of how he has performed but how he has performed coupled with the loyalty to the team and city that he has been so vocal about. So until we've exhausted the resources we have to try and put a team around Dame that makes sense and has the best talent we can get, I think we roll with him. I don't see anyone else like that, so trade all of them if it gets us closer to our current goal of winning a title with Dame.
I guess i don't care if we win one with Dame or not. Would it be awesome to win one with Dame? Sure. But, if we have no chance, then you move on and try to win one by any means necessary. Even if it means trading him for a rebuild.
Most definitely not getting any of them, but just saying no one is “untouchable” to me. There are some people here who would say, “Dame has been loyal to us, can’t trade him.” I don’t agree with that sentiment. If a team is dumb enough to mortgage their future, I’d accept the trade. Doesn’t mean it has any chance of actually happening.
I will be the minority here and say that not only should Dame not be off the list I believe he is the main player to be traded to help us have a future. I love Dame and wish him many championships, but I don't see him leading a team to a ring especially in Portland. He is aging and missing kore time than ever. He is a 6'3" shooting guard who normally don't lead their teams to rings even in their respective primes. He slows down the offense and plays marginal defense at best. Just because he is one, or has been one, of the best players in the league doesn't mean he is the guy to build around at this point. Trading him for another star is unlikely, but dealing for 2 or 3 top players could happen even with the injury to a team starved for the big name acquisition. If you like Simmons and Harris from Philly, that would be one place to look. 3 team trades with Knicks and Celtics are possibilities. I really think the rebirth starts with him and we should thank him for his service and loyalty and wish him well on his ring chase elsewhere. I just don't see it happening here.