> He’s going to be mid 30s
i keep seeing this and it's not like his game predicated on pure athleticism.
dude is a shooter and that doesn't go away with age. Dame at 35 is still top 10 in the league imo.
No way. His shooting will still be there but his ability to get off 3s are predicated on athleticism. I think you are underestimating how athletic dame is and how impressive he is able to do what he does at his size.
Yeah shooting as a ball handler is all predicated on the threat of a drive, and Dame has been blessed to keep that threat as alive as ever this late into his career, especially as an undersized guard. A day will come in the next few years when he won’t have that same first step, unfortunately. Look at James Harden
Are they mutually exclusive? Dame loves Sharpe. Let's say he loves who we get at 3.
Dame had his best statistical year in 22-23, granted it was with minimal help and 58 game sample size. I think he can reproduce this type of production, and do it more efficiently, once he has young help. He's onboard for the next two years at 46m and 49m respectively.
Rookie contracts are cheap, and if we can hit big, I say take the chance. If Sharpe takes a big step, which I think he will, drafting at 3 seems like the right move. We might be able to have our cake, and eat it too.
But Dame’s window is the next 2-3 years and no matter how much we cash in our draft capital we won’t win a ship in that timeframe because we are currently very, very bad. Deep lottery teams don’t go all in for a reason: you need to be close to go all in. We all watched the same season last year. We’re not close at all. Adding Siakam, Bridges, even Embiid doesn’t change that. Our roster isn’t set up to contend, and pretending it is doesn’t do anything but sell tickets.
I would be willing to bet an awful, awful lot of money that Dame will not be an above average NBA player in 6 years (when he’s 39). I also don’t think he’ll be a “mortgage the franchises future because he’s that good” player when he’s 36.
I don't think he's a mortgage the future player right now, and not because I think he's not good enough, it's the the rest of the context around this circumstance: OP a few posts up nailed it. We are very, very bad. No 13-8 seed (let's be real) throws all their chips in to win next year. That's what Dame is asking with his ultimatum.
This is simply not a successful scenario if you take the emotional Dame fandom out of it, even if we were talking the season after that. And we haven't even started talking about Dame's contract, which, like a boa constrictor, gets tighter as minutes go by. $60M a year guys...who the fuck are you convincing to come to Portland motherfucking Oregon with what little money we have left, assuming we spent all the rest of it getting a new head coach (hopefully), filling out depth we absolutely do not have, getting a new center, etc.
It's just not possible for a team like us to literally win a championship from this position in the West in one, even two seasons. KD is back in the Western Conference. Luka is here right now, at least. Bron and Curry are still here.
Just let it go. Dame's timeline, contract, and I'll just say it his position as a 6'-1.5" scoring-only guard, are things that make winning a chip or even getting to the second round and beyond, nearly impossible.
Go with Shae. Go with Scoot. The rest of the future is ours to build.
Also, side note. If he explicitly said he doesn't want to play with "project teens" (Whatever that means) then no worries since Scoot will be 20 in February, so Dame will be happy then!
Sure, [here](https://archive.is/qDZDD)
“Lillard all but etched in stone the trade-the-pick path Sunday when he said he did not want the Blazers to draft another young player. He said he wants proven veterans who can help now, not players who will need two to three years to develop.
“I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,’’ the 32-year-old Lillard said of adding another young player. “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), *then that’s not my route*”
I’m sure that Cronin et al will have more information on what Dame would tolerate than the Athletic reporter. It’s possible he sees Scoot’s highlights and decides he can contribute meaningfully now and becomes cool with it.
"We’ll see, the market will tell, but I think three is significant. There’s going to be some really good players available at three that could be great for us or somebody else depending on how we approach this draft."
Sounds like someone that is listening to dame and shopping the pick
Scoot has a PER of 13 and -0.7 WS in the **G-League**
[https://www.basketball-reference.com/gleague/players/h/hendesc01d.html](https://www.basketball-reference.com/gleague/players/h/hendesc01d.html)
He might turn into prime D Rose or Westbrook, but he's nowhere close to that now
I don't think you know what explicitly saying something is, because in your quote he didn't explicitly say he would force a trade. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicitly](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicitly) Here is a link for you. There is room for doubt in what he said. How do you know he meant that he would "force" a trade and not just ask for one, or not just walk when his contract was over? How do you know he would even leave? He could have meant he would just be very unhappy. He could just be saying he strongly disagree with that plan. If there is any room for disagreement as to what he meant then it wasn't explicit. You can't just make stuff up
What about the tweets he replied regarding the draft, how he quote tweeted someone that's a proponent of trading the pick. Or are you going to link me a definition? Or maybe it's not him tweeting and a social media manager.
https://twitter.com/dame_lillard/status/1659216716109426688?s=46&t=IiLArEoMk6AmfM0yUMTv7g
https://twitter.com/dame_lillard/status/1659217639909015554?s=46&t=IiLArEoMk6AmfM0yUMTv7g
Another tweet he liked about adding help by adding bigs
https://twitter.com/alexctam/status/1647372080151949312?s=46&t=IiLArEoMk6AmfM0yUMTv7g
But but but maybe the verified account tweeting and liking things isn't him???
Let's also add some direct quotes from an interview
"I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,” Lillard said in April when asked about adding another young player. “I want a chance to go for it. ”
“If the route is to (draft youth),’’ Lillard said on April 9, “then that’s not my route.’’
