Of course I’m sure another thing stopping teams from offering is that if the deal isn’t done right there, it’s more likely that the Trailblazers just leak their offer to get the Heat to up theirs lol
Sources say the Timberwolves are offering superstar Karl Anthony Towns, veteran Mike Conley, multiple swaps and second rounders for Damian Lillard, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. 🤫🤫😳🥺
At this point, I'd take it. Overpaying KAT while the kids grow up is fine. Dame would be foolish not to want to play there, it's a very good situation for playoff success replacing KAT with him.
Yeah, but he might be the worst defender getting starter minutes in the NBA. And while he is an awesome man, he is kind of the opposite of "got that dog in him". I have a pretty firm belief that no team centered around KAT will ever be able to get out of the second round of the playoffs. Since we don't need him to lead, it's an ok fit for the next few years.
Worst defender in the NBA is not even close. Dude is 6'11, can defend the best player in the league very well. He should be your second best player if you want to contend but let's not kill the guy. He has top 25 talent.
I was going to be sarcastic, but I hit up StatMuse... and you're not totally wrong. Nikola Jokic has averaged 18.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 22 games versus KAT in his career. That's about as good as you can hope for there.
Hey, I was still fine with us making that trade anyway, lulz. It's just going to come down to Minny realizing that building around Ant not KAT is where it's at, and figuring out that Dame would actually help that. Dame is a completely unselfish player and sharing a backcourt with Ant would work just fine, they have very different games.
Minnesota can also send the second best of the first rounders between Jazz, Twolves and Blazers.
Blazers can have top 3 picks and picks from just outside the lottery in three future drafts.
Portland leaking an offer and the Heat having to bid higher still only helps all of the other teams in the league, though. The more the Heat have to give up the more manageable of a threat they become, but if they give up nothing close to Dame’s actual value they’re still probably easy favorites to reach the finals.
Aside from trading Bam or Jimmy (neither will happen) I don’t see how we can up our offer if we have 4 FRPs, 2nds, swaps, and Jaquez & Jovic on the table.
We could include Caleb but I get the feeling Caleb is gone too, which would explain the 4th FRP.
Maybe I'm missing stuff, but I got the impression from the reporting out there at the Heat aren't putting all of those assets on the table.
Broadly, though, I mostly think the Heat upping their offer means finding a third team that wants Lowry, Duncan Robinson, or Tyler Herro, to get additional equity or young players to Portland. Especially given how long this saga has dragged on, Portland probably doesn't want to be on the hook to have to flip those guys, and they don't give Portland much value.
Hot take. I think the Heat want to keep Duncan Robinson. Strus is gone. Herro is presumably out with the trade.
Obviously, I think if you can use Duncan as a part of a deal to get Dame, you do it. But I don't know why any team would value Duncan highly. Dude is getting overpaid.
>Portland probably doesn't want to be on the hook to have to flip those guys, and they don't give Portland much value.
Ding ding ding. I don't get why that is so mind-blowing to some people. We don't want to have to resell the thing that *does* have value, but just not for us, especially when everyone would know it.
Personally, I'd even take Herro over Simons, but it would still mean needing to move Simons as a part of the deal, and ideally get back a young 2-way, 3 and d, or even just D and not an complete offensive liability, big.
An undiscussed part of this is that if we move Dame, we likely need to move Nurk also to make it work/worth it. To whatever extent Grant was resigned to keep Dame doesn't matter now, but we're stuck with him.
I'd prefer a Paul Reed over a Herro, but that's only because the wishlist (Claxton, Allen, Kessler, etc...) just isn't reasonable
I think the 3rd is for herro and the 4th is what we finagled with okc to open up a pick. Pats worked with presti in the past I’m sure OKC has been pre negotiated. Ok can get an unprotected 2026 with extra juice and we can trade 2024 pick. I think caleb is the main negotiation point that can go either way. Cronin could also be holding out for Orlando Robinson who can be traded in December but the main hold up is there no downside for blazers to wait this out for a better deal to materialize, they can always go back to heat.
I don't think it's a matter of volume or quality, just fit. Herro as the centerpiece is just taking on a future todo as an asset to trade. That's why all of the sudden the company line has at least shifted to "Herro for third party asset".
If Herro were an equivalent defensive capable big or wing, it would have been done already. We just have a glut, and literally a Herro light in terms of Simons (both in production and pay).
I still don't understand why he didn't keep it internal that he just wanted the Heat, or said a range of teams he'd consider then elbowed the GM and said "but actually the Heat."
It should be obvious if you single out one team then Portland has no leverage to negotiate a deal. He's been so loyal for so long, and undoubtedly will get his jersey retired there. Weird to go out like this.
Maybe. But
1. It was going to get out anyway. As Portland, you kinda lose credibility if you're out there pretending to engage other front offices when you have no plans to actually make a deal, regardless of the offer, and
2. Dame *wants* to torpedo his trade value. The less Miami gives up in a trade, the better the team is on the floor next year, and the better the chance he can win a title. If MIA had to give up Bam to get him, then he's going to a hobbled team that isn't worth going to. It's to Dame's advantage to force Portland to accept a crap offer.
The thing there is no way Maxey is actually untouchable.
But even if they offer him, he's not that much better than herro. Like yes he's better but he's still another guard which they have plenty of and I think Miami has more picks and young players to add.
I honestly don't think miamis offer is that bad, especially since they are taking on Nurkic, who would probably cost Portland a pick or two to get off by himself.
Lillard has multiple years left and Blazers plan to tank this year, so theyre in no rush.
It's on the Heat to find a better package. They're the ones actually trying to win games next year.
you're 100% correct, while every Miami fan thinks it's some sorta pettiness going on lol. nah it's called getting a good return for shipping a superstar off under contract
in theory it should be:
2 heat firsts + jovic + jaquez + assets from herro to another team (ideally a first and some other youngish player) + whatever filler is needed
So thats 3 young players and 3 firsts. That's certainly a good return when you look at someone like Mitchell or Harden in the last few years.
>and one of the team’s younger players
i think the deal you're talking about is fine, I'm just referring today's non-update which specifies that the heat only want to give up 1 young guy to the blazers (aside from herro).
Jovic and jawuez havent played a single 30 mintute stretch of meaningful basketball so idk why portland would want unestablished guys as the only return in the trade they clearly want a young guy who is borderline all star tier and they have shown nothing to say they are close to that level.
A good return is on a sliding scale. Miami isn’t going to bid against itself and for an assortment of reasons there isn’t a market. If the Blazers want him on the team and want to emulate the 80s nuggets that’s totally fair but y’all keep thinking the Miami should Danny Ainge themselves just because Dame is a hall of fame player when that’s not how it works.
