Trading Dame?

[Dame Lizard]

Not a fan of Ayton, at any cost really. Would rather have Nurkic and IMHO, Willams from Duke by year 2 > Ayton without the "Point-God" CP3. OG just seems like a slightly better version of M.Harkless to me; A role player at best. I'm really tired of hearing about who Dame would like to have on the team. Definitely not making the GMs job easy, and should keep the teams' decisions on possible targets, quiet.

People really like to talk about what Dame wants and what dame says but i never see any quotes about that stuff or any credible sources and when he has something to say, he’s not shy about saying it. So I’m really tired of people saying he wants another 50 million a year extension and that he wants Ayton etc. If he wanted these things he would say it, there’s literally nothing in his history in Portland that refutes that. People need to understand what click bait is.

lol

To be fair Dame didn't want $50m. He wanted to bleed us to the tune of $60m per.

[m0ng0]

People really like to talk about what Dame wants and what dame says but i never see any quotes about that stuff or any credible sources and when he has something to say, he’s not shy about saying it. So I’m really tired of people saying he wants another 50 million a year extension and that he wants Ayton etc. If he wanted these things he would say it, there’s literally nothing in his history in Portland that refutes that. People need to understand what click bait is.

lol

To be fair Dame didn't want $50m. He wanted to bleed us to the tune of $60m per.

Ain't that something...ugh!!! Oh well may as well shut this thread down, no way we trade him now.

[Wizenheimer]

just some perspective on Dame's extension:

the 1st year is based upon a salary cap of 167M. The cap is 124M now. So, a projected 43M rise in the cap in 3 years. That may be over-estimating the annual cap-increase. On the other hand, that will be the first year of the new media rights deals. If there is no smoothing (like there wasn't in 2016), the cap could be much higher than 167M. Like in the 190-200M range. Reportedly, Dame will get 35% of the cap

Dame has spent 10 years in Portland and the Blazers have paid him an average of 19.3M/year. Portland has had him for a decade at a bargain rate. At the end of his current deal, before the next extension, he will have played 13 years at 25.4M/year. Still a bargain. Yes, there is sticker shock at the size of the extension, but in reality, that extension is more a payback for 15 years of class, loyalty, and leadership Dame has given Portland, then a projection on his value at that time.

by the way, if a team can't build a contender around a max contract player who also happens to be top 10ish in talent and impact, they sure as hell couldn't build a contender around the assets they'd get from trading him

[JasonStern]

Read on Twitter

[Norm2953]

I can understand the rationale behind rewarding Dame but if the goal is to win a championship,
just take a look at the OKC/Houston summer league game for both teams are just loaded with
young, cost controlled talent.

Those championship teams in most sports were not built on sentiment

[wco81]

Remember when Kobe got a 2-year $50 million extension at the end of his career?

People said he was being greedy and the team was rewarding him for all his years there. Kobe was around 36 when he retired and the Lakers weren't too competitive his last two seasons.

The contract did hamstrung the Lakers somewhat and they couldn't rebuild until they bottomed out and then got the #2 pick for 3 consecutive drafts, which they parlayed of course into the AD trade.

[soobias]

I can understand the rationale behind rewarding Dame but if the goal is to win a championship,
just take a look at the OKC/Houston summer league game for both teams are just loaded with
young, cost controlled talent.

Those championship teams in most sports were not built on sentiment

thats all i want (maybe im asking too much lol ).

to me it seems most teams build like that outside of a lebron team.

if a team has good scouting for players young and old and they have a good developing staff that can get a young player to reach his potential .

ive always played and taught by 3 simple rules
play hard
play smart
play together
if a team can do those things i think they can go father that some talent rich teams.
im tired of pre-madonnas(however you spell it ).

[m0ng0]

by the way, if a team can't build a contender around a max contract player who also happens to be top 10ish in talent and impact, they sure as hell couldn't build a contender around the assets they'd get from trading him

So we just shut up and take it? we are paying the piper for all his years of strife as he "suffered" taking one for the team...poor fella never made a nickel around here.

Sorry bro ain't buying this crap. We have a new regime who should be able to developed talent, but instead you would rather scream at the clouds and say there is no point in doing anything because somehow we will just screw it up...over pay for the last few years of treadmill running well just because.

Dame is a legit good guy, but he has never been underpayed, so yeah cry me a river.

I don't recall him ever taking a team friendly deal where wink wink he gets his on the backside, and if you want to be crystal clear about things he has never achieved anything other than personal accolades, yes you can say the proper team was not built around him but that goes for plenty of really good players.

the landscape 10 years ago is no different today. Free agents still don't come here...so you can piss and moan about management but what can they do besides draft well and offer contracts to potential FA targets.

