Notice Should We Trade Dame Or Keep Him?

Didn’t see a thread talking about Dame’s current situation. Thought I’d start one.

 

Trading him is the right move
Rebuilding should be the focus
Our timeline should be be 3-5 years
Let Sharpe and 3 lead us
Let Nurk and Ant go as well

 

Depends on the trade.

BTW HCP, you are out of scotch, and Doritos.

 

Great Foster Brooks reference

 

Where's the poll, replay guy!

 

I'm probably in the silent minority when I say keep Dame and make some good moves, dammit!

 

Finally there's a thread we can discuss this stuff... thank you!

 

1st decision- try building a contending roster this season while keeping Dame. Probably would have to trade away #3 and Ant, very likely Sharpe too. Not sure this is realistic, I lean toward it's not, or very risky such as Zion being healthy or trading a ton of 2026-2030 unprotected picks. But in theory if we could acquire multiple all star level players it would be worth exploring.

2nd decision assuming above doesn't work is retain young assets for the future, Sharpe for sure, draft BPA at #3, likely keep Ant as well unless another team overpays for him.

3rd decision is do we acquire any win now players such as DeRozen or Porzingis, etc along with keeping #3. Sort of similar to adding Grant and Sharpe last summer, keep the two timelines going. Then re-evaulate at the deadline depending on how our 20year olds develop, plus old vets do/don't decline.

4th decision is tear the whole thing down and trade Dame/Nurk/Grant/etc maybe even trade Ant for the right price. Rebuild with Sharpe #3 future picks. Roll the tanks back out this season, and build a garage for them.

I always assumed Dame would be ok with option 2 or 3 above, but some of his comments make me wonder if he is demanding #1 or a trade. If Dame does, and the Blazers don't have a realistic way to do #1, they should do #4.

 

If the Hornets take Miller we will do #1. If the Hornets take Scoop and Dame has been serious, and Joe doesn't pull some other dramatic trade by using players we currently have, pick 23 and possibly future picks then I think #4 really does happen. If it's Miller that we take at 3 though we wouldn't trade Ant in the rebuild, I don't think. Ant, Shae and Miller are a pretty great group to have starting 1-3. See what you can get a 23, see what you can get for Dame and if you can dump Nurk on the team that takes Dame... most likely let Grant and Matisse walk.

 

Right, I mean, after all, how often do we get not only a generational talent, but actually the Best Blazer of All Time, AND he wants to be here!

So we better trade him!

WTF people???? Truly, it is incomprehensible.

And btw, have you not noticed that those 3 for 1 or 4 for 1 trades almost always are won by the team getting the superstar (e.g., Scottie Pippen) and not the teams trading for the Maurice Harklesses and Alan Crabbes?

 

I think you're in a pretty vocal majority actually. The trying to be loudest voices in the room minority want Dame traded and a full on youth rebuild blow up. Some in here don't believe Dame when he speaks and thinks that Joe can do virtually nothing but draft good picks and Dame will stay. I think the vast majority of Blazers fans are with you that we need to make some good moves and keep Dame.

 

But does he want to be here? Sounds like he may push for a trade if Blazers don't give him some star teammates, and Blazers likely lack the assets to do give him that.

He's also super old, only older players to lead a team to a title are MJ LBJ Wilt Kareem.

Blazers have been nowhere close to contending, same 3 playoff wins the last 4 years as the rebuilding OKC Thunder.

If Dame were 25 we'd all want to keep him. But he's too old, the team sucks, and the team has better young assets to build around.

I get some fans love Dame, but that doesn't mean it's a smart move to keep building around him.

 

I think the problem is the Blazers haven't been doing good moves to build a contending team around Dame the last 3 years. Also the team has been pinching pennies instead of adding talent or flexibility. Now they don't have any opportunities to put a contending team around Dame.

If they prove me wrong and build a contender in the next few weeks I'll be ecstatic. I just don't see the assets to where that's possible.

I fear we'll throw away our pick and or Ant on a worthless chase of mediocrity. Trading Dame is not the worst case scenario for me as a Blazer fan. Mortgaging Sharpe and my future as a fan is. After the worthless last 4 years I might welcome some changes.

But I can see why some Dame fans hate the idea. I just eventually came to terms this was the likely path when we did that stupid Clippers trade. That was the fork in the road IMO that got us here.

 

I agree with you on all of this. The worst case scenario is either making a really bad move to try and placate Dame. I just have some people in here that seem to think we can just split the baby and Dame will go along with it. They think that if Joe shows Dame proof that he couldn't negotiate a good deal that Dame will understand and stay here like a good soldier. I don't think that's smart for the team and if I was in Dame's ear I would tell him to demand a fucking trade.

If it's incompetence now that is only compounded by earlier incompetence who really cares? Joe has now had this team for a year and a half and he has done nothing to advance the roster's ability to win... he might have got some picks and some "flexibility" but he hasn't built anything. He's punted every time (trade deadline 1, off season 1 and trade deadline 2) and Joe has been honest about the fact that he punted. Joe was also a vital part of the previous regime. I just think if he punts again here that Dame will have no choice but to think that's all Joe is capable of. Ant, Shaedon and Miller aren't likely to help Dame win a title while he's at the top of his game... maybe one of them can be a major contributor (meaning like a fifth option) but all three of them just don't make sense for Dame but for a different timeline sure.

We'll see what happens Thursday, maybe Joe pulls off some miracle shit... maybe we're still left in limbo because we pull off something that lands us the enigma that is Zion. We're relegated to waiting for now.

 

Cronin has enough exhilarating management talent to trade up for Wemby on draft day, which will finally put an end to this discussion about trading Damian Lillard.

 

Let Sharpe and 3 lead us
Our timeline should be be 3-5 years
Let Nurk and Ant go as well

 

You bring up a good point. We need a Will Dame Lillard be traded thread.

 

I don’t get this