You don't think that CJ and every draft asset we have (meaning our first rounders in 2022, 24, 26 and 28 along with pick swaps for the other years) would net us a guy like Simmons? I just don't think we're willing to do what it takes. Maybe you think that Simmons doesn't make us a contender but if he steps up his game in any meaningful way he's a top ten player in the league. Two top ten player supported by players at the level of Norm, RoCo and Nurk... with guys who have the potential of Ant, Nas and DJJ look like they could contend in the next two years to me... especially with the flexibility of trading Nurk, Ant, Nas and DJJ as player who still aren't in their prime and are on reasonable or expiring contracts.
As opposed to... what? First round exits every year while having no draft picks? That's where we have been recently. Dame won't be as valuable in a year. Or three. Or whenever the "never trade Dame" people would finally be willing to get value for him. If we get two starting-level guys and draft picks, we still should be able to make the playoffs. We won't challenge for home court advantage, but if we get younger and can have hope to actually get better, I'm cool with it.
Those people will never come around. There were STILL people pissed that we let Oden go when he was clearly done.
I actually think that's what is making Dame threaten a trade demand Dame went over Olshey's head 3 years ago and talked directly to Paul Allen about the direction of the team. He would not have done that if he trusted or believed Olshey. I don't think Dame's opinion of Olshey has become better from that point, only worse what's going on right now, IMO, is that Dame recognizes that the Blazers have absentee owners that will not hold Olshey accountable. Olshey gets a pass from Seattle as long as the revenue rolls in. That's not good enough for Dame and that's why he's made the waves he has made
Which brings me to wonder how much responsibility Dame bears for the situation. Do you know what going over the head of Olshey accomplished from the perspective of Damian? Can you quantify it? If it's somehow a quantifiable variable, is he not then responsible for it?
Well, we DID sign Powell, and for less than $20M, so I'm pleasantly surprised. And the Cody Zeller signing was also solid: he's a real rotational player, and a definite defensive step up from Kanter. He's not as good as a healthy Zach Collins, but that doesn't exist, so he's probably about the best we can expect. But that's part of the problem. If Cody Zeller is "the best you can expect," then contending for a championship is not what you can expect. I actually find this, on the face of it, decent-to-good night in free agency kind of depressing. It's like Olshey is one of those students who looks like he's failing all the time, but then studies frantically hard for the final and just scrapes through. EVERY TIME. Honestly, I'm ready to trade Dame. We're not getting Simmons or Siakam for CJ (say that fast), we just aren't. The best we could hope for would be Marcus Smart, and while I can actually get behind that, it wouldn't fix our roster problems as we now have a bazillion small guys. (Is Don Nelson Sr. ready to come out of retirement?) But right now Dame would, for sure, net us Simmons. And I could get excited about a team that has a bazillion small guys sprinting up the court next to a giant PG who is the best defender in the league, according to opposing coaches. Would it be any better than one with Dame on it? Probably not, but it would have a lot more of a future.