I'm sorry we don't owe him **** besides market value! 60 million at the end of the deal is ridiculous, being the good soul he is will he pay us back 10 million a year if he is not performing at the expected level? Hmmm....NOPE! Dame is our BEST PLAYER and also our achilles heel. In

[elias808]

Remember when Kobe got a 2-year $50 million extension at the end of his career?

People said he was being greedy and the team was rewarding him for all his years there. Kobe was around 36 when he retired and the Lakers weren't too competitive his last two seasons.

The contract did hamstrung the Lakers somewhat and they couldn't rebuild until they bottomed out and then got the #2 pick for 3 consecutive drafts, which they parlayed of course into the AD trade.

There is about five reason’s why Kobe got that “thank you” contract at the end of his career.

[Dame Lizard]

just some perspective on Dame's extension:

the 1st year is based upon a salary cap of 167M. The cap is 124M now. So, a projected 43M rise in the cap in 3 years. That may be over-estimating the annual cap-increase. On the other hand, that will be the first year of the new media rights deals. If there is no smoothing (like there wasn't in 2016), the cap could be much higher than 167M. Like in the 190-200M range. Reportedly, Dame will get 35% of the cap

Dame has spent 10 years in Portland and the Blazers have paid him an average of 19.3M/year. Portland has had him for a decade at a bargain rate. At the end of his current deal, before the next extension, he will have played 13 years at 25.4M/year. Still a bargain. Yes, there is sticker shock at the size of the extension, but in reality, that extension is more a payback for 15 years of class, loyalty, and leadership Dame has given Portland, then a projection on his value at that time.

by the way, if a team can't build a contender around a max contract player who also happens to be top 10ish in talent and impact, they sure as hell couldn't build a contender around the assets they'd get from trading him

Dame has just about played for max contracts since day zero. So talking about his average salary, which features his rookie contract and first max, is a redundant point.

This is simply a money grabbing move by Dame. Nothing wrong with it, but it's disappointing to see.

That contract will be bad by the end of it.

The only understandable justification of it is if it made the team more attractive to a new owner knowing that Dame is on a long-term deal. And that would only be understandable from a business perspective, rather than a winning one.

[The Sebastian Express]

Dame has moved the majority of his family here, has businesses in the area, his family have businesses in the area, he lives here year round.

Y'all should be happy for that man earning generational wealth that will change the trajectory of the lives of his children, grand children, great grand children, all his immediate family and friends. I cannot hate on that at all, not for a guy who has gone out there year after year and left it all on the floor, who has dragged us to the playoffs to try to win every year with a GM who helped him very little in the past and who has given us memories that'll last a lifetime.

Dame's contract is not what is keeping this team from winning a championship.

[Dame Lizard]

Dame has moved the majority of his family here, has businesses in the area, his family have businesses in the area, he lives here year round.

Y'all should be happy for that man earning generational wealth that will change the trajectory of the lives of his children, grand children, great grand children, all his immediate family and friends. I cannot hate on that at all, not for a guy who has gone out there year after year and left it all on the floor, who has dragged us to the playoffs to try to win every year with a GM who helped him very little in the past and who has given us memories that'll last a lifetime.

Dame's contract is not what is keeping this team from winning a championship.

Earning generational wealth? The man already has generational wealth, multiple times over. Power to him as he's earned that, but it's revealing that he's squeezed every dollar out of this one.

Also, the slight paycut I wish he took, is 'only' taking $55m, not $62m.

For a 36 year old whose market value will probably genuinely be no more than $25m that year (based on historical evidence of 36 year low six foot guards dropping off in their kid 30s), I'm understandably frustrated.

Meanwhile Dame gets kudos from fans like yourself for loyalty while milking every dollar from the club, while he continues raving on about how much he wants to win a championship. I like to have my cake and eat it too also .

Look at what Harden has done this offseason - that's a player putting their money where their mouth is. (I'll happily eat crow if this was a wink-wink extension and he gets a guaranteed supermax deal from Philly next offseason).

[wco81]

Maybe by the time that extension kicks in, an extra $10 million or even $20 million a year won't prevent the Blazers from being well into the tax?

Because the only thing that matters is whether they will have an MLE vs. a TMPLE?

OTOH, there could be a new CBA by then and new TV deal could raise the salary cap much higher.

Imagine if they put in a hard cap, though doubtful the players would ever agree to that.

[Wizenheimer]

So we just shut up and take it? we are paying the piper for all his years of strife as he "suffered" taking one for the team...poor fella never made a nickel around here.