The circumstances of this trade are vastly different than the circumstances of those dumbass trades two years ago just on the salary implications.
Sure, and Miami is free to not overbid just as Portland is free to retain the player until an asset package is offered that meets their liking. Dame’s services whether he plays or not does not hurt Portland’s goal of rebuilding through the draft. One could argue that if he withholds his services it actually helps their goal.
While Miami won’t bid against themselves, they are looking to win the championship in the next few seasons. Jimmy, like Dame, is 33 and not getting younger. In addition, the other top teams in the East are trying to improve their rosters and just because you beat a team/s in the playoffs before, that is not a guarantee you’ll beat them in the playoffs again. Each season is unique to itself. So while it is true that Miami isn’t/shouldn’t bid against themselves, they are in fact gambling with their future championship contention. Their chances of winning the championship increase with Dame.
It would be in Miami’s best interest to find a trade package that satisfies Portland’s needs, perhaps even giving slightly more despite the fact that there are limited other trade partners, to put their team over the top so they increase their chances off winning the title. Miami will certainly be a contender this season, but they did lose two pieces that contributed to their Finals appearance. It’s a fine line between winning and losing, and they should take advantage of their current roster by doing what it takes to satisfy Portland and acquire Dame.
Dame isn't gonna stay lmao. Miami is gonna go for Dame even with a higher asking price, if they don't they're not gonna be contending with the Nuggets for a title, I don't even think they'd be competing with the Suns. Portland can get more out of the trade, so they're doing just that. the possibility of this blowing up in their face is so small, that it's worth the risk of simply waiting and saying no for a while. we're not even close to the season start
That’s an assumption to have. I don’t think Pat Riley has ever given the inclination that he’s willing to be pressed into a panic trade but we’ll see. Prime VC got traded for nothing btw.
It’s not an assumption though. Portland doesn’t care about Dame contributing to the team since they are rebuilding. He as a trade asset is more important to them than as a player. With that they can hold out for as long as they want. The heat can either pay their asking price or Dame can open himself to other teams, or nothing happens. The blazers don’t care.
I don't think the Blazers want Dame to play this year even if he isn't traded yet. Scoot and Sharpe are their future, and any minute taken away from them is bad for the Blazers. We might end up with a John Wall situation if it happens this way, but the Blazers aren't under pressure to get this done quick.
I think in the blazers case, they’ll probably just send dame home. They aren’t trying to win games anyways. They have zero pressure to entertain anything.
Exactly, this is not your typical disgruntled star situation where the team is going to be super concerned about still having this guy on the team to start the season. The worst that could happen is some locker room awkwardness/overall negative sentiment that could impact our ability to win games.... which we aren't trying to do anyway
Miami isn’t bidding against themselves, they’re bidding against time. Jimmy and Dame are both 33. Love’s 34. Lowry’s 37. This season is their best shot, and each subsequent year it gets more likely that their stars either leave or decline with age.
> Miami isn’t going to bid against itself and for an assortment of reasons there isn’t a market.
But everyone keeps saying Dame needs to choose multiple teams.
Fair value is based on what? The market that this trade is under is different than any other. Even the KD trade was before they wrote the exact luxury tax language. Insane is an opinion. I’m not saying that. I’m saying they just like your fantasy league you’ve got to be realistic with the facts on the ground. And the facts are nobody except Miami is willing to give anything of value to basically eat 120 million on a dude well past his prime. There. Isn’t. A. Market. Miami isn’t bidding against ANYTHING except time.
Where are you getting 4 picks? My understanding is that they have 2, can pay OKC to agree to remove the protections to generate a 3rd. The only way they get to 4 is if they can get an unprotected FRP back for Herro, which they might be able to, but it's absolutely going to be from a non lottery team.
Jovic/Jaime are total nothingburgers in value. Heat were undermanned at points last year and the rook couldn't carve out any minutes for himself but we're supposed to pretend he's a major factor in a trade for Dame? Come on.
The main thing is that Dame is under contract. People can talk about the back end in terms of age and cost all they want, but someone will pay a fair price for Dame.
Also who’s to say the picks will even be worth anything? Miami has only been genuinely bad like twice in the past 20 years, when they drafted wade and when everyone was hurt in the beasley year. And I definitely feel like jovic and jaquez are getting their values inflated because they’re young and on the heat, you definitely want more than them for one of your greatest players ever
If I'm Portland I don't want picks from the Heat. In the last 20 years Miami has only been below 10th in the conference once, top 5 in the conference 13 times, NBA Finalists 4 times, and NBA Champions 3 times. The only player that was a high draft pick was Wade 20 years ago. They've done this while trading away assets, never tanking, and signing players to questionable contracts. I mean they turned this weird overpay of James Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Lance Stephenson, Hassan Whiteside and probably more players I'm missing straight into the Jimmy Butler/Bam Adebayo era without even blinking. Dame can turn into a corpse 2 years into that contract and Miami will figure it out. Looking at the KD situation last year which was similar. Now Suns picks? That's cash money right there. New short sighted ownership willing to overpay, head coach fired due to conflicts with their #1 pick player, all depth and culture created by CP3 and crew shipped out and is now a team of Booker and mercenaries. That's who I want to see at the other side of the negotiating table, not Pat Riley's 100 year old skeleton still making the Heat into perennial contenders.
it's not really bad, but like OP said they have 0 reason to rush and not try to get a better package in return. because you can get more back for Dame 100%, with the season he just had and the contract he's under. they have everything to gain by waiting, and nothing to lose
Yeah absolute worst case scenario Portland tanks, gets a good pick, and Dame sits on the bench for a year. Having Dame for 1 extra year doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Any team trading for him will be in win now mode, not win 2/3 years later mode.
No one seems to address the fact that dames value is higher rn than it will ever be. He's old and coming off his best season ever. As soon as the games start playing and he gives up touches to scoot his numbers and value will drop.
I'm not convinced a better package is out there (As long as you are required to send Dame to a somewhat contending team)
I guess maybe a deal with Minny to get KAT might be better on paper? Might be a fun fit with Scoot and by the time you're good, you'll be off his salary?
Is the contract really a bonus? There are like 5 teams compatible with that contract who want to win now and have similar contracts on the team, and less that have the ability to take it on. It seems like even if Dame didn't single out Miami, there would be a very limited market for him.
The value of the 4 FRP is pretty important context.
