I agree with what you're saying, he'll play wherever he's contracted to play. He just seems like Dame to me. The dude is pretty level headed. He's also always been very sure about things. So I would bet that he's sure that he'll get to where he wants to go. If that's the Heat or another situation like the Heat. The guy seems at peace but maybe he just has a good poker face.
Likes to messages is super misleading. People get huge likes for saying "WHAT A DUNK BY SHARPE!" in game threads, and by breaking news stories. I can't remember the poster's name, but the dude was lightning fast on posting breaking news and would get massive likes due to that. Then in the comments he was a gigantic A-hole and never got likes and got ratioed constantly. Yet, he had a stellar messages to likes ratio due to breaking news all the time, which is useful, but by no means tells you whether the poster is liked or credible, just that they got likes. He would also trumpet his ratio any time someone came after him. He'd say "says the dude with a negative comments to likes ratio" and most everyone couldn't stand this guy, but would like his breaking news posts and his occasional non-egotistical posts. The reverse is also true. If you post a bunch of filler comments, or post a lot in live game threads you can begin to shift the ratio in the negative despite your actually thoughtful comments getting pretty good like hauls.
“With Lillard’s life on hold, he has traveled this summer to Paris, Dominican Republic and Italy, spent a lot of time with his children and has been getting deeper into his spirituality.” Hmm what about his wife?
Maybe Cronin is wisely waiting for a 3 or 4 teamer to bring in a Grant or better front court player as the main dude returning … or maybe Cronin is waiting for other teams to let ‘er rip and get Lillard for themselves. Or maybe there won’t be a trade unless one of these happens and other lesser trades get made, instead. Ant, for example. Nurkic and Little.
Of course. But that's why you don't tell players you'll trade then where they want to go without knowing the return. If he didn't, there's no problem there. If he did, he should stick by his word.
As far as paragraph one, I don't think he was committed to going young his entire tenure get. I think it's something that changed within the last 8 months. Cronin gets praise for choosing a different path than Dame's. Since that'l happened, I don't think it's unfair for Dame to try and create his own and go where he wants to go. Why shouldn't both parties try to do what's in there best interest? Cronin signed Dame to that extension around the belief they'd build around him. Cronin chose a different path. I dont find Dame trying to go where he wants to after his GM chose that different path as disrespectful to anyone.
People have brought up how Cronin isn't the smoothest talker in press conferences. People say certain things are dependent upon other things, but it wouldn't surprise me if Cronin didn't communicate things well enough. That's on him. They were shutting down offers days before the draft after everyone agreed that they'd get their best, final offers while they were on the clock with the 3rd pick because teams needed to see what Charlotte did. Jimmy & Bam were in touch with Dame in the same way Dame and Jerami were in touch with Jaylen Brown. Maybe it was obvious to Dame they were going a separate route far before we expect? This situation is messy. Dames trying to go where he wants. I don't blame him for trying to make the best of a shitty situation.
You pointed fingers (you do that shit all the time). I'm simply saying it's the same thing. You agree. Next.
I can address every single thing you guys come up with AND understand why you think a certain way. How is that being emotional? My position is because of all the information I've received. I can address whatever aspect of this situation that you want me to. I've literally said I understand why you think differently. Only thing I get upset about is people making it personal or claiming knowledge of my intentions or mental state like your doing here. You make a lot of statements about me without knowing a single thing about me.
"I have always said I will stay loyal to myself" is still cracking me up. Imagine saying this. It's giving me vicarious embarrassment though, I must admit.
Wait. Blazers weren’t loyal to Dame? Say what? They signed him to the Supermax, a contract that was designed so that teams (esp small market teams) could keep their stars from running off to greener pastures. Blazers signed Blevins, traded for Grant, but turned down an Ant/#3 for Giannis trade? Yeah right. And we DO know Dame’s side of the story: he wants to go to Miami and only Miami and is willing to hurt the Blazers organization to do it. Like it or not, that is his side of the story, make no mistake.
