Assuming Simons is traded, I think Scoot would be the 3rd guard, and probably get between 25-30 minutes a night. Not sure how long he'll be OK with coming off the bench, though.
Wait...are you calling me garage? We don't know they weren't low-balling the Blazers, which is why the people who are convinced that Cronin is "lying" or that they didn't try, come off a little conspiracy theorist.
Agree on the 13th man. But maybe an older vet , to help with showing the youngsters the ropes of the League wouldn't hurt either .
Can we do something like Solomon and just trade the Heat one half of Dame and the Nets the other half?
TL;DR - I think Dame stays as well. Dame is not stupid. He had first hand account of LMA bolting to SA and how it did not really work for him, he also had first hand account of how special Sharpe is going to be. It would have to be a crazy thing for him to leave - and frankly, I just don't see anything that will be better given his salary. The Blazer will want picks and salary to trade him, the only reasonable team I can currently see that offers a competitive future and what Portland wants is Brooklyn. I imagine a way to match his salary will have to include Simmons, but Portland will want all the picks Broolyn can trade + at least one good player (Claxton). So, assume Nurk is part of the package that goes out, a Brooklyn team that got Dame, Bridges, Nurk and whatever else vs a team that includes Dame, Sharpe, Young Robert Parish (that's the 00 connection), Grant (another hand picked Dame player) and whatever the Blazers can aquire for Ant / Nurk (or even, Ant / Nurk) looks just as competitive or more. If Dame believes Sharpe can have the same growth curve we have seen at the end of the year for another year or two, he understands it would be foolish to ask for a trade like that. Now, the Miami part, if the Hear can retain Bam and Jimmy Buckets is closer to offer a contender status, the question is, can Miami offer anything that the Blazers will be willing to accept given their lack of great picks? Doubtful, imho.
They have enough expiring deals that they can get Nurk and Dame without sending out Simmons. I just don’t see how Dame/Scoot will work long term.
The assumption was that these expiring are more likely to help Brooklyn than Simmons at this point, but who knows, maybe he saves his career. In other words, Dame, Bridges, Nurk and Simmons or Dame, Bridges, Nurk and whatever else the Nets do not trade vs. Dame, Shae, Grant, Scoot, and Ant/Nurk or Ant/Nurk's replacement... - the equation is still the same, I am not sure the Nets one gives Dame a better chance. As for the 2nd portion: I am going to say that Dame and Scoot can work together the same way that a young Harden and a young Westbrook worked together - but for this to happen, Scoot has to show the same kind of defensive tenacity that a young Westbrook showed. Westbrook was the guy that ran the break, had defensive presence as a guard where Harden was mostly the facilitator at the half-court and a 3 point threat in these early OKC teams. This could be the blueprint for a Dame / Scoot co-existence.
It won't be the Heat. I don't care how badly Dame wants to go there or how much Jimmy recruits him, that's not happening. The Jazz (who Dame has apparently had on his list previously) and Rockets are the two other teams who have the right kind of youth/draft picks to put something reasonable together. Problem is Utah likely wouldn't be any more competitive than we could be and I don't see us trading Dame in-division; and the Rockets' inclusion would necessitate Dame and Harden successfully recruiting each other there -- an obvious hurdle but not unthinkable. It does look like the Nets are the leaders in the clubhouse for this imaginary thing that may or may not happen...
I guess I don’t understand the comparison. Harden is 6’5 and instead of it being Russ/Harden/Durant it’s Dame/Scoot/Sharpe. We are missing some size and length in that comparison.
When has Dame ever said that it's a championship or bust for him? His actions and words have been the opposite. In fact, he just recently said the opposite - that the "championship culture" of the NBA is kinda silly, given how few players actually ever win one. George Karl recently reiterated that same opinion. The only real issue imo is what @Natebishop3 has said - what to do about Scoot? Because it is hard to see how they co-exisit longterm. For that reason, I think Dame may be gone, but not because he's demanding a trade to a contender.
You’re right. Dame hasn’t specifically said championship. He said he wants to compete and I think Haynes said that Dame wants a punchers chance. The problem is that we are most likely a ways off of even having a punchers chance.
Chauncey said the new rookies aren't "normal" rookies. "They've been playing against men", they're ready to roll. Will the reporters return to these statements if Billups begins reiterating his commonly used inexperience excuses after ugly Blazer games?
Maybe Aaron Rodgers can refer Dame to the Southern Oregon darkness retreat so he can gain even more rose colored clarity?!
I also think he stays and I (!) think that the draft actually fits with the plan if they indeed clear out the old bench and replace with older players. But it’ll take a few trades and a lot of negotiation. We’ll see.