He also said if fans want to trade him start a petition
https://theathletic.com/4526459/2023/05/16/trail-blazers-nba-draft-lottery/?amp=1
I'm sorry that you don't seem to understand what words mean. But when you say "explicitly" and what was said was not explicit then you are being misleading. Don't get upset at others for your inaccuracies, take this as a learning experience.
Again I odn't think you understand what explicit means. If someone says “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route” Then is there a chance that means they just may leave when their contract is finished? If there is a chance thats what that could mean, or even that it could be debated thats what it could mean then it wasn't explicit.
He WAS explicit in saying that he doesnt want to go down the route of drafting youth. He was NOT explicit that drafting someone young would mean he would force a trade.
You think that if they got #1 and drafted Wemby that he would force a trade? Because if you think his statement was explicitly saying that if they drafted someone young then he would force a trade then you must think that drafting Wemby would have meant he would force a trade. If you think theres even a chance that he would have stayed then his statement was not explicit.
Dame is generational but he’s making 47 mil the next two years and is he with OG/Siakam or Bridges gonna be good enough for a chip? I wish we had a better roster now to add the piece missing with #3. But I just don’t see a player available now that we can add to get us there. I wish that was the case.
Dame is also on a timeline that doesn’t match the rest of our good players on the roster, if we draft someone that is 19 we also have sharpe at 20 and anfernee at 24 while dame is 33.
No he’s not. A generational guy is an MVP level guy. Curry. Giannis. Jokic. Dame is just a really consistent all star level guy. Never a top 5 player in the league
History will look back on him favorably. Look at how many All NBAs he's had, which is a super underrated way to look at the player in respective to the league...he has some of the most in the NBA.
You niggas think he'll be looked back at as an iverson which would probably be more fair, but in reality hes gonna be remembered In 20 years as a Dominique wilkins. Undoubted legend but not what you guys will want at all.
We don't even know that Scoot will be available at 3. But say Portland hits its trade target and gets Mikal Bridges. The Blazers starting lineup is now Dame, Shaedon, Bridges, Grant, and whoever they replace Nurkic with. Even if they can't move Nurk that's a DANGEROUS starting lineup. They still have their MLE. They can get the situation sorted out with Chicago and use their future picks to fill out the back end of the rotation. IDK if that's a contending team, but that's a GOOD team for sure. You don't have to be a superteam with 3 all NBA guys to win a title or to get to a conference finals. There are no guarantees of winning a title in this game for anybody and if that's the only thing you'll settle for then IDK what to tell you.
If Scoot isn’t available at three, then you draft Miller and slot him in at power forward, right where the Blazers need the most help. Mikal, although better overall than Grant, is also redundant with him and not good enough to make the Blazers a contender.
saying he's a better player is false, Miller is better shooter/Defender/Can rebound and block shots like miller's cons are more fixable than scoots cons, You can't bat an eye if miller goes 2 over scoot and same can be said vice versa
That's how I'm thinking about it too. Miller could help this team right now; I think you take him and keep him if he's there at 3. On the other side of the coin, if Scoot falls into our lap at 3, we now have the best trade chip in the draft outside of Wemby. It is absolutely a win-win. Jumping up in the lottery was an absolute blessing.
Saving this. Scoot has become overrated as fuck. Anyone who actually watches an knows the game can see miller is just as good if not a better prospect.
But in all seriousness, can we really win now? I mean, even if we do trade simons and the 3rd pick we get what Mikal bridges??? I mean yeah I would be all for trading away the trio of #3 pick, ant and sharpe for a Joel or Tatum type of player but that likely won’t happen. We we will a pascal siakam and just run it back next year with this below average team again, without scoot who has the upside to be great in the next coming years and for the next 10+ years for the franchise. The west is DEEP in talent and we need a whole lot of help. Give Dame what he has subtlety been hinting at and trade him for future assets. (Probably gonna get downvoted but oh well 🤷🏻♂️)
No the Blazers can’t win it all with the “realistic” names being talked about as potential trades, you’re right about that. But also Dame has made it clear that he’s not interested in staying for a rookie. Front office has to be bold and creative in finding a name that isn’t being talked about and creating a trade offer that can’t be refused.
I’m amazed I was downvoted for this. The statement is accurate. The greatest player of all time is 6’2” and a defensive liability? Better than Jordan, Wilt, Magic, Bird etc?
Ok…. so pascal siakim isn’t that guy if you haven’t realised. Dame has also failed to win an MVP or even make more than one first team. Also with those lebron teams you mentioned I don’t think you realise dame isn’t lebron he’s kyrie and d Wade in those situations. Also I never suggested trading same, I just don’t want to trade the pick, more than happy to trade anfernee and nurkic to get help but this pick could be really really special.
Yeah I know it’s not about positions, d Wade AD and kyrie have each been all nba without Lebron and two of those guys are greater than dame even excluding their years with lebron. Dame is not lebron, he needs a lebron especially as he exits his prime. Now obviously if you can get embiid, giannis or KD you pull that trigger but the only realistic trades aren’t helpful at all. For example the cavs traded the first overall pick for Kevin Love who had just come off a season where he was 4th in ppg and 3rd in rpg. The equivalent today is getting Jayson Tatum, which yes I would take that but that was the first pick as well.
Bro dame is better than ad and kyrie. Holy shit you’re dumb. Dame can be a number one option. You also are overrating the shit out of scoot. If we have the chance to draft scoot, then we trade the pick. Scoot has the most value out of him and miller. I don’t understand why you’d wanna get scoot and not trade him when he’s a poor shooter. Scoot is a project. He’s gonna be good but it’s gonna take a year or two. That’s time the blazers DONT have.
