Shams: Damian Lillard Returning to the Blazers on a 3-yr/$42M Deal

[Yank3525]

I see Dame doesn't want to win a ring.

Different players have different priorities. However, I have less respect for players who shy away from having higher expectations placed on their shoulders. He gets to avoid that by signing with Portland.

What high expectations? Dame is at the end of his career. Chasing a ring at this stage does nothing for him.

[ForeverTFC]

They're dressing up the franchise for sale.

[MrTribbiani]

I see Dame doesn't want to win a ring.

Different players have different priorities. However, I have less respect for players who shy away from having higher expectations placed on their shoulders. He gets to avoid that by signing with Portland.

This is bigger than basketball lol the dude would sit and cry because he missed his children.

Outside of calling it quits, this the ultimate family move.

He could have brought his family with him to Milwaukee.

Lillard just doesn't have much of that championship grindset. It's not the end of the world, most players don't have much of that championship grindset anyway.

[brutalitops]

$14M is kinda much...I know the Blazers are not contending for a top seed in the Western conference but what if they are the next 2-3 years? On a human level it's a cool story but on the basketball side, give me somebody who can stay on the court and contribute. And also a PO + NTC? Maybe the team is confidence that he can come back and be at least 50% of what he was pre-injury when he is going to be 37. That's quite a risk.

Good for Lillard though. Mad respect for the Blazers organization.

Lillard sr

[Bernman]

Stings even more for Milwaukee though. They're paying both salary to Dame AND picks to Portland.....
For Dame to now play for Portland. Ouch

They weren't kidding about doing anything to try to keep Giannis to stay

The anti-Bucks spin you guys put on everything. This is good for us. We get a 5 million per year set off to our cap. So the damage is only 17.5 not 22.5 the next couple of years. The Bucks' owners are also off the hook for 28m in salary. So Portland did Milwaukee a favor.

In effect, the Bucks are actually getting paid to have Turner's services the next couple of years, before they pay essentially 50 per year for 2-3. You just heard it framed as 50/yr, which was disingenuous/half-truth.

[Lalouie]

I see Dame doesn't want to win a ring.

Different players have different priorities. However, I have less respect for players who shy away from having higher expectations placed on their shoulders. He gets to avoid that by signing with Portland.

dame's priority has always been to be happy in portland.

that's why the family stayed in portland instead of moving to milwaukee

[brutalitops]

$14M is kinda much...I know the Blazers are not contending for a top seed in the Western conference but what if they are the next 2-3 years? On a human level it's a cool story but on the basketball side, give me somebody who can stay on the court and contribute. And also a PO + NTC? Maybe the team is confidence that he can come back and be at least 50% of what he was pre-injury when he is going to be 37. That's quite a risk.

Good for Lillard though. Mad respect for the Blazers organization.

Lillard won the blazers multiple finals series, then got them a first round pick from the bucks, two pick swaps an all defensive wing and two Celtics first round picks.

Dude when he couldn't drag them to the finals on the court worked his magic and helped them re load. He's underpaid of anything

[The Master]

$14M is kinda much...

Is it?

This is MLE-level money, it's not unlikely that he'll be a top120 player in the league after his return.

And even if he's not, there's still strong sentimental value and great story for the whole community to overpay him.

Aaaaaand there's a chance he'll be actually better than ~average starter, after all he was an all-star this year.

[XTC]

Tbh... it didn't seem right seeing him in any other jersey. The grass isnt always greener on the other side.

Dame was so great, if he didn't win in Portland it didnt even effect his legacy in my eyes. One of the greatest point guards to ever play.

Welcome home Dame.

[kenwood3333]

Thats a lot for a broken player. How will he be happy coming off the bench next season? Very doubtful this will work out at the end.

[Lalouie]

They're dressing up the franchise for sale.

the dead giveaway was ayton on the chopping block

who wants to buy a mansion with a tarpit in the living room

[LuDux1]

Watch on YouTube

[Capn'O]

Not gonna lie, I don't understand why the Blazers are signing him for this season, when they could have used that spot to get another look at a young player for the entire year. They could have easily had a wink-wink to bring him back once his rehab was over next summer. But, it could be a situation where they had the room to get a deal done now, so they did so.

This one is a head-scratcher from an organizational standpoint.

Zoom out. Now they move on from Jrue at the end of the season and Dame slots back in. Annual dollar amount for Dame is less for 3yrs.

Jrue will actually help the Blazers win more games than a post-Achilles Dame. Just my opinion though. This guy won't be able to go by anyone at his age coming off that. If he's coming back to Portland to be a backup, fine. If he's returning for old glory, I just don't see how this is a good thing. Father time is undefeated.

I think the hope is that Scoot develops and that if Dame is starting something has gone wrong.

[cpower]

Pretty terrible if you ask me. You have a few talented young players and bringing back 100 year old vet in Dame.. I hope he is NOT going to be like Melo and destroy the chemistry of the locker room

[JustBuzzin]

Portland must be a great city. This man is literally obsessed with Portland.

[Lalouie]

Zoom out. Now they move on from Jrue at the end of the season and Dame slots back in. Annual dollar amount for Dame is less for 3yrs.

Jrue will actually help the Blazers win more games than a post-Achilles Dame. Just my opinion though. This guy won't be able to go by anyone at his age coming off that. If he's coming back to Portland to be a backup, fine. If he's returning for old glory, I just don't see how this is a good thing. Father time is undefeated.

I think the hope is that Scoot develops and that if Dame is starting something has gone wrong.

yang>>>>ayton

[Capn'O]

he never wanted to leave in the first place. the media kept hounding him until he gave in,,,like after YEARS of asking him the same question overandoverandoverandoverandoverandover. not to mention espn and all the nba talk shows needing create the story to guarantee the move

so when he finally GAVE INTO THE PRESSURE, people started the false narrative of him demanding a forced trade. that was BS from the very start

the northwest (yes northern cali included) has been his home his whole life

I think more to the point, the team also drafted his replacement and traded away guys like Josh Hart that were helping them win games. They were showing him they were going in another direction. I do think he felt pushed out.

[MrTribbiani]

Portland must be a great city. This man is literally obsessed with Portland.

If he had been "obsessed" with Portland he wouldn't have ended up in Milwaukee.

[Pattycakes]

Blazers looking fiery for you guys at home if you do the math.

[EmpireFalls]

Blazers looking fiery for you guys at home if you do the math.

If anything this is a white flag for this season, they’re clearly throwing this away and trying to win two years from now. Decent idea imo.