We should absolutely keep him until we can improve in a trade involving him. Which may or may not ever happen.
Right. Keep McCollum, not Lillard. Batum had ego about starting and his replacements don't. Batum wouldn't have accepted the present lineup flexibility. Nonsense. It's easy to get players to stay here. Especially when we overpay like Olshey does. Wow, you sound like a real team player!
And I'm interested in keeping franchise players that make a real commitment to the team as well as the community, while showcasing true leadership. The team is fundamentally flawed in its makeup. You address the flaws not the foundation
And then trade the guy we traded him for. Then trade that guy again to improve. Just repeat until we incrementally improve until we win the championship!
The only way forward is to move either Dame or CJ, in whatever sort of package deal it takes to land a Paul George / Kawhi Leonard / Anthony Davis / KAT type two-way talent. Kawhi is obviously a much slimmer chance, given that his team isn't struggling. Hold onto one of the back court clones and pair them with whatever complimentary talent we have left, which is basically the whole roster presently. Add a role player at the other guard position, a la Ron Harper or Patrick Beverly.
Lillard is the only part of the foundation and he isn't the flaw. It's like Harden and the Rockets last year. Just need to make some adjustments. I mean half a season of underperforming and y'all ready to blow it all up. I don't sense the urgency to replace either tbh. so we won't win the championship this year. Boo. Just get a power forward who can put the ball on the floor and some interior defense then adjust from there.
Im with ya. We must keep Lillard. Lets compare the two. LMA, never DID anything that showed us he loved it here. It was all gossip and words blown out of his arse. Dame has ALREADY done more than talk, when he signed the new contract without an optout. That is more than most players have ever committed to for us. That ALONE should be the reason we dont trade him. Dame and CJ are untradable. CJ is ONLY tradable if we get what we need in a package of equal or better value.... Whiteside, or a Noel and a pick. Dame is the face and the leader of this Franchise, he has said so and has BACKED UP HIS WORDS with the money. Unlike other two faced players being mentioned here. Comparing Dame and LMA are like comparing apples to guacamole. Not even close.
All I said was things change. Damian is already creeping up on thirty. If the Blazers are no closer to sniffing a title in two or three years, then what should he do? It's all well and good to talk about loyalty, and I do believe Damian is sincere right now, but the simple fact is that almost nobody finishes their career at one stop. Trades happen, free agency happens, and age happens.
Dame is in the first year of a 5 year contract. We have 2-3 years to figure this out before we need to think about trading Dame. If we cant be a contender in 2-3 years, then yes, opinions will change. but as of now, he is untouchable.
Well, nobody outside of LeBron, Curry, or Giannis should be "untouchable", but I agree it is very unlikely Damian would be traded or that there is any scenario that would make sense to trade him. Just take these loyalty pledges with a grain of salt. Damian isn't stupid and he understands that it helps his brand to say good things about the team and city -- and that's not to suggest he has cynical motives; he probably does feel a certain sense of loyalty. But in a league where peak years are painfully short and teams trade players all the team, loyalty should only go so far.
Yeah, I think wanting the strongest team possible is pretty much the purest form of team player! Good observation.
Unlikely that Portland, or any team, would keep trading like that--even one blockbuster trade is rare and difficult to pull off--but any time a trade makes a team stronger overall (counting in the present and future) it's definitely worth considering.
Dame and CJ are as interchangeable as any two players can be. I consider them equal halves of the foundation. It's not just this season. I've been saying since last year that this roster's future, and the back court's specifically, is only heartbreak.
I don't think Lillard is such an exceptional leader that it changes his value. From accounts, his leadership is of the "by example" variety, which I think most stars provide. If you mean chemistry, yes, I think that should be considered. I'm sure it would be an immediate blow to the locker room if he were traded, since he's so intertwined with everything the team is and does. But a blow that they can never recover from? I find that doubtful.
We were good with the same team last year and actually expected to make some noise. That Warriors team was in Limbo.
