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

[JRoy]

Come someone make sense how he is getting 70m when the bucks stretched him?

Wouldn't that make it the 22.5m + 14m?

Lillard is still being paid as if he were still under that same contract with Milwaukee. However, they're stretching that contract on the books (only) over 5-years.

That sounds a lot like MILs problem.

[BeatDaCavs420]

No one loves losing more than dame

Or maybe he just loves money more lol

[DusterBuster]

I would like Dame to get Yang Hansen in the studio.

I'll help pay, lets get it.

[DusterBuster]

No one loves losing more than dame

Or maybe he just loves money more lol

As you get older, you realize how much family matters over a ring. While not as extreme, Beal was the same way, but Dame wanted a ring more than Beal.

Oddly enough, I think the mid-season tourney win made him feel like the actual ring wasn't as important...

[Dick Tate]

Cautionary tale.

?
Rehab at home for a season, play the next, pocket $141M.

[SpurNani]

Good for Dame

[vxmike]

So this is super cool for Lillard and Blazer fans but they’ve now got like $80m/yr the next THREE years tied up in Grant/Holiday/Lillard.

[azcatz11]

Why would Blazers sign him? Makes no sense.

And who are they even competing against? Baffling and a pure money grab to sell the team as others have mentioned. This is shameful imo

[Profound23]

So this is super cool for Lillard and Blazer fans but they’ve now got like $80m/yr the next THREE years tied up in Grant/Holiday/Lillard.

Cut Jrue and he will re-sign with Milwaukee

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

This seems totally unfair and shouldn't be allowed

I’m in the minority but I agree.

ROFL some kind of blazers fan you are.

Jk. But seriously our franchise has had the worst luck by far in this storied league.. let someone else be the best worst from now on. Milwaukee, here’s the crown.

gentlemans bet that those swaps youre drooling over wont ever convey.

[ScrantonBulls]

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.

You are spot on. He has never cared that much about winning. He was fine soaking up a ton of the salary cap while making it impossible for Portland to win. For some reason people find it endearing or "valorant" when a players sticks with a team for their entire career when they have no chance of winning a title. In Dame's case, his salary was a detriment at time.

How is that better than a guy who wants to play on a winner or will really hold the organization's feet to the flames if they don't built a contender? Good for him I guess, but he was fine not contending most of his career.

[ScrantonBulls]

Don’t care how the deal was made, but Dame being in Portland is good for American professional sports.

Next step - get another professional team in Seattle. If this happens, I’ll spend literally weekends in the Pacific Northwest.

Lmao sure, the dude won't even play next year but it's "good for American professional sports". Makes sense.

[Pattycakes]

Don’t care how the deal was made, but Dame being in Portland is good for American professional sports.

Next step - get another professional team in Seattle. If this happens, I’ll spend literally weekends in the Pacific Northwest.

Lmao sure, the dude won't even play next year but it's "good for American professional sports". Makes sense.

Imagine not everyone is a Bulls fan. Just for a second.

[mrmsix6]

What a legend.

[DusterBuster]

Don’t care how the deal was made, but Dame being in Portland is good for American professional sports.

Next step - get another professional team in Seattle. If this happens, I’ll spend literally weekends in the Pacific Northwest.

****, yes.

The NTC is largely ceremonial. At the cost, it's not prohibitive, the clearly Dame didn't want to be in a situation where he was just an "asset". He spent his whole career being a Top 75 ever player.

The NTC is, we wont move you unless you want to be moved. The Blazers respected his wishes to be moved, but not to where he wanted. Both where he wanted and where the Blazers thought would be best flamed out spectacularly (Bucks and Heat). Blazers, who aren't a FA destination were willing to give him the respect of burying the hatchet and only moving him where he wants to go if he wants that. From, the Blazer POV, if this is the last 3 years of his career, he gets to end it here and have his post-playing career here in his home at a reasonable price (not 60-70+ mil... have fun and take note Phoenix fans). Also for Portland, if he shows he's got a Payton level last 2 years left, they can work with Dame and his agent to get a ring and it's still a happy Portland ending for him if they send him off as a champ. If he doesn't have that left, he can gracefully move into an assistant coaching or even management role... hell, with how much he's made, maybe part ownership with CJ w/ with new ownership.

Literally I can't see a downside here. Let the chips fall where they may and enjoy the ride... title or bust be damned.

[JujitsuFlip]

LMAO I FELT THIS!

Can you believe this is a real photo? lol

[Capn'O]

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.

You are spot on. He has never cared that much about winning. He was fine soaking up a ton of the salary cap while making it impossible for Portland to win. For some reason people find it endearing or "valorant" when a players sticks with a team for their entire career when they have no chance of winning a title. In Dame's case, his salary was a detriment at time.

How is that better than a guy who wants to play on a winner or will really hold the organization's feet to the flames if they don't built a contender? Good for him I guess, but he was fine not contending most of his career.

"Blazers would have been better off without Dame" takes the cake for the worst take I've seen in awhile. Congrats.

[MikeM]

Damn Lillard had to play defense for one season and was like no thanks, that's enough of that

[JRoy]

So this is super cool for Lillard and Blazer fans but they’ve now got like $80m/yr the next THREE years tied up in Grant/Holiday/Lillard.

Cut Jrue and he will re-sign with Milwaukee

Nah. Let’s try him out first.

[Wingy]

Makes that Jrue trade even dumber though. What use are Blazers going to get out of him at 30+ million per season until 2029? Nobody’s bailing Portland out of that one

I said the same thing about Boston.

Never underestimate the stupidity of NBA front offices and ownerships.