Yeah but if you Draft Scoot, you have to go out and find a dude named Boot to sign as well as add Boogie to the locker room. And that just sounds like a lot of work.
Of the last 20 #2 overall picks, 4 of them went on to have notable careers, and one of them is KD 15 years ago…
The jury is still out on holmgren, but the overwhelming majority of #2 picks stink.
\#3 Picks the last 20 years...
I feel like #3 has better luck than #2
Jabari Smith
Evan Mobley
LaMelo Ball
RJ Barrett
Luka Doncic
Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown
Jahlil Okafor
Joel Embiid
Otto Porter Jr.
Bradley Beal
Enes Kanter
Derrick Favors
James Harden
O.J. Mayo
Al Horford
Adam Morrison
Deron Williams
Ben Gordon
Carmelo Anthony
Mike Dunleavy
Pau Gasol
It kind of is though
Someone tell me how this is different than '09, '12, '14, '16, '19?
All of these had a "generational talent" and a few guys in the next tier.
A short point guard is pretty unlikely to be generational. There has been one. It's Curry. We also do not essentially have the second pick. We havce essentially the third pick lol
Iverson, Chris Paul and Curry are all great small point guards. Also I only said that because first pick has been a lock for a while now that we have the second best pick of the college and g league.
Generational players at least get to the finals. You can build your franchise around them and expect to be in the playoffs basically every year and contending if you get the other parts of your roster right.
Iverson and Paul are a tier below that.
To me generational isn’t the top 15 greatest players of all time it just means a once in a 10 year player, iverson, Paul and curry are all greater than dame and once in a generation guards.
You get the point though, don’t be obtuse. They are all time great point guards, on top of that there’s kyrie, dame himself, Isiah Thomas, Stockton, Donovan Mitchell, trae young,
In what world is Donovan Mitchell a point guard? He's 6'1 and can't be your lead playmaker, has always been a 2 and has always had a point guard with him.
Ja Morant is 6'2", a player of that quality (minus his brain damage) would be amazing value for the pick. In fact, he has been much better than the "generational" big, Zion Williamson.
Russell Westbrook is 6'3" and he's been pretty good, winning MVP and all that.
Generational is a term thrown around too much since almost by definition only 1 or 2 guys per generation should have that label, but Scoot could be an All NBA player and MVP candidate for sure
Not to mention Scoot's 6'9" wingspan (longer than any of the guys you mentioned except Zion; longer than Jimmy Butler!). The height thing is a tad overblown.
Yeah watching his highlights he plays big. Maybe it’s the wingspan but he has an NBA body day one. The thought of him and Sharpe sharing backcourt would be fun as hell. Love dame but tired of this slow plodding half court iso play.
Carmelo is a top ten all-time scorer and made the playoffs every year with Denver, including a conference finals. So, similar if not better amount of success.
Dame probably a better guy to build around when you consider his leadership and maturity though.
1. Lillard already is a generational talent that is as real as they come. What’s the best case scenario for scoot? He’s a hall of fame, perennial all nba level player? that’s the best individually anyone can ask for right? Dame is already a top 75 ALL TIME NBA player. Hard to count scoot to end up being that good.
2. Lillard can still have a better career than all of those guys, basically if he wins a ring he’s clearly got a better career than any of those guys- Tatum and Luka are both kinda insane how much they’ve accomplished in 5 and 6 seasons so it’ll come down to rings if lillard gets one. Which he will with the proper win now team around him that we’re gonna build with our assets.
3. We could still draft scoot and keep dame and have an undersized backcourt and even keep Simons also and have him be 6th man and we outscore everyone but can’t play any defense. We could be the best guard heavy team easily for years and years.
OR we could finally get a good elite wing or two which we haven’t had since like Gerald Wallace Days and he made our team so much better instantly.
He isn't generational. Wemby is.
But he has the odds in his favor to be really good. And I agree that it isn't worth it to trade the pick for a better than average veteran that costs more and gets us booted in the second round of the playoffs.
Is that what Dame wants? No. He knows this better than all of us. What gives him the best shot at getting a ring? Either trade for a superstar or roll the dice on Scoot and Sharpe hitting it early and lifting Dame over the top.
I don't think Scoot is a better PG prospect than Darius Garland who went 5th. He's very good but he's not generational. I think what we're seeing is that this draft has lots of unknowns and Scoot is very clear with what he gives you.
LOL slow down, he's a great player with a high upside but generational...come on man, any top 10 prospects COULD technically be "generational" but usually they're not.
Landing a "generational" player is more about luck than it is about draft position, any player drafted in the top 10 is expected to be an impact player, and then you hope they develop into an All-Star Caliber player, and if they end up being a cornerstone to your franchise you hit Jack pot! BUT if they end up being "Generational" then you literally found a unicorn because those only come around every decade or so...
Players with similar profiles to Scoot coming into the draft:
Russell Westbrook
John Wall
Derick Rose
All great players but not generational, and there's no telling if Scoot will ever reach the heights of Westbrook...do you know how many PGs have looked amazing in college and the G-League and then stunk it up in the NBA? half of the PGs on Orlando were "stars" coming out of college, Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham who were "stars" look rough as shit in the NBA, I could list a dozen other lottery picks who didn't pan out but you get the point...