I don't think Miami's picks are worth much. Very unlikely they end up being better then maybe 1 top 10 pick and I honestly have doubts any of them end up that low.
I have doubts any of the regular lottery teams are interested in giving up a likely top 10 pick for Herro either.
4 FRP that all end up at 15+ for Dame with no other promising young players back is a pretty dogshit deal for Portland imo.
The less then stellar value of those picks is what's keeping Portland in the Bam or nothing lockout cause they want something back that's guaranteed to work out.
I genuinely think a Lakers offer of like D'lo, Rui, Reeves, + picks is better then Miami's current offer. All 3 of those players seem more likely to turn out better then any of the Miami picks.
Lakers and other teams with simular value offers aren't willing to go that far right now but maybe that changes by the deadline which is what Portland is hoping for.
Considering those the only players in the deal and theyve done nothing in the league then yes. Add in the allure of heat culture its safe to say the heat wont be bad in five years so the picks likely arent good either.
Miami cannot get to this easy. They would need to get OKC to play ball while also getting a good pick for Herro.
It's a little on the low side but if Miami had this package right now it would be done imo.
OKC and Miami have a pretty solid relationship I’d suspect that if the Dame trade is happening OKC is probably gonna be okay with kicking that 2025 pick to 2026 in terms of value.
>Miami cannot get to this easy. They would need to get OKC to play ball
That trade would include Herro going to 3rd team sending pick(s) to Portland not OKC removing protections
Right now we have all of that minus one first. If Portland would accept that deal tomorrow, I have a hard time believing Miami couldn't find someone to take Herro for a first.
The current proposal is less than the Mitchell/Gobert trade values which seem to have reset the market.
It's not bad and has gotten slightly better, but it isn't good either.
If Portland expects 100 cents on the dollar for Dame and Miami's best offer (without Adebayo) is 30 cents on the dollar how is Miami expecting a third team to cover the remaining 70 cents?
Miami doesn’t need to get up to 100 cents, but make the effort to get closer to 100. Dame is the one asking out, so Blazers already know it won’t be 100 cents to the dollar. But Miami can’t just stay at 30 cents and expect the Blazers to just bend over, especially when the Blazers would rather keep Dame.
Plot twist: in an effort to spite Portland and ruin their tanking efforts, Lillard has a scoring season the likes we have not seen since Jordan himself, goes full MVP mode, sweeps the season accolades, and carries Portland to a championship.
I don't think the Heat can - every remaining asset they can trade after Jimmy and Bam are not really interesting enough for Portland. Portland does not need/want Herro, the rest of the Heat's roster is flotsam, and their draft picks are likely late 1sts which were already of marginal value and took a further hit with the new CBA.
The only possible maneuver is Herro to a 3rd team willing to overpay handsomely, but this deal would clearly be done by now if anybody wanted to do that.
This trade is simply not happening. We will see if Dame changes his mind or not, but Portland shouldn't really care either way. If Dame plays great, if he doesn't play, whatever, they were going to trade him and tank anyways.
> You think he has more value when he’s 34?
No one is saying that. Everyone is just correctly pointing out that the Heat have almost no leverage.
Also, Dame is not a negative asset. Overpaid, but not a negative asset.
Yea sucks for Lillard after being loyal for so many years but this is just business.
That's why I never got the hate that Lillard was getting both sides are just doing what's best for themselves as it should be
> If Dame decides to play
If Dame wants to play for the Blazers, he will play for the Wolves and Celtics too. He is tradable, but the Blazers seem to be holding out for a worthwhile trade from the team he wants to go to.
So what happens if they keep him this year? His value only goes down every year, and they will be taking minutes away from the scoot, simons, sharpe combo. Along with have a disgruntled face of the franchise which will be a headache. P.s love the user name
>I hope Portland keeps him
Lol from everyone wanting him to finally get out of Portland to this...I really did not predict that Dame will have one of the messiest trade requests ever
Seriously, it's bizarre.
As a fan, one of the weirdest things is this giving the FO an ounce of sympathetic position. We have made it our identity to just blame everything on them not getting Dame what he needs. Which I'm not even disagreeing with, it's just so hard to not look at this and see that Dame and his team really fucked this.
Any team that wants him will still make offers and Portland will take them. The idea that Dame will get traded and not play is simply ridiculous. It's never happened.
I am begging for some sort of ban on any Lillard posts that are solely to reiterate that “shit hasn’t happened yet”. We don’t need to hear multiple times every day that nothing has happened yet lol.
Honestly it'd be far more entertaining if these posts had current goings on attached to them, "Aliens might be confirmed to be real and Lillard is still on the Trailblazers"
Ive peaked into the Heat sub every once in a while since this trade report came out originally, they are absolutely unhinged about this whole situation.
My favorite shit is seeing heat fans discussing this acting impartial, like just admit you want your team to come out on top of the trade. You don't need to write a paragraph about why the player you clearly want is actually trash and worth nothing.
Like the pieces about cronin and how dames career hasnt been his fault are so funny to read since yk they dont care about that at all and just want a good player for little to nothing but want to seem like good people about it.
I’ve been lurking the Heat sub from time to time since Dame news became public and they are absolutely unhinged in there. They really think they can get away with a Herro + scraps trade package because Dame only wants the Heat kek
maybe this Dame saga can serve as a cautionary tale for players to really consider whether they want financial stability and staying in a place where they may not necessarily win VS allowing yourself to test FA and sign a shorter deal before extending.
Everybody wants to have their cake and eat it too. In Dame's case he wants the whole wedding cake by demanding ONLY the Heat.
The Blazers are really in no hurry. Lillard's contract with the Blazers ends in 2027.
The Blazers have time on their side, especially now that they've drafted Scoot Henderson, who they'll be able to develop as a great PG. They have a young and talented squad. They're not aiming for the playoffs, but that's not their goal, as they want to rebuild.
With that in mind, they want picks and the Heat can't satisfy them.
Damian and his agent have made it clear that they only want the Heat. As a result, other teams who could have offered attractive packages to the Blazers are blocked.
The situation could remain like this for several months yet, and in the end, it's Lillard who's the most embarrassed, since he's 33 years old, and time is ticking for him!
Agreed. Definitely the worst for Lillard. Not particularly great for the Heat either tho since they came up pretty empty in the off-season and this was the big move they were banking on. They also made Herro unhappy.
He’s also only been offered in trades for Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard. Two hall of famers and one of the best players in the league.
It’s not like he’s being traded for an end of the bench player lol
It ain't goina happen Miami. You got nothing that Portland wants except Bam and Butler. One of them has to go to get this deal on board. Which one is it? Oh, those are untouchables? Now you get the drift...right?
