As of now, we still only have two big-time players to build around. The jury is still out on Nurk. There's already quite a few threads about him so I'll try to leave him out of this discussion. Dame has made it known publicly time and time again that he plans on sticking around Portland for as long as we'll have him and he's shown nothing for us to question his sincerity. CJ hasn't really said anything. We have him signed until 2021. He'll be thirty and an unrestricted free agent. He's not obligated to say anything though. To the contrary, he's actually tweeted commendations of other guys pursuing happiness with new teams. Also, he signed a max 4 year, not 5 year, which I always found interesting. Here's a couple reasons why I believe he won't re-sign: 1. We haven't gotten close to a ring win by 2021. I don't think we will. Warriors will stick around for a few more years at least, LeBron is probably going to form a new superteam next summer. A lot of teams have gotten better while we've improved slightly. Nurk was supposed to be our missing piece and it looked that way in the 2nd half of last season. However, if our play from this season continues to be the norm going forward, we're going to be stuck in no man's land with no real way to improve significantly enough to contend, considering our payroll. 2. He's not THE GUY here. Dame is and likely always will be while in his prime, deservedly so. I could see CJ pulling an Irving and wanting to be the featured star of his own team. CJ and Lillard are good friends, but friendship is not enough to keep the players together when there's a better career opportunity elsewhere. He should be a perennial all-star in this league, but he doesn't get nearly enough attention playing in Portland and being the second option to a guard that has similar strengths. Dame has gotten snubbed the past couple years, but so has CJ. A move to a bigger West team or any East coast team would instantly catapult him into a household name. If he left, I wouldn't blame him. As long as he did it the right way, I wouldn't hate him either. He's a got a good head on his shoulder and is fun to watch. He'll stay fun to watch on whatever team he's on. So that leads me to my ultimate point: If Olshey doesn't have something up his sleeve to turn us into a true contender by 2019, he needs to be ready to ship CJ before it becomes too late. CJ with two or even three years left will net us such a bigger return than trying to deal him on the last year of his deal. And let's be honest, with our draft picks and assets, obtaining another star player is beyond our reach right now. Harkless, Collins and Swanigan had much more value before the season started. Now everyone knows they're just not that good right now. Just a couple years ago, we saw Aldridge leave us with nothing in return. That was the first big blunder of the Olshey area that he has somewhat rectified with some decent trades. However, if we suffer another similar loss, I don't think it's something we can bounce back from.
Can't argue with this. Logical and well thought out. I agree, there will come a time where a CJ trade may have to happen for the betterment of the team and CJ himself.
Portland fans like their home grown players, especially when they exceed expectations. I fall victim to this just like everyone else. I want to see Lillard and CJ hoist a trophy together in a Blazers uniform, but it's a fools dream. There are myriad reasons why one or the other should be shipped off, and really only a sentimental one to keep them together. It sucks, but it's the right move and has been for awhile.
Call me a sentimental fool, but I can't do it. I know I'm not exactly using reason, I'm just not there yet. They are both just so damned likable.
Hell after they retire Blazers I want one coaching while the other is our GM. I want them as Blazers for life.
I just think we gotta cash CJ in for something. He's got tremendous value around the league, being locked in to his contract, good character guy etc. I don't know if NO would be willing to give up Cousins or Davis for him. Or could we get Jimmy Butler/Wiggins from the Minnesota in exchange for CJ? I don't like Evan Turner, but at least he'd play solid defense at SG. CJ is a tremendous offensive talent, but we just don't need 2 one on one guards.
No. New Orleans would not consider Davis, as they shouldn’t. Cousins would be miserable here. MN just got Butler and he’s Thibs’ guy. Wiggins I don’t know but not solving any problems I don’t think. Dude doesn’t like defense.
I just hope he doesn't pull a Lamarcus Alsridge. We can't let him walk for free. We have to get something for him. We still have 4 years to figure that out. So I'm not going to get to worked up about it yet.
Wiggins doesn't like defense but then neither does CJ. CJ is the more efficient scorer but maybe having a player like Wiggins who doesn't dominate the ball quite as much might open up more opportunities for other players. Who knows what might happen but Dame/CJ were terrible in producing wins last year until Nurkic arrived. Now with a soft schedule and a ton of home games, it's not any better. Something needs to change.
I agree. I’m a believer that one of them needs to go going back to last year. Love them both. But the roster isn’t built ideally. I just don’t think Wiggins makes the situation better.
I feel like there's something amiss in the locker room, and my hunch is CJ isn't happy. I was one of the early proponents of exploring the possibilities of building the team around him and trading Dame (and I was one of the biggest supporters of drafting him), so that isn't easy for me to say. But with how buddy buddy Dame and Nurk are, it feels like CJ is suddenly the odd man out. It wouldn't surprise me to see the team make a move before things implode.
Before trade CJ we gotta try other system with another coach. I still think they can play in the same team, and only playing together in clutch time.
I almost hope they lose another game just to watch all the people on here meltdown. I said ALMOST dammit.
Wasn't it put into the last CBA that you could only have one 5 year contract per franchise. That would be why CJ only signed a 4 year deal, so it's not interesting.
He probably won't. He will probably head home to the cavs to play with Leb....he'll probably head to the lakers to play with Lebron and paul.