Not sure you would need a source to say that the Bulls would gladly take the pick unprotected, but nice regardless lol.
Wait, so this is a Portland based designer that made the Dame/KD edit but he didn't post it anywhere? And yet it somehow got to Dame/Nurk? HMMMMM
He posted it on his Twitter and IG. He's our graphics design guy for Blazers Uprise. The KC logo on the jersey is his watermark. Edit: this was awhile ago that he made this picture.
I'm sure there are a lot of players Dame would be happy to play with. This board makes too much out of EVERYTHING!
We guaranteed Hart's contract for 12 mil and change with a player/team option for the next year...he's a keeper, said Joe
I mean, Hart is probably our 5th best player in my eyes right now. Behind Dame, Simons, Grant and Nurk. No way we could have let him go.
Yeah, that's why I said it was obvious in the Tweet. I do know they have a lighter protection agreement too that frees up a few future picks, but with KD we'd need all our picks freed up of course.
That could just mean that he is worth the money this year as a player and a trade piece, as opposed to Hughes and Elleby who are not keepers. If Sharpe develops quickly, he and Simons will make Hart redundant, and the Blazers likely won't have the money to re-sign him anyway, since they also will have to re-sign Grant and Little (and Winslow if they like him).
defense....neither Ant nor probably Sharpe are in Hart's class on that side of the ball. I don't see Sharpe replacing Hart as a point of attack defender....best we've had since a young Wes Mathews...the rookie isn't bringing that this season..if trades come down I think Ant gets a new franchise, not Hart. If Sharpe is that good, Ant is the guy he replaces and Hart is affordable and a two way player now.
I don't disagree with any of this, other than following the $$$. We can see that the team is already up against the luxury tax, and after this year, some tough decisions will have to be made. I just don't think they will be signing Ant just to trade him after a year. The Blazers have spent the last several years with most of their money invested in guards, and it hasn't worked out very well. Lillard on his crazy-high contract, along with Ant now at full dollars and Sharpe coming up...I just don't see room for Hart to get paid as well. Anyway, this season is for making those decisions. We'll see how Sharpe shapes up, and Ant as well. I'm particularly interested in how much Simons can get in an offer sheet, if the front office lets it go that far. That will determine a lot.
The starting point would absolutely be Ant (as he would have to agree to want to go to Brooklyn or a 3rd team that would flip assets to Brooklyn and Sharpe. I'd be willing to flip Nas to them too if they want. I would prefer to keep Hart if at all possible. He fits with a team competing with two stars like KD and Dame.
I'm not on the KD to Portland train. We can see what one bloated $45-50 million contract is doing to the team depth. I can't imagine what two would do. The Blazers are approaching compelling again for the first time in years because they jettisoned a bloated contract and replaced it with smaller contracts for hungrier players that are more concerned with growing as basketball players than planting vineyards. I'd like to see that trend continue.
Dame and KD would arguably be the best duo in the NBA, add in Grant and it would be one of the top 3 trios in the league. Anytime you have an opportunity to grab arguably the best player in the entire league you do it. Especially when you are Portland. Especially when you already have an all world player getting older. If you aren't pushing all your chips for a Kevin Durant (as long as he has any interest in teaming up with Dame) you might as well trade Dame.
Durant doesn't make me lose Dame.....if you want Durant I honestly believe they'll ask for nothing less than Dame...given the choice...I stick with our guy