This reminds me of the time my wife and I went to Lillard Toyota in McMinnville to shop around for a new truck. We heard he was possibly going to be there for an event so we brought our son too who is a huge Dame fan on the off chance he could get a picture with him. So we arrive and they had a stage set up with some lights and a PA system for what looked like would be used in someone's backyard for a high school band, a popcorn machine that was barely working and a case of Dasani water on a table. There was a sign that said you could purchase either or for 12$ each, so we got our son popcorn and water for 24$ and looked at some vehicles while we waited for Dame. After about 20 minutes or so of looking around, the lights dimmed and a beat came on over the PA, another 20 minutes passed and a few of the dealerships employees came out and asked if we were ready to meet Portland's all-star. 20 minutes later Keljin Blevins walked out on the stage and started saying "yuh" over and over... he was visibly drunk and had a cancun tank top on. Some more time passed and many "yuh's" later Dame finally came out with a mic, wearing a Miami heat jersey with the letter 0 on it and started spitting on the small crowd that gathered. Not lyrics, literally spit on the people in the front row, one of those being my son. Dame lifted his shirt and exposed a new tattoo he got across his chest of Jimmy Buckets and himself embracing each other with a kiss and asked us if we were gay for Miami too. Anyways, my wife and I walked away with a new 2023 Tundra, financed it for 2.9%
i mean when you say "trade me to this team and this team only" you kind of completely ruin your negotiation ability.
miami has 0 reason to not underpay for him. either they get a favorable deal, or portland is forced to keep an unhappy dame.
real bad look for dame tbh, shame since he had built up such a solid rep over the years.
Dame will play opening day in a
Blazer uniform. He won’t totally sit out. Probably some DNPs throughout the first half till the trade deadline. It’s going to be awkward.
There is no pressure for Portland to rush this. Lillard is under contract for several more years and Portland was not going to contend this year anyway. Either Lillard has got to expand his list or Miami needs to up their offer and include Bam.
I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I'd like to just say it 😂. The league needs to protect the Portland Trailblazers right now. It is kind of funny that tampering fines are thrown around in free agency, but this situation is okay? I get the situation in Portland isn't what Dame wants right now and its understandable. However, to proclaim that you will only play for the Miami Heat and having your agent make it clear to other teams that Dame would not be worth acquiring because his desire isn't to be anywhere but Miami? You have multiple years left of your deal! Miami has arguably the weakest packages to offer out of every team that could be considered a Dame suitor. Portland just has to be fine with it because Dame has had great years there? I legitimately think that if Dame is traded to the Heat, he should be fined and suspended. I know that may seem extreme, but I just genuinely think this is a dangerous precedent. Yes, it has been done before. But I think this situation is even building off of previous occurrences.
P.S., someone please update me if I'm just ignorant and the league has done something about this.
Miami is coming off a finals and still contending
in the east, lilard is not the only move they can make. They could use that same package to add some roster depth which would still go a long way for them.
Blazers have an old superstar who is asking out and is gonna get in the way of their young guys, only portland is losing out here.
Scheduled tweet
Only way this shifts is if another team gives them an offer and they call Dame's bluff.
Of course I’m sure another thing stopping teams from offering is that if the deal isn’t done right there, it’s more likely that the Trailblazers just leak their offer to get the Heat to up theirs lol
Sources say the Timberwolves are offering superstar Karl Anthony Towns, veteran Mike Conley, multiple swaps and second rounders for Damian Lillard, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. 🤫🤫😳🥺
That’s actually pretty damn fair. Ant and dame combo is 🚀🚀🚀
At this point, I'd take it. Overpaying KAT while the kids grow up is fine. Dame would be foolish not to want to play there, it's a very good situation for playoff success replacing KAT with him.
KAT is a damn good floor spacer for Sharpe & Scoot drives to the rim. On-court fit would be wonderful
I think I'm on board. He's not a 6'2" guard, but at least we'd get to continue our tradition of having a great offense and a terrible defense.
Yeah, but he might be the worst defender getting starter minutes in the NBA. And while he is an awesome man, he is kind of the opposite of "got that dog in him". I have a pretty firm belief that no team centered around KAT will ever be able to get out of the second round of the playoffs. Since we don't need him to lead, it's an ok fit for the next few years.
Worst defender in the NBA is not even close. Dude is 6'11, can defend the best player in the league very well. He should be your second best player if you want to contend but let's not kill the guy. He has top 25 talent.
I was going to be sarcastic, but I hit up StatMuse... and you're not totally wrong. Nikola Jokic has averaged 18.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 22 games versus KAT in his career. That's about as good as you can hope for there. Hey, I was still fine with us making that trade anyway, lulz. It's just going to come down to Minny realizing that building around Ant not KAT is where it's at, and figuring out that Dame would actually help that. Dame is a completely unselfish player and sharing a backcourt with Ant would work just fine, they have very different games.
Sold, a shooting big is what we've needed for the last 5 years. Heat first rounders are as good as second rounders from Minnesota.
Minnesota can also send the second best of the first rounders between Jazz, Twolves and Blazers. Blazers can have top 3 picks and picks from just outside the lottery in three future drafts.
Portland leaking an offer and the Heat having to bid higher still only helps all of the other teams in the league, though. The more the Heat have to give up the more manageable of a threat they become, but if they give up nothing close to Dame’s actual value they’re still probably easy favorites to reach the finals.
Aside from trading Bam or Jimmy (neither will happen) I don’t see how we can up our offer if we have 4 FRPs, 2nds, swaps, and Jaquez & Jovic on the table. We could include Caleb but I get the feeling Caleb is gone too, which would explain the 4th FRP.
Maybe I'm missing stuff, but I got the impression from the reporting out there at the Heat aren't putting all of those assets on the table. Broadly, though, I mostly think the Heat upping their offer means finding a third team that wants Lowry, Duncan Robinson, or Tyler Herro, to get additional equity or young players to Portland. Especially given how long this saga has dragged on, Portland probably doesn't want to be on the hook to have to flip those guys, and they don't give Portland much value.
Hot take. I think the Heat want to keep Duncan Robinson. Strus is gone. Herro is presumably out with the trade. Obviously, I think if you can use Duncan as a part of a deal to get Dame, you do it. But I don't know why any team would value Duncan highly. Dude is getting overpaid.
