I read through your post too fast, I was thinking you wanted to trade one of those guys. Yes, 26-27 if he proves fully healthy by then, why not go for it all?
Maybe pre-injury Dame but I don't see how he comes back at that level. I hope Scoot, Shae, Tou and Deni make this really simple and we stick with them as our core. Trade Jrue at the deadline once he's shown that he can stay healthy, trade Jerami at the deadline after he shows that he can make shots again. Let Dame come off the bench when he first gets back and play it by ear from there. That's my ideal situation. If Scoot and Shaedon haven't made the jump necessary to start on a team attempting to make the playoffs when training camp rolls around then maybe... maybe we go all in on trying to win it all right now at or before the trade deadline. I'm assuming if we do go all in and try to win it all right now that it will be short lived and come up markedly short of the goal.
Having just acquired Jrue it’s kind of a head scratcher but if Joe mostly wants Jrue for training camp and envisions trading him at the deadline then the Dame move makes more sense. Regardless, having Dame back home feels right.
If a star is available, sure. But, I think the game plan is one more play in type year, then hoping Dame and Jrue still can be strong contributors the year after next when Dame should be healed.
Absolutely not. Dame is already old, and he will not be as good as he was in Milwaukee let alone Portland before the trade. All that said! He will be a huge positive in the intangibles department, and will be a secret weapon in our playoff run.
I don't like the guard rotation being that old. Dame/Jrue will both be nearly 37 the next playoffs Dame is healthy for. Brown will be 30 then which yes should be in his prime but you don't want him to be your youngest guard. Need a balance of youth for defense. I think we need to keep one of Scoot/Sharpe.
I love drinking Kool-Aid but I’m seeing Dame starting in the beginning of 2027 and eventually settling into a sharp shooter off the bench. He will be 37 coming off an Achilles injury. I think it’s a great story but he will no longer be the centerpiece.
Adding talent? It's not like they knew Dame would be available when they traded for Jrue. I mean, their main weakness was the lack of outside shooting after they traded Ant. Who do we prefer Dame or Kispert, with the MLE?
If it doesn't go well with Dames recovery, they probably have an agreement he could retire at the end of the season.
it does look kind of 'WTF are the Blazers doing' to neutral observers....and to a significant number of Blazer observers. At the same time, this doesn't really alter what the trajectory was going to be next season. Just adds essentially 14M in dead money by the way, it seems like Windy and Bontemps are confusing the Bucks stretch provision cap-hit for Dame with his actual salary. Dame won't be making 23M from Milwaukee next season....it will be 54M
I get that. I'm looking at the bigger picture. I didn't understand the Jrue trade. I don't understand pulling out of the tank. Unless Dame is still a superstar player, or if Scoot/Shae take a major leap this year, we won't have a star player. Unless Cronin is only trying to save his job and trying to throw a hail mary.
IMO, this about Dame Lillards retirement in a couple years or sooner. I dont see him playing anywhere else.
The front office wants to make the playoffs this year, and has acquired veterans who are established, known quantities to get the wins when our more exciting but less reliable young players (as nearly all young players are) have growing pains. This isn't fucking rocket science, guys. The goal is to get first round experience for the young players. Give them a taste of success, get them addicted to it. They brought in guys who are known for their work ethic. The risk of tanking is instilling a mercenary, loser culture in young players. The process has to include reaching for the ring, y'know?
