The idea that a player on his way out of a team obviously in a rebuild should be thinking about what condition he's leaving that team's roster and draft assets for the sake of the fucking fans is insane. This is Dame's life and career, it's our hobby.
Especially when some of those fans want to send him somewhere he doesn't want to be just to spite him.
I love Dame, I think it would have been smarter to tell Joe behind closed doors that he only wants Miami and then publicly say Brooklyn, Toronto and a couple of other teams are all on the same list as Miami in no specific order. Dame kind of cut off his nose to spite his face but if he felt betrayed (which is what it sounded like on that podcast a week ago) I could see it... also if he ends up in Miami with the best roster possible around him, I guess it wouldn't have been smarter.
How should I know? If he was willing to provide a list of teams that would create a lot more options and it would force teams to outbid each other. He chose one team, and it was a team that really doesn't have much that I want. This isn't rocket science.
The advantage of for another team in trading for Lowry closer to the deadline is that while you need to assume his entire cap hit, you only need to pay him roughly half his salary and you get him for the stretch run and playoffs when he becomes far more valuable. I could totally see a Lowry for other expiring and more useless on-court salaries + some assets at the deadline.
The salary issue is ultimately negated, though, because if you're matching salary, 30-30, then if we're half way through, you've already paid 15 to the guys you're trading.
Dame's committed to this team for 3 more years at the cost of one hell of a lot of money. Nobody should give 2 shits about what Dame wants after him publicly demanding a trade to a single team.
Even if there wasn't a "big return" from another team, the absence of a "Miami-only" demand would entice more offers, giving Miami more incentive to actually offer their best assets. I firmly believe that the "Miami only" restriction is the reason Riley has felt comfortable lowballing Cronin for the past few months.
I can't see OKC giving up Dort, a second player and a 1st for Herro. The rumors are the blazers are barely getting that for lillard, Why would OKC do that?
Lillard tanked the best season of his career, just so his team could lose for ping pong balls. While that's a screwjob, enough to piss Dame off, I think there's more to the "Miami only" trade request. Something went catastrophically wrong in Dame/Agent/Cronin meeting. I can only speculate that Lillard's list of teams were nothing close to what the Front Office had in mind.
Okc has too many players and picks, so they will start making consolation trades soon, if it worth for herro, that's another question. They were fantastic when they had shooters next to SGA and only good without them, so herro might be of interest to them, but I don't know how much they like him.
Is it utter reluctance to do anything in Toronto when their GM has ridiculous price tags on his players and can’t make a deal? Same in Philly. Those GM’s are regarded as shrewd negotiators. But not Cronin? Why?
We were lucky enough to enjoy the show that is Damian lillard for so long. It’s going to be so sad he doesn’t stay here forever. The reality is we couldn’t trade 3 for someone on dames timeline that would’ve made a real difference (if there was a chance and you know about it why don’t you speak up). You don’t pass on Scoot. Dame is 33. If the rumored return which includes ayton is what we get back than that is good for the organization. Some guys can’t get out of the mental headlock of dame leaving. scoot Ant Shaedon Ayton is a hell of a way to start a rebuild. trading #3 for someone like OG would’ve been malpractice. Some people get it and some don’t. It is what it is.