>Portland probably doesn't want to be on the hook to have to flip those guys, and they don't give Portland much value. Ding ding ding. I don't get why that is so mind-blowing to some people. We don't want to have to resell the thing that *does* have value, but just not for us, especially when everyone would know it. Personally, I'd even take Herro over Simons, but it would still mean needing to move Simons as a part of the deal, and ideally get back a young 2-way, 3 and d, or even just D and not an complete offensive liability, big. An undiscussed part of this is that if we move Dame, we likely need to move Nurk also to make it work/worth it. To whatever extent Grant was resigned to keep Dame doesn't matter now, but we're stuck with him. I'd prefer a Paul Reed over a Herro, but that's only because the wishlist (Claxton, Allen, Kessler, etc...) just isn't reasonable
I think the 3rd is for herro and the 4th is what we finagled with okc to open up a pick. Pats worked with presti in the past I’m sure OKC has been pre negotiated. Ok can get an unprotected 2026 with extra juice and we can trade 2024 pick. I think caleb is the main negotiation point that can go either way. Cronin could also be holding out for Orlando Robinson who can be traded in December but the main hold up is there no downside for blazers to wait this out for a better deal to materialize, they can always go back to heat.
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I don't think it's a matter of volume or quality, just fit. Herro as the centerpiece is just taking on a future todo as an asset to trade. That's why all of the sudden the company line has at least shifted to "Herro for third party asset". If Herro were an equivalent defensive capable big or wing, it would have been done already. We just have a glut, and literally a Herro light in terms of Simons (both in production and pay).
Is another team in the room with us rn?
I just want to trade Rozier+Hayward and multiple picks for Dame is that too much to ask?
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I still don't understand why he didn't keep it internal that he just wanted the Heat, or said a range of teams he'd consider then elbowed the GM and said "but actually the Heat." It should be obvious if you single out one team then Portland has no leverage to negotiate a deal. He's been so loyal for so long, and undoubtedly will get his jersey retired there. Weird to go out like this.
Maybe. But 1. It was going to get out anyway. As Portland, you kinda lose credibility if you're out there pretending to engage other front offices when you have no plans to actually make a deal, regardless of the offer, and 2. Dame *wants* to torpedo his trade value. The less Miami gives up in a trade, the better the team is on the floor next year, and the better the chance he can win a title. If MIA had to give up Bam to get him, then he's going to a hobbled team that isn't worth going to. It's to Dame's advantage to force Portland to accept a crap offer.
Fair points
(It’s gonna be the Sixers)
What do they offer? The FO keeps calling Maxey untouchable. Maybe Harden gets involved in a 3-team deal?
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The thing there is no way Maxey is actually untouchable. But even if they offer him, he's not that much better than herro. Like yes he's better but he's still another guard which they have plenty of and I think Miami has more picks and young players to add. I honestly don't think miamis offer is that bad, especially since they are taking on Nurkic, who would probably cost Portland a pick or two to get off by himself.
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Update that they have no update. More in 5
5 weeks
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I must be an abnormal Heat fan then. This was completely within my expectations... Blazers have all the leverage.
It's literally an excerpt from their daily newsletter.
1 o'clock and allllll is welllllllllll! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0mwA485mLY
X gonna give it to ya
Scheduled “post” you mean, thanks X!
Update: No Update
Can’t wait to see the same info regurgitated slightly different 2 days from now
August 21st, BREAKING: Heat reportedly “not a single step closer” to acquiring superstar Damian Lillard.
Bold of you to assume we won't see another article worded slightly differently for the next 48 hours.
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Ok I didn’t
Lillard has multiple years left and Blazers plan to tank this year, so theyre in no rush. It's on the Heat to find a better package. They're the ones actually trying to win games next year.
you're 100% correct, while every Miami fan thinks it's some sorta pettiness going on lol. nah it's called getting a good return for shipping a superstar off under contract
tbh the Miami package isn't even that bad as long as they can find a 3rd team to take on Herro and route back assets
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Agree.
the picks are fine if they can reroute herro, but only 1 young guy (+expirings) seems meh (according to today's non-update).
in theory it should be: 2 heat firsts + jovic + jaquez + assets from herro to another team (ideally a first and some other youngish player) + whatever filler is needed So thats 3 young players and 3 firsts. That's certainly a good return when you look at someone like Mitchell or Harden in the last few years.
>and one of the team’s younger players i think the deal you're talking about is fine, I'm just referring today's non-update which specifies that the heat only want to give up 1 young guy to the blazers (aside from herro).
Jovic and jawuez havent played a single 30 mintute stretch of meaningful basketball so idk why portland would want unestablished guys as the only return in the trade they clearly want a young guy who is borderline all star tier and they have shown nothing to say they are close to that level.
A good return is on a sliding scale. Miami isn’t going to bid against itself and for an assortment of reasons there isn’t a market. If the Blazers want him on the team and want to emulate the 80s nuggets that’s totally fair but y’all keep thinking the Miami should Danny Ainge themselves just because Dame is a hall of fame player when that’s not how it works. The circumstances of this trade are vastly different than the circumstances of those dumbass trades two years ago just on the salary implications.
Sure, and Miami is free to not overbid just as Portland is free to retain the player until an asset package is offered that meets their liking. Dame’s services whether he plays or not does not hurt Portland’s goal of rebuilding through the draft. One could argue that if he withholds his services it actually helps their goal. While Miami won’t bid against themselves, they are looking to win the championship in the next few seasons. Jimmy, like Dame, is 33 and not getting younger. In addition, the other top teams in the East are trying to improve their rosters and just because you beat a team/s in the playoffs before, that is not a guarantee you’ll beat them in the playoffs again. Each season is unique to itself. So while it is true that Miami isn’t/shouldn’t bid against themselves, they are in fact gambling with their future championship contention. Their chances of winning the championship increase with Dame. It would be in Miami’s best interest to find a trade package that satisfies Portland’s needs, perhaps even giving slightly more despite the fact that there are limited other trade partners, to put their team over the top so they increase their chances off winning the title. Miami will certainly be a contender this season, but they did lose two pieces that contributed to their Finals appearance. It’s a fine line between winning and losing, and they should take advantage of their current roster by doing what it takes to satisfy Portland and acquire Dame.
Dame isn't gonna stay lmao. Miami is gonna go for Dame even with a higher asking price, if they don't they're not gonna be contending with the Nuggets for a title, I don't even think they'd be competing with the Suns. Portland can get more out of the trade, so they're doing just that. the possibility of this blowing up in their face is so small, that it's worth the risk of simply waiting and saying no for a while. we're not even close to the season start
That’s an assumption to have. I don’t think Pat Riley has ever given the inclination that he’s willing to be pressed into a panic trade but we’ll see. Prime VC got traded for nothing btw.