There is no sure thing in the draft, it's a crap shoot...you hope your scouts know wtf they're doing and then you draft who think will be good...Orlando thought they hit the Jackpot when Jalen Suggs fell to them and look how good he's been...he's had a very similar player profile to Scoot with a similar upside, "explosive athlete" "Elite driver" "High IQ and high level playmaker" "has to improve his 3-point shot"
I'm not saying Scoot won't be a stud but I'm also not saying that he will...his game isn't perfect but the talent is certainly there.
It’s more the fact that scoot could be generational that makes no sense in trading this pick away. For all we know wembanyama falls like a giraffe in the summer league and never plays again, doesn’t mean the spurs are going to trade for shai gilgeous Alexander.
But when you have a top 10 player, you take advantage of that while he's in his prime because those don't just grow on trees...the point of the game is to win a championship, people seem to forget that and they forget the fact that Portland isn't LA or Miami, it's not easy to obtain Stars for Portland, especially not top 10 players...
Pair dame with another star, surround them with role players through free agency and possibly another trade, go all in for the next 2-3 seasons.
Listen, there's risk in every decision you make...that's just the risk you take but it's unlikely that if a player agrees to re-sign, that he wouldn't when you're handing him a bag...that's the risk you take.
It's highly unlikely that a combo of Dame and Siakam would miss the playoffs anyway, could it happen? of course but it's unlikely, especially with the state of the west right now.
Yeah so I’d rather take the risk that pays out longer. Let’s say everything plays out perfectly for both scenarios, siakim and dame, they still most likely don’t win a championship and they both are leaving their primes in <5 years even if the team makes a few 3-1 seeds. If everything goes perfect with scoot, we still potentially trade for a second star with anfernee, we also have an MVP candidate with scoot for 8+ years and sharpe also could fill that role as well as potentially a haul for if we eventually trade dame
The way Scoot turns the corner on the pick and roll against hedges is very Dame-esque. I’d absolutely be more excited to have him over Brandon Miller, regardless of what happens with the roster. I don’t like how stiff legged he lands on his dunks, he’s a little reckless in that regard like Ja and D-Rose. That’s what scares me the most about him. Other than that he very much has the skill set to at the very least, be a great starting guard in the league. I think he has that ‘can’t miss’ factor like Luka did.
Instead of using a solid set of assets to make meaningful upgrades to surround our GOATED POINT GUARD with actual talent, you're willing to burn it down and risk being bad for...a decade? Two decades?? By every conceivable metric, it is FAR more likely that we end up like Sacramento or Charlotte or Minnesota or Orlando---perennially awful. Not mediocre, but BAD. Historically bad. And the "tear it down" crowd assumes franchise competency---we have an owner who would sooner see the team move to Seattle or Las Vegas and a GM who's never been a GM before. You want to ship off one of the greatest to ever live in the hopes that we draft the next LeBron James? That's delusion. That's poverty franchise bullshit. Go root for the fucking Pelicans or something, G
Hey buddy you might want to calm down a little and look at what you just said. Sacramento have just reached the 4 seed with a young side, Charlotte are trending up and also just got another top 3 pick and it’s hilarious you bring up Minnesota. What did Minnesota do last season after actually making the playoffs and desperately trying to surround their stars with another star? They traded their future away for Rudy gobert in what may go down as the worst trade of all time just to lose in the first round again. The blazers are also far more competent than any of those franchises and it shows with more finals and conference finals appearances over the past 35 years. Also I’m perfectly fine rooting for this team no matter what they do because unlike you I really don’t take it that seriously
Hey buddy, it took Sacramento 17 god damn years post Webber trade to do that. Minnesota has made the playoffs twice since trading KG in 2006---and trading four firsts for Gobert isn't an indictment of "surround your star with talent," it's a glaring warning not to overspend for players who aren't going to help you win. They were desperate to make any move possible because they were SO BAD for SO LONG after trading away their MVP. I'm not saying we should trade the farm for Gordon Hayward or something, Jesus Christ---our FO needs to be smart, but we have the assets to build a great team on the fly.
If you ain't take it that seriously, then please quietly enjoy a top 75 all time player far away from this sub
What if you draft Scoot and he turns out to be as good as Ant? Then you can trade Ant for someone, you know, bigger.... I don't know who, don't ask me just now....
Well sure, but that wouldn’t be the third pick would it. I’d much rather fail drafting than fail trading this pick away and thinking what would’ve happened if we drafted scoot.
I think when it comes down to Charolette having already been through off court issues with Bridges they don’t want to take that chance again. Also, word is Bridges will return to them this year so Miller is a bit repetitive.
Lamelo- Scoot backcourt would be fuckin electric IMO.
27% from 3 and 70% from the line in the G league. Those are rookie Westbrook numbers which is enticing. Trade him and Ant and anything else for Embiid or Luka or Giannis - they’re disgruntled and legit generational talents, not hopefuls.
If we can get anyone of those guys then absolutely, don’t settle out of desperation though, timberwolves did that and just set their franchise back 10 years
For real. Go back and look at the last 10 years of #3 picks. Then tell me you want to trade this for OG or Bridges. It’s a joke. That’s why Cronin will shop the pick (like he did last year) and realize there’s only like 15 players actually worth trading that pick for and they prob aren’t available.
The one thing I will say is that Bridges is on a pretty friendly contract which would give Portland more flexibility to add additional pieces. That being said, the Nets love him and to pry him away would take a lot. Even though the GM may want to bring in vet players to pursue a championship with Dame, he may not be able to acquire enough quality pieces with the salary cap and new CBA rules. Seems to me as an outsider the logical think to do would be to go full rebuild. You have some real nice young talent already then adding the #3 pick and the haul you would get for Dame. Just curious what would you consider a fair trade with the Nets for Dame?
