Richard4444 wrote:simonbampfield wrote:Richard4444 wrote:I wonder if the Sixers are getting hopeful about a future Lillard trade.
Until the beginning of the season, I laugh about a potential Lillard trade. No mid-market team would trade a superstar talent to start over with Ben Simmons plus low draft picks. At last, Portland would begin the season fully healthy and I wonder if they could be a contender. Nance was a good addition. Even meh players like Afernee Simmons, Little were playing much better.
But Lillard's injury is very scary for his trade value. Probably, he will cure this abdomen issue. But he is getting old and these issues could become a tendency. Besides, other factors could have explained his shooting issues.
Furthermore, the team was awful. I don't know if Lillard in his superstar condition will be enough to make the team a wild card contender.
To make things worse, the Blazers cap situation is very concerning. Lillard is asking for a scary SuperMax Extension. The contracts of Afernee (RFA), Nurkic (UFA), and RoCo are ending and they will demand a raise. Lillard + CJ + Norman + Nance already totalizes 100M+. Probably the roster will be downgraded next season.
The Blazers must tank this season and see if they can trade the pick for a star. But the rebuiding way can be tempting.
The Sixers might offer a crazy package around Simmons to get Lillard. Morey will make anything to sell the narrative that he won the trade and got his star.
I think the Blazers would be fools to trade Dame. People were wondering what happened with Dame and why was he not shooting as well as in previous years, was it age? Was it the ball? Well, it was what everyone thought, it was the abdominal injury that he had been carrying since the Olympics. I don't know the specifics of the injury, but in all likelihood, this isn't going to be a factor moving forward and if anything it will freshen him up after a large schedule over the last few seasons.
Honestly, I think the Blazers are in a great position to hit the reset button with Dame and go through a rebuild. Sure it probably ends his hopes of a championship with the Blazers, but I believe he gave his blessing to a rebuild.
Do you think they can keep Dame and rebuild with young players? This would be foolish. To not be a contender, it makes no sense to keep Lillard.
Lillard is supporting a retooling expecting a roster upgrade. But it will be hard and risky to try to upgrade the roster. Its a seller's market and the Blazers do not have a lot of assets (excepting the next pick). If they are keeping Lillard and getting another star, their future picks should be low.
I believe Lillard said would still stay with the Blazers if they want to rebuild. That is a unique thing in pro sports these days.
He is also supporting a roster upgrade too so he understands this roster can't work. He is wanting them to pick a direction and go full on into whatever that may be. It seems, no matter what that is, he wants to be part of it.
The Blazers can get rebuilding pieces for CJ, Nurkic and Nance. Potentially can flip the expiring of Covington and they would just need to find a suitor for Powell which might be a little more difficult.
CJ could just bring back a nice asset and Nurkic, Nance, Covington, average assets.
The Blazers can head into next season with potentially a top 5 draft pick along with a number of other assets and some cap space to take on salary for more assets.
If a player of Dame's stature wants to stay with the Blazers for his entire career then you do it IMO. If he wants to go for a ring late in his career with someone else then you facilitate that.
Don't forget a lot of people wrote off CP3 a few years ago and he is still collecting checks and getting it done. He has had a way more injury-riddled career than Dame and he is on a championship contender at the moment, aged 36.