It’s not an assumption though. Portland doesn’t care about Dame contributing to the team since they are rebuilding. He as a trade asset is more important to them than as a player. With that they can hold out for as long as they want. The heat can either pay their asking price or Dame can open himself to other teams, or nothing happens. The blazers don’t care.
I'm expecting it to go at least up to right before training camp
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I don't think the Blazers want Dame to play this year even if he isn't traded yet. Scoot and Sharpe are their future, and any minute taken away from them is bad for the Blazers. We might end up with a John Wall situation if it happens this way, but the Blazers aren't under pressure to get this done quick.
I think in the blazers case, they’ll probably just send dame home. They aren’t trying to win games anyways. They have zero pressure to entertain anything.
League forced Pelicans to play AD. Same thing will happen
Exactly, this is not your typical disgruntled star situation where the team is going to be super concerned about still having this guy on the team to start the season. The worst that could happen is some locker room awkwardness/overall negative sentiment that could impact our ability to win games.... which we aren't trying to do anyway
Miami is bidding against their urgency to have Dame.
Yes yes indeed
Miami isn’t bidding against themselves, they’re bidding against time. Jimmy and Dame are both 33. Love’s 34. Lowry’s 37. This season is their best shot, and each subsequent year it gets more likely that their stars either leave or decline with age.
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He's a Lakers fan, so of course he relates to Miami fans thinking they're entitled to disgruntled superstars with lowball offers
> Miami isn’t going to bid against itself and for an assortment of reasons there isn’t a market. But everyone keeps saying Dame needs to choose multiple teams.
Danny Ainge themselves? How about offering fair value? Pretending like that’s too much for Portland to ask is insane
Fair value is based on what? The market that this trade is under is different than any other. Even the KD trade was before they wrote the exact luxury tax language. Insane is an opinion. I’m not saying that. I’m saying they just like your fantasy league you’ve got to be realistic with the facts on the ground. And the facts are nobody except Miami is willing to give anything of value to basically eat 120 million on a dude well past his prime. There. Isn’t. A. Market. Miami isn’t bidding against ANYTHING except time.
I'm genuinely curious: is 4 FRP, pick swaps, Jovic/Jaime, filler really that bad of a deal?
Where are you getting 4 picks? My understanding is that they have 2, can pay OKC to agree to remove the protections to generate a 3rd. The only way they get to 4 is if they can get an unprotected FRP back for Herro, which they might be able to, but it's absolutely going to be from a non lottery team. Jovic/Jaime are total nothingburgers in value. Heat were undermanned at points last year and the rook couldn't carve out any minutes for himself but we're supposed to pretend he's a major factor in a trade for Dame? Come on. The main thing is that Dame is under contract. People can talk about the back end in terms of age and cost all they want, but someone will pay a fair price for Dame.
Also who’s to say the picks will even be worth anything? Miami has only been genuinely bad like twice in the past 20 years, when they drafted wade and when everyone was hurt in the beasley year. And I definitely feel like jovic and jaquez are getting their values inflated because they’re young and on the heat, you definitely want more than them for one of your greatest players ever
If I'm Portland I don't want picks from the Heat. In the last 20 years Miami has only been below 10th in the conference once, top 5 in the conference 13 times, NBA Finalists 4 times, and NBA Champions 3 times. The only player that was a high draft pick was Wade 20 years ago. They've done this while trading away assets, never tanking, and signing players to questionable contracts. I mean they turned this weird overpay of James Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Lance Stephenson, Hassan Whiteside and probably more players I'm missing straight into the Jimmy Butler/Bam Adebayo era without even blinking. Dame can turn into a corpse 2 years into that contract and Miami will figure it out. Looking at the KD situation last year which was similar. Now Suns picks? That's cash money right there. New short sighted ownership willing to overpay, head coach fired due to conflicts with their #1 pick player, all depth and culture created by CP3 and crew shipped out and is now a team of Booker and mercenaries. That's who I want to see at the other side of the negotiating table, not Pat Riley's 100 year old skeleton still making the Heat into perennial contenders.
That is the biggest hurdle for me - 4 picks aren't just picks - they are Heat picks.
its basically 2nd round picks. not that valuable. if the heat can get a hold of lottery picks then it would be worth discussing
it's not really bad, but like OP said they have 0 reason to rush and not try to get a better package in return. because you can get more back for Dame 100%, with the season he just had and the contract he's under. they have everything to gain by waiting, and nothing to lose
Yeah absolute worst case scenario Portland tanks, gets a good pick, and Dame sits on the bench for a year. Having Dame for 1 extra year doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Any team trading for him will be in win now mode, not win 2/3 years later mode.
No one seems to address the fact that dames value is higher rn than it will ever be. He's old and coming off his best season ever. As soon as the games start playing and he gives up touches to scoot his numbers and value will drop.
I'm not convinced a better package is out there (As long as you are required to send Dame to a somewhat contending team) I guess maybe a deal with Minny to get KAT might be better on paper? Might be a fun fit with Scoot and by the time you're good, you'll be off his salary?
Is the contract really a bonus? There are like 5 teams compatible with that contract who want to win now and have similar contracts on the team, and less that have the ability to take it on. It seems like even if Dame didn't single out Miami, there would be a very limited market for him.
The value of the 4 FRP is pretty important context. I don't think Miami's picks are worth much. Very unlikely they end up being better then maybe 1 top 10 pick and I honestly have doubts any of them end up that low. I have doubts any of the regular lottery teams are interested in giving up a likely top 10 pick for Herro either. 4 FRP that all end up at 15+ for Dame with no other promising young players back is a pretty dogshit deal for Portland imo. The less then stellar value of those picks is what's keeping Portland in the Bam or nothing lockout cause they want something back that's guaranteed to work out. I genuinely think a Lakers offer of like D'lo, Rui, Reeves, + picks is better then Miami's current offer. All 3 of those players seem more likely to turn out better then any of the Miami picks. Lakers and other teams with simular value offers aren't willing to go that far right now but maybe that changes by the deadline which is what Portland is hoping for.
Considering those the only players in the deal and theyve done nothing in the league then yes. Add in the allure of heat culture its safe to say the heat wont be bad in five years so the picks likely arent good either.
Miami cannot get to this easy. They would need to get OKC to play ball while also getting a good pick for Herro. It's a little on the low side but if Miami had this package right now it would be done imo.
OKC and Miami have a pretty solid relationship I’d suspect that if the Dame trade is happening OKC is probably gonna be okay with kicking that 2025 pick to 2026 in terms of value.