Sorry bro ain't buying this crap. We have a new regime who should be able to developed talent, but instead you would rather scream at the clouds and say there is no point in doing anything because somehow we will just screw it up...over pay for the last few years of treadmill running well just because.

Dame is a legit good guy, but he has never been underpayed, so yeah cry me a river.

I don't recall him ever taking a team friendly deal where wink wink he gets his on the backside, and if you want to be crystal clear about things he has never achieved anything other than personal accolades, yes you can say the proper team was not built around him but that goes for plenty of really good players.

the landscape 10 years ago is no different today. Free agents still don't come here...so you can piss and moan about management but what can they do besides draft well and offer contracts to potential FA targets.

I'm sorry we don't owe him **** besides market value! 60 million at the end of the deal is ridiculous, being the good soul he is will he pay us back 10 million a year if he is not performing at the expected level? Hmmm....NOPE! Dame is our BEST PLAYER and also our achilles heel. In

I remember when Portland drafted Dame there were 2 or 3 posters here who just went bat$hit. They pumped out geysers of spleen in anti-Dame rants. They were irrational and wouldn't listen to any reason...just returned to the narrative that Dame was a wasted pick and the Blazers were doomed. The were absolutely convinced that a Weber State guy couldn't make it in the NBA, and that Kendall Marshall was guaranteed to be a better PG. I'm not sure I've ever seen that kind of reaction against a draft pick. Or at least I can't recall one like it. Their hate for Dame was palpable.

I'm becoming convinced you were one of those posters

[DaVoiceMaster]

It's crazy money that most of us just can't imagine. I don't know what difference it makes whether its $55M or $62M. Either way, it's a crapload of money that I ccx an only dream of. I think athletes make a ridiculous amount if money, but it is what it is. In with my own job, I want to make as much money as I possibly can. Now, if I made Lillard type money, is might not care as much, but maybe I would. Lillard is a player this organization has never had and frankly, there haven't been many players of his caliber in the entire league that remain loyal to the organization that drafted them; particularly a small market team. I also dont know the ins & outside of this profession. Yes, a championship is the ultimate goal, but are they content with a decent to good team that turns a profit and if the stars align, go all in for a championship team? It's a load of money that will probably bite them in the arse later on, but good for Lillard.

[elias808]

Dame has moved the majority of his family here, has businesses in the area, his family have businesses in the area, he lives here year round.

Y'all should be happy for that man earning generational wealth that will change the trajectory of the lives of his children, grand children, great grand children, all his immediate family and friends. I cannot hate on that at all, not for a guy who has gone out there year after year and left it all on the floor, who has dragged us to the playoffs to try to win every year with a GM who helped him very little in the past and who has given us memories that'll last a lifetime.

Dame's contract is not what is keeping this team from winning a championship.

I don’t think anyone is mad at Dame over getting paid. And if they are saying “he’s made a ton of money already he should take less” is just being a fool. No one here would actively argue against their employer to make less money than offered. That’s just bad business.

What is also bad business is Blazers mgmt offering such a massive contract to Dame that will end very late into his career while also doing it with a number of years left on the current deal. This is absolutely illogical and bad business practice. And that’s what frustrates me about the situation.

[The Sebastian Express]

Dame has moved the majority of his family here, has businesses in the area, his family have businesses in the area, he lives here year round.

Y'all should be happy for that man earning generational wealth that will change the trajectory of the lives of his children, grand children, great grand children, all his immediate family and friends. I cannot hate on that at all, not for a guy who has gone out there year after year and left it all on the floor, who has dragged us to the playoffs to try to win every year with a GM who helped him very little in the past and who has given us memories that'll last a lifetime.

Dame's contract is not what is keeping this team from winning a championship.

Earning generational wealth? The man already has generational wealth, multiple times over. Power to him as he's earned that, but it's revealing that he's squeezed every dollar out of this one.

Also, the slight paycut I wish he took, is 'only' taking $55m, not $62m.

For a 36 year old whose market value will probably genuinely be no more than $25m that year (based on historical evidence of 36 year low six foot guards dropping off in their kid 30s), I'm understandably frustrated.

Meanwhile Dame gets kudos from fans like yourself for loyalty while milking every dollar from the club, while he continues raving on about how much he wants to win a championship. I like to have my cake and eat it too also .

Look at what Harden has done this offseason - that's a player putting their money where their mouth is. (I'll happily eat crow if this was a wink-wink extension and he gets a guaranteed supermax deal from Philly next offseason).