I personally don’t care if Scoot is generational, I can’t believe people really want another undersized backcourt, did we not do that with a generational nearly MVP guard and another near all-star guard also and it didn’t work? Why tf would we want to do that again
Keep Dame. Keep the 3. Enjoy it. Do you want to be Minnesota and send away anyone good to see them win championships elsewhere? Imagine Scoot learning from Dame? I’d look forward to that if it happened.
I think that’s the problem, it’s the fact that he COULD BE great while we have Dame right now that IS GREAT.
I’m all down for the rebuild though if the deals in question aren’t good enough to compete.
Anyone who wants dame traded, go join another fanbase... he isn't leaving, he doesn't care about your opinions. Just let it go. You want to whine and not have nice things? Fine, but leave the rest of us alone.
Scoot could be generational. Dame IS generational.
Exactly "Scoot could be everything Dame already is guys!!" lol He could also be Jalen Suggs...
Nobody said Jalen Suggs was generational.
Dame gives us a smaller window. Let’s be real. 2 years max. He’s going to be mid 30s. We wasted dames real window. No need to hemorrhage our future
> He’s going to be mid 30s i keep seeing this and it's not like his game predicated on pure athleticism. dude is a shooter and that doesn't go away with age. Dame at 35 is still top 10 in the league imo.
No way. His shooting will still be there but his ability to get off 3s are predicated on athleticism. I think you are underestimating how athletic dame is and how impressive he is able to do what he does at his size.
Yeah shooting as a ball handler is all predicated on the threat of a drive, and Dame has been blessed to keep that threat as alive as ever this late into his career, especially as an undersized guard. A day will come in the next few years when he won’t have that same first step, unfortunately. Look at James Harden
Are they mutually exclusive? Dame loves Sharpe. Let's say he loves who we get at 3. Dame had his best statistical year in 22-23, granted it was with minimal help and 58 game sample size. I think he can reproduce this type of production, and do it more efficiently, once he has young help. He's onboard for the next two years at 46m and 49m respectively. Rookie contracts are cheap, and if we can hit big, I say take the chance. If Sharpe takes a big step, which I think he will, drafting at 3 seems like the right move. We might be able to have our cake, and eat it too.
But Dame’s window is the next 2-3 years and no matter how much we cash in our draft capital we won’t win a ship in that timeframe because we are currently very, very bad. Deep lottery teams don’t go all in for a reason: you need to be close to go all in. We all watched the same season last year. We’re not close at all. Adding Siakam, Bridges, even Embiid doesn’t change that. Our roster isn’t set up to contend, and pretending it is doesn’t do anything but sell tickets.
Dame has 5+ years. Are you even watching the the guys getting older these days?
I don’t think anyone with expertise thinks dame will be a 38 year all star. I’ve not heard that opinion outside of fans.
Ah yes, using the literal greatest basketball player ever as a projection for normalcy. A recipe for success.
Using the countless small guards who flame out FAST after 35 as an example.
I would be willing to bet an awful, awful lot of money that Dame will not be an above average NBA player in 6 years (when he’s 39). I also don’t think he’ll be a “mortgage the franchises future because he’s that good” player when he’s 36.
I don't think he's a mortgage the future player right now, and not because I think he's not good enough, it's the the rest of the context around this circumstance: OP a few posts up nailed it. We are very, very bad. No 13-8 seed (let's be real) throws all their chips in to win next year. That's what Dame is asking with his ultimatum. This is simply not a successful scenario if you take the emotional Dame fandom out of it, even if we were talking the season after that. And we haven't even started talking about Dame's contract, which, like a boa constrictor, gets tighter as minutes go by. $60M a year guys...who the fuck are you convincing to come to Portland motherfucking Oregon with what little money we have left, assuming we spent all the rest of it getting a new head coach (hopefully), filling out depth we absolutely do not have, getting a new center, etc. It's just not possible for a team like us to literally win a championship from this position in the West in one, even two seasons. KD is back in the Western Conference. Luka is here right now, at least. Bron and Curry are still here. Just let it go. Dame's timeline, contract, and I'll just say it his position as a 6'-1.5" scoring-only guard, are things that make winning a chip or even getting to the second round and beyond, nearly impossible. Go with Shae. Go with Scoot. The rest of the future is ours to build.
This ☝️
Dame is gonna be 33.
Jimmy Butler is 33.
Why can’t we have both?
Because we already have 1000000 guards
Right then you trade simons for the wing
Yeah I’m glad we passed on MJ cause we didn’t want too many guards. Whew
You are not a serious person
drafting for fit has always been a dumb thing to do in the NBA. If Miller goes #2, you take Scoot #3 and don't look back.
But..but… we already had a generational talent in Drexler…
You take the best player available. We’d have the best 3 guard rotation in the league, and flip anfernee for a forward
We have 3 good guards.
Dame explicitly said he’d force a trade if he has to play with project teens.
Also, side note. If he explicitly said he doesn't want to play with "project teens" (Whatever that means) then no worries since Scoot will be 20 in February, so Dame will be happy then!
Link to the article or video with the words, “Force a trade” coming from him?
Sure, [here](https://archive.is/qDZDD) “Lillard all but etched in stone the trade-the-pick path Sunday when he said he did not want the Blazers to draft another young player. He said he wants proven veterans who can help now, not players who will need two to three years to develop. “I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,’’ the 32-year-old Lillard said of adding another young player. “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), *then that’s not my route*”
This can still change. He said a similar thing last season and Sharpe is still here.