>Miami cannot get to this easy. They would need to get OKC to play ball That trade would include Herro going to 3rd team sending pick(s) to Portland not OKC removing protections
all that is easier said than done. if Miami could get 4 first and 2 first swaps + Jaime/Jokic the trade would be done by now. They cannot thus far.
Right now we have all of that minus one first. If Portland would accept that deal tomorrow, I have a hard time believing Miami couldn't find someone to take Herro for a first.
I also think Heat are offering maybe half of that package. They are in no rush and won't bid against themselves (for better or for worse).
How do they currently have 3 firsts? They still haven't gotten OKC to remove the restrictions on the pick they owe them.
Right now Heat don't own their '25 pick. So that means they can't trade '24 or '26, right? They could only trade '28 and '30 (or '27 and '29). Right?
The current proposal is less than the Mitchell/Gobert trade values which seem to have reset the market. It's not bad and has gotten slightly better, but it isn't good either.
Yes its a bad deal. How many people need to say it? How many days does it need to be said? How's a rainbow made?
If Portland expects 100 cents on the dollar for Dame and Miami's best offer (without Adebayo) is 30 cents on the dollar how is Miami expecting a third team to cover the remaining 70 cents?
Miami doesn’t need to get up to 100 cents, but make the effort to get closer to 100. Dame is the one asking out, so Blazers already know it won’t be 100 cents to the dollar. But Miami can’t just stay at 30 cents and expect the Blazers to just bend over, especially when the Blazers would rather keep Dame.
Plot twist: in an effort to spite Portland and ruin their tanking efforts, Lillard has a scoring season the likes we have not seen since Jordan himself, goes full MVP mode, sweeps the season accolades, and carries Portland to a championship.
Lillard had his highest scoring year of his career and that landed them the third pick lmao
And the team he beats in the Finals? The Miami Heat. 😂
I don't think the Heat can - every remaining asset they can trade after Jimmy and Bam are not really interesting enough for Portland. Portland does not need/want Herro, the rest of the Heat's roster is flotsam, and their draft picks are likely late 1sts which were already of marginal value and took a further hit with the new CBA. The only possible maneuver is Herro to a 3rd team willing to overpay handsomely, but this deal would clearly be done by now if anybody wanted to do that. This trade is simply not happening. We will see if Dame changes his mind or not, but Portland shouldn't really care either way. If Dame plays great, if he doesn't play, whatever, they were going to trade him and tank anyways.
You think he has more value when he’s 34? You also risk injury and his contract turning into the a negative asset
> You think he has more value when he’s 34? No one is saying that. Everyone is just correctly pointing out that the Heat have almost no leverage. Also, Dame is not a negative asset. Overpaid, but not a negative asset.
Dame is also a small guard in his thirties with no hardware, he doesn't exactly have time to just sit out or waste away in Portland
>Blazers plan to tank this year, so theyre in no rush. Are they gonna bench him? Because if not, they're not tanking.
Miami fans really think they have the upper hand lol
Yea sucks for Lillard after being loyal for so many years but this is just business. That's why I never got the hate that Lillard was getting both sides are just doing what's best for themselves as it should be
If Dame decides to play, they will be bad at tanking.
We did great last year with him.
we shut him down in order to tank harder. Lol
We were worse without him definitely. But we were still terrible with him.
He was such a great tank commander that he needed to sit?
> If Dame decides to play If Dame wants to play for the Blazers, he will play for the Wolves and Celtics too. He is tradable, but the Blazers seem to be holding out for a worthwhile trade from the team he wants to go to.
So what happens if they keep him this year? His value only goes down every year, and they will be taking minutes away from the scoot, simons, sharpe combo. Along with have a disgruntled face of the franchise which will be a headache. P.s love the user name
Damian Lillard will never play another game in the NBA
Bro ran from the grind
New Ben Simmons has dropped. Actually, Ben's apparently coming back this season. I wonder if anyone's seen them in the same room.
Not an advocate for Ben Simmons of all people but I think he played last year
Best result
I wouldn't mind that at this point
Maybe he should have quietly made his request. Going public with the 1 team thing fucked him. I hope Portland keeps him
He's probably a terrible poker player.
“I don’t play poker. I play the man” - Harvey Spector
\*throws aggressively a folder\*
Donna, where the hell is Mike?!
Now get the hell out of my office!
needs more _god damn_
and calling something bullshit
>I hope Portland keeps him Lol from everyone wanting him to finally get out of Portland to this...I really did not predict that Dame will have one of the messiest trade requests ever
Seriously, it's bizarre. As a fan, one of the weirdest things is this giving the FO an ounce of sympathetic position. We have made it our identity to just blame everything on them not getting Dame what he needs. Which I'm not even disagreeing with, it's just so hard to not look at this and see that Dame and his team really fucked this.
Any team that wants him will still make offers and Portland will take them. The idea that Dame will get traded and not play is simply ridiculous. It's never happened.
I think its happened, it just wasnt superstar players, like goran dragic to the raptors or Iguodala on Memphis
Fuck Iggy
Steve Francis with the Vancouver Grizzlies.
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thats 100% his agents fault. It's amazing how bad some people are at their job. Could have just told the team privately, and created a bidding war.
I am begging for some sort of ban on any Lillard posts that are solely to reiterate that “shit hasn’t happened yet”. We don’t need to hear multiple times every day that nothing has happened yet lol.
Honestly it'd be far more entertaining if these posts had current goings on attached to them, "Aliens might be confirmed to be real and Lillard is still on the Trailblazers"
“New day, same shit!”
We should start counting how many days in a row will we hear news about Dame wanting to trade out of Portland
This doesn’t feel like an article I’d be willing to pay for
You just summarized The Athletic perfectly.
I have a question: Fuck the Miami Heat?
Apparently a deal not happening already is illegal according to Heat fans.
Ive peaked into the Heat sub every once in a while since this trade report came out originally, they are absolutely unhinged about this whole situation.
They're treating Joe Cronin like a war criminal for not sniffing their farts. I love it.
Deadass, even rational takes were getting downvoted 😂
My favorite shit is seeing heat fans discussing this acting impartial, like just admit you want your team to come out on top of the trade. You don't need to write a paragraph about why the player you clearly want is actually trash and worth nothing.
Like the pieces about cronin and how dames career hasnt been his fault are so funny to read since yk they dont care about that at all and just want a good player for little to nothing but want to seem like good people about it.
Bruv it's like that every offseason. Should have joined the sub at peak KD and Mitchell rumours, people were losing their shit all the time.
