Damian Lillard Trade Thread

[AirP.]

Dame didn't hurt their draft pick last season.

No? Why did they sit him the last 10 games so they could go 1-9 if he wasn't hurting their draft pick last year? Toss in trading a solid vet in Hart early February when they were just under .500 and maybe... they're a little better than what their record actually showed without tossing in the tanking aspect.

With the growth of their young players, the addition or a high level rookie in Scoot and also adding Murray with Lillard probably not willing to sit again (since it was rumored he sat to upgrade their draft asset to get him help), it's very possible this is a middle of the road team and with that, could be a little nervous about losing their top 14 protected pick to Chicago and at the very least not have a very good shot at being at the top of the draft which they tanked to do this last season.

I still don't understand why Portland didn't pivot to look to move Simons in a package to try to get some help for Lillard once they drafted Scoot.

They sat Dame because they were hopelessly out of the playoffs. That's hardly usual at the end of the season. I don't think trading 9 ppg Josh Hart had any impact on anything. They flipped a guy with an expiring deal and Duncan Robinson level production for a 1st round pick. It was a good move. Too bad we didn't do the same.

You mean offensive level production because he's a way better at basically everything else, especially on the defensive end. Yes, losing a good overall player hurt a middle of the road team. In fact, after trading Hart Portland went 6-21 for the rest of the season or 5-12 before they sat Lillard for the last 10 games.

[Rapaz]

It appears that y'all are phuked.

[AirP.]

Whatever is the Heat offer for Damian Lillard, its the best offer for Portland.
Because obviously its the only deal on the table.

Then why wouldn't they just keep Lillard if they didn't like the deal and wait for a possible better deal?

I get it's counterproductive for Portland to keep Lillard since he'd hurt their draft pick (if they can keep it), it takes the ball out of the younger player's hands to somewhat stunt their growth but if they can just wait and expect a better overall package while still tanking this year why wouldn't they.

With a team that has Lillard, Grant, Scoot, Simons, Sharpe, Nurkic, Thybulle and even Little, they have enough to package together to get Lillard some help. It seems to me, if you can put a good/great defense on the floor and have a couple high level scorers you can be a contender and give yourself a shot. The issue with Portland in my view is the starting SG and C. They need more defense out of both of those positions to be a dangerous team in the playoffs.

Dame didn't hurt their draft pick last season.

Then why did they sit him the last 10 games? There is value moving up just 2 slots if not 5 slots up the draft board.