Shams: Dame Lillard, Blazers Close to 2-Yr/$120M Max Extension

[ropjhk]

We make fun of how expensive this contract is but how many of us are still spending more and more dollars every year on NBA tickets, concessions, merchandise and streaming packages? At what point to these player contracts become unsustainable? At what point do fans stop spending money on NBA related stuff due to high prices?

[Swish1906]

Lillard is truely loyal...to his bank account. I hope now this loyal blabla comparisons to guys like Dirk stop...

[Bologna Smasher]

I wonder how many years it will be until someone signs the first $100M a year contract. Going to say about 6 or 7.

[Rainwater]

The Blazers have 3 years before it kicks in? Why are people talking like this cost them any chance of picking up other players in the meantime? And why would this mean he's stuck there? He's just as likely to ask for a trade with 3 years or 5 years.

There are very few guys that play at their peak past the age of 32, 33. So if he is to ask for this trade he is ask for it now.

[Rainwater]

We make fun of how expensive this contract is but how many of us are still spending more and more dollars every year on NBA tickets, concessions, merchandise and streaming packages? At what point to these player contracts become unsustainable? At what point do fans stop spending money on NBA related stuff due to high prices?

The problem is not necessarily sustainable. If fans are upset with players getting paid they only have thenselves to blame. As long as people are buying tickets and buying merchandise and tv contracts are going up these players will continue to get paid and rightfully so; they are the ones, in large part, driving the demand and creating the profit for teams, owners, and the League. This is why I never understood why people think the league is dying it's doing just fine. If people stop paying and watching, salaries will fall and in turn so will revenue and profit. It balances out. Nobody is watching the WNBA and they aren't getting paid.

The real issue here is people like Dame, who making big money now but won't deserve it in their mid 30s. If this was Joker or Giannis it would be a different story, it would be well deserved but it's not.

[Exp0sed]

I wonder how many years it will be until someone signs the first $100M a year contract. Going to say about 6 or 7.

The Joker is the leading candidate for that rn

[Dan Z]

This is your supermax dollars at work. Be glad he stayed if you’re a small market team.

If I was a Blazers fan I'm not sure if I'd be happy with it. He's coming off his worst season and the team doesn't currently look like a contender.

Extending him potentially keeps them that way for longer.

[DaPessimist]

It's a business, and Dame puts fans in the seats. For that reason, it's a good investment.

That said, gonna be hard to build around or trade a guy making $60m per.

[Synciere]

This is your supermax dollars at work. Be glad he stayed if you’re a small market team.

If I was a Blazers fan I'm not sure if I'd be happy with it. He's coming off his worst season and the team doesn't currently look like a contender.

Extending him potentially keeps them that way for longer.

That’s one way of looking at it, and a fair one at that. However, this is what small market teams fought for in the last CBA after 2010’s free agency. The only way to prevent super teams is to make it so cost prohibitive for home grown stars to leave that they stay. Now they can overpay or let the stars threaten to leave for greener pastures. You can’t have it both ways.

[Dan Z]

This is your supermax dollars at work. Be glad he stayed if you’re a small market team.

If I was a Blazers fan I'm not sure if I'd be happy with it. He's coming off his worst season and the team doesn't currently look like a contender.

Extending him potentially keeps them that way for longer.

That’s one way of looking at it, and a fair one at that. However, this is what small market teams fought for in the last CBA after 2010’s free agency. The only way to prevent super teams is to make it so cost prohibitive for home grown stars to leave that they stay. Now they can overpay or let the stars threaten to leave for greener pastures. You can’t have it both ways.

Fair point and it makes sense, but in this specific situation he was already under contract for three more years. There was no concern about him leaving right now.

[OdomFan]

Terrible decision from both parties imo, but oh well. If that's what they wanted thats on them to work with it moving forward. I hope Dame some how gets moved through trade for his sake though, because he's too damn good to just have his career continue to be wasted like that...but sadly it does happen. cough, Mitch Richmond.

[Patsfan1081]

Blazer fans are very lucky to have someone so loyal

Can any other team offer him 6o a year? He could own a few small islands with that.

[Synciere]

If I was a Blazers fan I'm not sure if I'd be happy with it. He's coming off his worst season and the team doesn't currently look like a contender.

Extending him potentially keeps them that way for longer.

That’s one way of looking at it, and a fair one at that. However, this is what small market teams fought for in the last CBA after 2010’s free agency. The only way to prevent super teams is to make it so cost prohibitive for home grown stars to leave that they stay. Now they can overpay or let the stars threaten to leave for greener pastures. You can’t have it both ways.

Fair point and it makes sense, but in this specific situation he was already under contract for three more years. There was no concern about him leaving right now.

I think quietly Dame forced their hand. You just said it; he’s already under contract. There’s no need to do this unless they have to. All Dame has to say is he wouldn’t be happy is they don’t extend him. That’s it. The speculation of that alone would make it too much of a story. Teams can choose to deal with that but a team like Portland? Why bother? Better to just pay him than be in the basketball abyss for the next decade. At least someone will still come to the games. Over the next five years they’re more likely to win a chip with him than without him. It’s good for both of them to have Dame on board. He forgoes ring chasing and gets beaucoup paid and they forego being worse than a losing team. They don’t have to risk being irrelevant. That’s the real basketball abyss, because then even your own fans stop caring and supporting.

[Tim Lehrbach]

Good job, Dame!

By virtue of collective bargaining and the provisions of the maximum salary, Dame already gives up value to the NBA's middle class and caps his salary so that the team can add more talent. I support him demanding -- and getting -- every reward available to him.

From the team's POV? We can't know their thinking, but I think Synciere evaluated the situation well.

[Effigy]

Terrible decision from both parties imo, but oh well. If that's what they wanted thats on them to work with it moving forward. I hope Dame some how gets moved through trade for his sake though, because he's too damn good to just have his career continue to be wasted like that...but sadly it does happen. cough, Mitch Richmond.

It’s a terrible decision from the Blazers for sure. Not sure how anyone could say making $120 million in his age 36 and 37 seasons is a terrible decision for Dame. I don’t think he would be getting that much any other way.

[HMFFL]

Terrible decision from both parties imo, but oh well. If that's what they wanted thats on them to work with it moving forward. I hope Dame some how gets moved through trade for his sake though, because he's too damn good to just have his career continue to be wasted like that...but sadly it does happen. cough, Mitch Richmond.

Dame seems to be content where he has established a life and his family. The Blazer's are on the up with some additional moves and development. It has been a complete rebuild of their front office and head coach, so it takes times to improve the roster. While they've been small steps I like what they've done.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Case2012]

Curry just won a title at 34 and cp3 was just in the finals last year at 36. Lowry was in the ecf at 36 this year. So what if he’s 36 making 60 million, it will still be 35% of the cap just like it is now.

[jbk1234]

Good job, Dame!

By virtue of collective bargaining and the provisions of the maximum salary, Dame already gives up value to the NBA's middle class and caps his salary so that the team can add more talent. I support him demanding -- and getting -- every reward available to him.

From the team's POV? We can't know their thinking, but I think Synciere evaluated the situation well.

People take this as an article of faith despite all the very prominent examples of it not being true I don't know what to say anymore. Dame isn't worth his current contract. I'm not being hyperbolic either. None of the other 29 teams would offer Dame almost $40M per coming off the season he just had.

[FrodoFraggins]

I'd love to see an analysis of how much Beal and Lillard are truly each worth to their teams. How many ticket, concession and merch sales would they lose if they were let go or traded for picks, prospects and non stars.

[timO]

this bum is a winner like Beal, hahahah