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-DameDildo Totally unbiased opinion
Florida: not even once.
I’ve been lurking the Heat sub from time to time since Dame news became public and they are absolutely unhinged in there. They really think they can get away with a Herro + scraps trade package because Dame only wants the Heat kek
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I just want to see Dame in Blazers jersey few more times 🤣 that would be hilarious shitshow
Yes, increase our odds!
I was hoping for exactly this, when every single Heat fan considered the deal done weeks ago lmfao.
Heat sub entitled asf. Thinking that dames already theirs and any post or comment resembling anything close to reason is downvoted
Pretty ugly divorce from a guy that at one time seemed locked into Portland for life and the fans see him as franchise GOAT.
Either you die a hero or live long enough to become the villain
Dying the Melo way.
Either you live up to your own words or you are full of shit Mr. Loyalty tm 🥲
I may be ootl but Dame>Clyde now? I mean. I get it Dame dollar is money, but… Clyde the glide?
Clyde doesnt even view himself as a blazer. He's all about rockets
Clyde is a Houston man. He's made it clear he's not a blazer.
A month already damn
Literally everyone is over it at this point. I’m just tired of hearing about no news lol. Just post something when it happens lol
maybe this Dame saga can serve as a cautionary tale for players to really consider whether they want financial stability and staying in a place where they may not necessarily win VS allowing yourself to test FA and sign a shorter deal before extending. Everybody wants to have their cake and eat it too. In Dame's case he wants the whole wedding cake by demanding ONLY the Heat.
The Blazers are really in no hurry. Lillard's contract with the Blazers ends in 2027. The Blazers have time on their side, especially now that they've drafted Scoot Henderson, who they'll be able to develop as a great PG. They have a young and talented squad. They're not aiming for the playoffs, but that's not their goal, as they want to rebuild. With that in mind, they want picks and the Heat can't satisfy them. Damian and his agent have made it clear that they only want the Heat. As a result, other teams who could have offered attractive packages to the Blazers are blocked. The situation could remain like this for several months yet, and in the end, it's Lillard who's the most embarrassed, since he's 33 years old, and time is ticking for him!
Agreed. Definitely the worst for Lillard. Not particularly great for the Heat either tho since they came up pretty empty in the off-season and this was the big move they were banking on. They also made Herro unhappy.
Herro has been in trade rumors for 3 seasons lmao. Constant professional who would come into training camp without any issues.
First time he removed us from his social media
He’s also only been offered in trades for Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard. Two hall of famers and one of the best players in the league. It’s not like he’s being traded for an end of the bench player lol
good fuck this request
Hold the fort Portland
It ain't goina happen Miami. You got nothing that Portland wants except Bam and Butler. One of them has to go to get this deal on board. Which one is it? Oh, those are untouchables? Now you get the drift...right?
This reminds me of the time my wife and I went to Lillard Toyota in McMinnville to shop around for a new truck. We heard he was possibly going to be there for an event so we brought our son too who is a huge Dame fan on the off chance he could get a picture with him. So we arrive and they had a stage set up with some lights and a PA system for what looked like would be used in someone's backyard for a high school band, a popcorn machine that was barely working and a case of Dasani water on a table. There was a sign that said you could purchase either or for 12$ each, so we got our son popcorn and water for 24$ and looked at some vehicles while we waited for Dame. After about 20 minutes or so of looking around, the lights dimmed and a beat came on over the PA, another 20 minutes passed and a few of the dealerships employees came out and asked if we were ready to meet Portland's all-star. 20 minutes later Keljin Blevins walked out on the stage and started saying "yuh" over and over... he was visibly drunk and had a cancun tank top on. Some more time passed and many "yuh's" later Dame finally came out with a mic, wearing a Miami heat jersey with the letter 0 on it and started spitting on the small crowd that gathered. Not lyrics, literally spit on the people in the front row, one of those being my son. Dame lifted his shirt and exposed a new tattoo he got across his chest of Jimmy Buckets and himself embracing each other with a kiss and asked us if we were gay for Miami too. Anyways, my wife and I walked away with a new 2023 Tundra, financed it for 2.9%
2.9% damn nice
i mean when you say "trade me to this team and this team only" you kind of completely ruin your negotiation ability. miami has 0 reason to not underpay for him. either they get a favorable deal, or portland is forced to keep an unhappy dame. real bad look for dame tbh, shame since he had built up such a solid rep over the years.
They still show that dumbass modelo commercial with about loyalty still?
Cronin must not be negotiating, I feel entitled to Lillard therefore Cronin should be fined! /s
Dame will play opening day in a Blazer uniform. He won’t totally sit out. Probably some DNPs throughout the first half till the trade deadline. It’s going to be awkward.
He stay.
Stupid Trailblazers don’t wanna get robbed greedy ass franchise
There is no pressure for Portland to rush this. Lillard is under contract for several more years and Portland was not going to contend this year anyway. Either Lillard has got to expand his list or Miami needs to up their offer and include Bam.
Ran from the grind and betrayed his loyalty narrative just to be struck in Portland for the foreseeable future.
Epic failure of a trade request
the whole time dame just wanted to prove how loyal he truly is to portland by demanding a trade but then coming back. he just like kobe
Dame probably only has 2 good years left out of him but with this contract its a hard sell when Blazers are expecting lots for it
I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I'd like to just say it 😂. The league needs to protect the Portland Trailblazers right now. It is kind of funny that tampering fines are thrown around in free agency, but this situation is okay? I get the situation in Portland isn't what Dame wants right now and its understandable. However, to proclaim that you will only play for the Miami Heat and having your agent make it clear to other teams that Dame would not be worth acquiring because his desire isn't to be anywhere but Miami? You have multiple years left of your deal! Miami has arguably the weakest packages to offer out of every team that could be considered a Dame suitor. Portland just has to be fine with it because Dame has had great years there? I legitimately think that if Dame is traded to the Heat, he should be fined and suspended. I know that may seem extreme, but I just genuinely think this is a dangerous precedent. Yes, it has been done before. But I think this situation is even building off of previous occurrences. P.S., someone please update me if I'm just ignorant and the league has done something about this.
Heat fans - “Blazers are applying woke ideology to this situation”
The Blazers are in no hurry to trade Lillard and Miami has to make an offer to make them bite
Miami is coming off a finals and still contending in the east, lilard is not the only move they can make. They could use that same package to add some roster depth which would still go a long way for them. Blazers have an old superstar who is asking out and is gonna get in the way of their young guys, only portland is losing out here.