Dame all but demanding vet roster

Fact remains. If they keep Norm and even Nance they don’t get lottery picks last year or this year.

Seems like a lot of you were all wanting to tank.

 

Really? You don't think those two players wouldn't have mysteriously come down with injuries just like everyone else?

Dame was shut down
Ant was shut down
Nurk was shut down
Grant was shut down.

Why wouldn't Norm or Nance be shut down?

 

This is purely subjective. So I’ll say from the beginning that it’s my opinion.
They would have won more games and the team would not have shut down.
Now last year? That one is tough to say?

 

Dame has been at these workouts with a smile on his face. Clearly, the "demands" have been overblown.

 

I kind of wonder how he could not be excited to see another great talent grow on his team?
Sure everyone wants veteran help but having two lottery picks growing and making the team better has got to have some appeal.

 

Or he knows what the team is being offered and realizes (at least from his perspective) that the demands will be met.

 

I agree those are factors to consider. But I'd expect they are likely dwarfed by the impact of actual roster moves for players now and trades now.

I'm not set on trying to trade Dame, just saying fans shouldn't be upset other fans are thinking of that option. Its a very logical step for the Blazers to evaluate considering their situation.

 

We haven't had cap space since 2016 and won't this summer.

We have a small trade exception from GP2 but thats it; and totally unrelated to any "flexiblity" gained from the Clippers trade.

 

He stated his demands. It wasn’t hearsay

 

Was his demand about starters? or bench? I wonder if his biggest frustration is the lack of veteran help off the bench, well that is one of my biggest frustrations, so why not Dame's. Our bench is all young unproven guys, gets some veteran help there.

 

Yeah the "Demands" part seems like a bit of a stretch. I would be more inclined to go with "Desire".
"He stated what he would desire (or maybe prefer). That is not hearsay."

 

Dame is passionate about the game, his team, and winning. All he wants is a chance. He knows what it's like to chase the dream . Dame can see through the BS. If one of these guys they've worked out can help the team succeed now, and later, i'm sure he would be onboard. At the same time , this team needs veteran talent as well. Maybe the Blazers will use the pick , because they deem the pick worthy, and talented enough now to contribute at a high level. Like Durant, Wade, LeBron, and even himself were. Then it's up to Joe & his staff to add a DeMar DeRozan or OG Anunoby using Ant / #23 or other future pick to further strengthen the team. It's a process. It's just time to speed it up.

 

He said it's not the path he's wanting to go down? But that was before the lottery.

 

Absolutely. Though my reply was to your post, it was really meant as a reminder to the community that there are other positives to keeping Dame.

 

He has not stated any such demands since finding out we had a top 3 pick, which is also not hearsay.

 

He has attended draft workouts. If he was 100% pushing for the Blazers to trade the pick no matter what it wouldn't make sense for him to watch these.

 

This thread title is so dramatic.

 

Plan A: Make the BIG move with a perceived overpay to maximize contending with a top 75 player of all time … which is what most Blazer fans wanted for YEARS under NeO. Win now by getting a serious #2 (or 1B) and Grant as #3.

Plan B: Take the swings, strike out, trade Dame, build around a youngish veteran, Sharpe, 3, and maybe Ant. Sign and trade Grant. Prepare to suck … not be a threat for 3-4 years … (depending on the main player returned for Dame — Jaylen Brown … )

Both are legit options, IMHO. Hope, we don’t get to some half-@$$ Plan C that fidgets around the edges and tries to accomplish both timelines.

 

Almost certainly. Of course, we almost certainly wouldn't have won without him either...