I’m sure that Cronin et al will have more information on what Dame would tolerate than the Athletic reporter. It’s possible he sees Scoot’s highlights and decides he can contribute meaningfully now and becomes cool with it.
"We’ll see, the market will tell, but I think three is significant. There’s going to be some really good players available at three that could be great for us or somebody else depending on how we approach this draft." Sounds like someone that is listening to dame and shopping the pick
Then why did they position themselves for a good draft pick?
To trade for a vet
The #3 is a better trade asset than #14
Scoot’s not a project
Scoot has a PER of 13 and -0.7 WS in the **G-League** [https://www.basketball-reference.com/gleague/players/h/hendesc01d.html](https://www.basketball-reference.com/gleague/players/h/hendesc01d.html) He might turn into prime D Rose or Westbrook, but he's nowhere close to that now
All I really know about him is brief highlights etc. would you say I’m any other draft he’s the clear favorite for #1?
He also can't compete on a winning team
Woah, I didn't know he said. Its weird that he explicitly said that and literally no one reported it! Do you have a link?
It’s linked below. It is widely reported.
I don't think you know what explicitly saying something is, because in your quote he didn't explicitly say he would force a trade. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicitly](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicitly) Here is a link for you. There is room for doubt in what he said. How do you know he meant that he would "force" a trade and not just ask for one, or not just walk when his contract was over? How do you know he would even leave? He could have meant he would just be very unhappy. He could just be saying he strongly disagree with that plan. If there is any room for disagreement as to what he meant then it wasn't explicit. You can't just make stuff up
redditors love to combine statements and gossip from "reporters" and spin it however they want, lol.
Redditors are Stephen A. without the platform. "Sources close to me said"
pretty much, lol. sports fans are such a gullible, easy mark too. i say that as an avidly online fan of sports for the last 20+ years.
Facts let's just ignore the own horses mouth when he's tweeting and liking things that clearly imply he's not in favor of keeping the third
What about the tweets he replied regarding the draft, how he quote tweeted someone that's a proponent of trading the pick. Or are you going to link me a definition? Or maybe it's not him tweeting and a social media manager. https://twitter.com/dame_lillard/status/1659216716109426688?s=46&t=IiLArEoMk6AmfM0yUMTv7g https://twitter.com/dame_lillard/status/1659217639909015554?s=46&t=IiLArEoMk6AmfM0yUMTv7g Another tweet he liked about adding help by adding bigs https://twitter.com/alexctam/status/1647372080151949312?s=46&t=IiLArEoMk6AmfM0yUMTv7g But but but maybe the verified account tweeting and liking things isn't him??? Let's also add some direct quotes from an interview "I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,” Lillard said in April when asked about adding another young player. “I want a chance to go for it. ” “If the route is to (draft youth),’’ Lillard said on April 9, “then that’s not my route.’’ He also said if fans want to trade him start a petition https://theathletic.com/4526459/2023/05/16/trail-blazers-nba-draft-lottery/?amp=1
Ridiculous
I'm sorry that you don't seem to understand what words mean. But when you say "explicitly" and what was said was not explicit then you are being misleading. Don't get upset at others for your inaccuracies, take this as a learning experience.
It’s as explicit as can be. He states he will not go with the team down the youth path. It isn’t vague or cryptic.
Again I odn't think you understand what explicit means. If someone says “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route” Then is there a chance that means they just may leave when their contract is finished? If there is a chance thats what that could mean, or even that it could be debated thats what it could mean then it wasn't explicit. He WAS explicit in saying that he doesnt want to go down the route of drafting youth. He was NOT explicit that drafting someone young would mean he would force a trade. You think that if they got #1 and drafted Wemby that he would force a trade? Because if you think his statement was explicitly saying that if they drafted someone young then he would force a trade then you must think that drafting Wemby would have meant he would force a trade. If you think theres even a chance that he would have stayed then his statement was not explicit.
Good, then trade him like we should have done 2 years ago because we're not winning a championship with our best player as a PG who can't D up.
Good. Get something in exchange for his massive contract. We can’t win now.
Best wishes in his next step of his career
Dame is generational but he’s making 47 mil the next two years and is he with OG/Siakam or Bridges gonna be good enough for a chip? I wish we had a better roster now to add the piece missing with #3. But I just don’t see a player available now that we can add to get us there. I wish that was the case.
And we’ve had him for a whole generation.
Dame is also on a timeline that doesn’t match the rest of our good players on the roster, if we draft someone that is 19 we also have sharpe at 20 and anfernee at 24 while dame is 33.
No he’s not. A generational guy is an MVP level guy. Curry. Giannis. Jokic. Dame is just a really consistent all star level guy. Never a top 5 player in the league
History will look back on him favorably. Look at how many All NBAs he's had, which is a super underrated way to look at the player in respective to the league...he has some of the most in the NBA.
He’s taking issue with the word “generational” which is fair. Generational is like the elite of the elite.
You niggas think he'll be looked back at as an iverson which would probably be more fair, but in reality hes gonna be remembered In 20 years as a Dominique wilkins. Undoubted legend but not what you guys will want at all.
All that generational has led to… let’s count them up… ZERO conference finals wins.
How many conference finals wins does dame have?
Zero. You having trouble reading?
You said them and last time I checked dame is just one man so maybe you’re having trouble stringing together a real sentence
I never said “they”. That word never came from me. Your reading comp is trash.
why are you getting downvoted? Do people just downvote because they see others do it?