Dame has a player option at the end of this extension. Who says he doesn't decline it, take that 'wink wink' (because that's absolutely what's going to happen with Harden, there's like a 90% chance of that) new contract, and recoup some the following year?

Yes, he already has generational wealth. And more money on top of it is more generational wealth. Why would I be angry he is getting all the money he can? And why are you so upset about it? Can you name me one top free agent we've acquired when we've had max cap space, despite having great young players and an all-star? Can you name me the best player we've ever acquired via trade?

Are you really concerned that Dame's contract is going to buck the trend of us.. signing Evan Turners? Or Roy Hibberts? Or Enes Kanters?

Dame could've taken a cut, yep. He could've. Even a seven million. But seven million is seven million. And I don't begrudge him that at all. I don't think he's greedy. I think he knows his worth, I think he knows how our salary system works, I think everyone knows the TV rights are coming up and what happened last time and the projected future of the cap. It doesn't bother me that he took 62 versus 55. Go get that money, Dame. Take care of those kids and that family that couldn't even afford a basketball hoop when you were a kid. Much love to all the Lillard family and continued success for generations.

I think we are all pretty realistic here. It's not likely, the odds are low, we'll ever win a championship through the length of Lillard's contract. Not because of his contract, but the reality is we're too good to tank with him, we cannot generally attract free agents, and a lot of other teams are stacked. I don't blame Dame for that at all. That's not a contract issue, that's not a Dame issue. That's just a Portland issue. Players love us when they get here, but it's hard to sell a city that has overcast for nine months, a state tax, and where the majority (and I do mean the MAJORITY) of the population doesn't look like them at all. And I get that. I'm not angry about it at all.

But also, I look at this from the other angle. There's a 95% chance Dame spends the entirety of his career here. he seems to genuinely love Portland. He's made Portland his home. He is the best player in franchise history, he's never asked for a trade, he's never had one issue off the court. At all. Ever. He's encouraged other people to come here. And he's a great leader who's helped shape an environment where a lot of other young guards and players have flourished, which you wouldn't always find from a guy who is himself a guard. The worst period of time in his career in Portland is last summer when he was frustrated, much like we all were, about losing to an incredibly injured Denver team which never should have happened. And I think we can all empathize.

And maybe it's because I understand where he's coming from when he says it'd be unfulfilling to win elsewhere. Where he doesn't like a lot of the three star stacking other teams do or where they all plan to go to another team together. Maybe he doesn't see the accomplishment in winning with a stacked deck. I don't like that either. There's no fun in stacked teams. It's boring. And predictable. I think most of us collectively roll our eyes at the Steph-KD-Klay-Draymond Warriors era because of that feeling.

While this could also be a bad business decision for the books, I also look at it like this - Portland has a great player. And Portland took care of him, right up until the end. That does carry weight with players, now and in the future.

So for the TLDR - I don't care that Dame took all he could get. Good for him. Amazing for his family now and for generations. Much love to them. I care that a guy who is a Hall of Fame talent, a top 75 player of all time, doesn't appear to want to ring chase, doesn't hold the franchise hostage with demands and mood swings, loves the city, lives here, and wants to retire here, spend his whole career here. Thanks, Dame. Sports is more than winning championships, and Dame will have given us an amazing 15+ years when it's all said and done. Maybe not a championship, but memories that'll last forever.

[monopoman]

I have a feeling Dame might be stacking this money to really move into philanthropy after he retires. I'm sure he will still keep a large portion of it, but I would not be surprised to see him start throwing large chunks of money around Oakland and Portland to help disadvantaged youth.

Dame had a fairly rough upbringing in general from what I have heard, so I'm sure he feels for kids in the same position. ****, Eminem has done a ton of that in the area he came from trying to make things better there, it's not as well known since he never brings it up but he has donated a crap ton.

Dame also isn't the type to really flash his cash, you don't see him driving the fanciest cars wearing the fanciest clothes or riding around in super nice planes or yachts.

[m0ng0]

Dame D.O.L.L.A might disagree. I will say this one more time, BEST BLAZER EVER, GREAT GUY!! Really bad decision by the FO. we are in treadmill city.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Dame is getting paid to stay here and potentially give up on a greater legacy elsewhere, it is what it is. I don't think anyone should feel the least bad for him if he never wins a ring in Portland, he is getting paid to be our elder statesmen and build something with the youth for the future.


If he ever took less money than he could to build a winner here I think we could feel bad for that not panning out and feel the pressure to trade him to a winner, but with him securing the bag in a way very few players have ever done, well he's already been rewarded so any accolades on top of the cash is just a cherry on top.