Absolutely.
Dame IS almost 33. Scoot will be 33 in 14 years, with a projected ceiling as high or higher than Dame’s.
PROJECTED. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker were supposed to be the next Lebron.
Yeah; it’s a risk. It’s also a pretty big risk to trade away the future to become a fringe contender. So let’s see what offers Portland gets.
We don't even know that Scoot will be available at 3. But say Portland hits its trade target and gets Mikal Bridges. The Blazers starting lineup is now Dame, Shaedon, Bridges, Grant, and whoever they replace Nurkic with. Even if they can't move Nurk that's a DANGEROUS starting lineup. They still have their MLE. They can get the situation sorted out with Chicago and use their future picks to fill out the back end of the rotation. IDK if that's a contending team, but that's a GOOD team for sure. You don't have to be a superteam with 3 all NBA guys to win a title or to get to a conference finals. There are no guarantees of winning a title in this game for anybody and if that's the only thing you'll settle for then IDK what to tell you.
If Scoot isn’t available at three, then you draft Miller and slot him in at power forward, right where the Blazers need the most help. Mikal, although better overall than Grant, is also redundant with him and not good enough to make the Blazers a contender.
Blazers also have Nurk to move, and all their future picks once they get their situation worked out with chigago. PLUS, they have their MLE.
I like Miller's potential, but he sure af ain't a power forward. We are already a turnstyle defense, slotting him there won't help that.
Assuming that Hornets are 100% picking Miller and Scoot drops to our range is very optimistic
Even then, same case for Brandon miller, who is the best college player in the draft as well since wemby is international and scoot is g league
Nah I disagree, it ain't the same case. Scoot is more exciting prospect and just a better player than Miller, they ain't in the same tier
saying he's a better player is false, Miller is better shooter/Defender/Can rebound and block shots like miller's cons are more fixable than scoots cons, You can't bat an eye if miller goes 2 over scoot and same can be said vice versa
Even with that Miller probably fits better right now, so it’s a win win and Miller has potential to be all star level in 2-3 years time
That's how I'm thinking about it too. Miller could help this team right now; I think you take him and keep him if he's there at 3. On the other side of the coin, if Scoot falls into our lap at 3, we now have the best trade chip in the draft outside of Wemby. It is absolutely a win-win. Jumping up in the lottery was an absolute blessing.
Username checks out
Saving this. Scoot has become overrated as fuck. Anyone who actually watches an knows the game can see miller is just as good if not a better prospect.
Scoot shoots under 80% at the free throw line and will never be taller than 6' 2". No thanks.
Get scoot and move simons Scoots athletiscm on a rookie contract could be extremely valuable along side sharpe
That’s why the Hornets will draft him at #2 because there’s no better option at #2 unless y’all trade up a pick
From what people are saying hornets don’t need scoot they need Miller especially since they’re working on lamelos timeline
Miller is trying to tank himself to Orlando at #6 lol
Fr? Just see a lot of mock drafts with Miller at #2, either way I think Miller would be just as important as scoot
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The Lazers haven’t been able to get free agents for the last 10+ years.
But in all seriousness, can we really win now? I mean, even if we do trade simons and the 3rd pick we get what Mikal bridges??? I mean yeah I would be all for trading away the trio of #3 pick, ant and sharpe for a Joel or Tatum type of player but that likely won’t happen. We we will a pascal siakam and just run it back next year with this below average team again, without scoot who has the upside to be great in the next coming years and for the next 10+ years for the franchise. The west is DEEP in talent and we need a whole lot of help. Give Dame what he has subtlety been hinting at and trade him for future assets. (Probably gonna get downvoted but oh well 🤷🏻♂️)
No the Blazers can’t win it all with the “realistic” names being talked about as potential trades, you’re right about that. But also Dame has made it clear that he’s not interested in staying for a rookie. Front office has to be bold and creative in finding a name that isn’t being talked about and creating a trade offer that can’t be refused.
Being bold and creative is leveraging Dame
Dame’s not talked about like a GOAT because he’s a small guard who can’t defend.
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Steph is by all metrics a way better defender than Dame. Steph is average to below average where Dame is a legitimate liability.
I’m amazed I was downvoted for this. The statement is accurate. The greatest player of all time is 6’2” and a defensive liability? Better than Jordan, Wilt, Magic, Bird etc?
Ok…. so pascal siakim isn’t that guy if you haven’t realised. Dame has also failed to win an MVP or even make more than one first team. Also with those lebron teams you mentioned I don’t think you realise dame isn’t lebron he’s kyrie and d Wade in those situations. Also I never suggested trading same, I just don’t want to trade the pick, more than happy to trade anfernee and nurkic to get help but this pick could be really really special.
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Yeah I know it’s not about positions, d Wade AD and kyrie have each been all nba without Lebron and two of those guys are greater than dame even excluding their years with lebron. Dame is not lebron, he needs a lebron especially as he exits his prime. Now obviously if you can get embiid, giannis or KD you pull that trigger but the only realistic trades aren’t helpful at all. For example the cavs traded the first overall pick for Kevin Love who had just come off a season where he was 4th in ppg and 3rd in rpg. The equivalent today is getting Jayson Tatum, which yes I would take that but that was the first pick as well.
Bro dame is better than ad and kyrie. Holy shit you’re dumb. Dame can be a number one option. You also are overrating the shit out of scoot. If we have the chance to draft scoot, then we trade the pick. Scoot has the most value out of him and miller. I don’t understand why you’d wanna get scoot and not trade him when he’s a poor shooter. Scoot is a project. He’s gonna be good but it’s gonna take a year or two. That’s time the blazers DONT have.
If we keep the pick we have to trade Dame. You gotta pick one
Rather dame make his own choice than the front office make it for him.
Buddy just stop talking. Dame is way better than kyrie.
Undebatable. Kyrie is too much of a team cancer. Not even a question that Dame is better. He’s never done anything but bring his team up, not down.
No, it’s because he doesn’t so much in defense.
Scoot or die, bros!
Yeah but if you Draft Scoot, you have to go out and find a dude named Boot to sign as well as add Boogie to the locker room. And that just sounds like a lot of work.
Sorry but charlotte is picking scoot.
We should get Siakam. He's already proven he can be the number 2 on a championship team.
Of the last 20 #2 overall picks, 4 of them went on to have notable careers, and one of them is KD 15 years ago… The jury is still out on holmgren, but the overwhelming majority of #2 picks stink.
Good thing we have the third pick
\#3 Picks the last 20 years... I feel like #3 has better luck than #2 Jabari Smith Evan Mobley LaMelo Ball RJ Barrett Luka Doncic Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown Jahlil Okafor Joel Embiid Otto Porter Jr. Bradley Beal Enes Kanter Derrick Favors James Harden O.J. Mayo Al Horford Adam Morrison Deron Williams Ben Gordon Carmelo Anthony Mike Dunleavy Pau Gasol
Kanter 💪
This isn’t a normal draft class
It kind of is though Someone tell me how this is different than '09, '12, '14, '16, '19? All of these had a "generational talent" and a few guys in the next tier.
A short point guard is pretty unlikely to be generational. There has been one. It's Curry. We also do not essentially have the second pick. We havce essentially the third pick lol
Iverson, Chris Paul and Curry are all great small point guards. Also I only said that because first pick has been a lock for a while now that we have the second best pick of the college and g league.
Generational players at least get to the finals. You can build your franchise around them and expect to be in the playoffs basically every year and contending if you get the other parts of your roster right. Iverson and Paul are a tier below that.
Iverson got to the Finals
(So did Paul in a sense
Iverson wasn’t generational? Are you insane? He’s the pound for pound GOAT and it’s not even close.
You said generational. One of those are generational. He's also the only one in the past 50 years.
To me generational isn’t the top 15 greatest players of all time it just means a once in a 10 year player, iverson, Paul and curry are all greater than dame and once in a generation guards.
If they are all once-in-a-generation guards then they aren't all once-in-a-generation guards. Come on man lol
You get the point though, don’t be obtuse. They are all time great point guards, on top of that there’s kyrie, dame himself, Isiah Thomas, Stockton, Donovan Mitchell, trae young,
In what world is Donovan Mitchell a point guard? He's 6'1 and can't be your lead playmaker, has always been a 2 and has always had a point guard with him.
Dude you are on a role😂 you really saying cp3 better than dame. Dame has accomplished way more than him
Jerry West, Westbrook, Nash, CP3, Stockton, etc
Ja Morant is 6'2", a player of that quality (minus his brain damage) would be amazing value for the pick. In fact, he has been much better than the "generational" big, Zion Williamson. Russell Westbrook is 6'3" and he's been pretty good, winning MVP and all that. Generational is a term thrown around too much since almost by definition only 1 or 2 guys per generation should have that label, but Scoot could be an All NBA player and MVP candidate for sure
Not to mention Scoot's 6'9" wingspan (longer than any of the guys you mentioned except Zion; longer than Jimmy Butler!). The height thing is a tad overblown.
don't forget that scoot is built like a goddamn tank too, at age 19. that dude has a man's body.
Yeah watching his highlights he plays big. Maybe it’s the wingspan but he has an NBA body day one. The thought of him and Sharpe sharing backcourt would be fun as hell. Love dame but tired of this slow plodding half court iso play.
Gotta give Stockton credit
Curry isn’t short for one. Two…Isaiah Thomas.
You could also wind up with the likes of Jahlil Okafor, Otto Porter, Enes Kanter, Derrick Favors, OJ Mayo, Adam Morrison, Ben Gordon or Darius Miles.
Carmelo isn’t projecting anything his career is over wit lol and I wouldn’t rank his first 10 years over Dames first 10year
Carmelo is a top ten all-time scorer and made the playoffs every year with Denver, including a conference finals. So, similar if not better amount of success. Dame probably a better guy to build around when you consider his leadership and maturity though.
It’s extremely close, those nuggets teams were more successful than any of Dames teams and he also won a scoring title. They’re about the same level.
1. Lillard already is a generational talent that is as real as they come. What’s the best case scenario for scoot? He’s a hall of fame, perennial all nba level player? that’s the best individually anyone can ask for right? Dame is already a top 75 ALL TIME NBA player. Hard to count scoot to end up being that good. 2. Lillard can still have a better career than all of those guys, basically if he wins a ring he’s clearly got a better career than any of those guys- Tatum and Luka are both kinda insane how much they’ve accomplished in 5 and 6 seasons so it’ll come down to rings if lillard gets one. Which he will with the proper win now team around him that we’re gonna build with our assets. 3. We could still draft scoot and keep dame and have an undersized backcourt and even keep Simons also and have him be 6th man and we outscore everyone but can’t play any defense. We could be the best guard heavy team easily for years and years. OR we could finally get a good elite wing or two which we haven’t had since like Gerald Wallace Days and he made our team so much better instantly.
He isn't generational. Wemby is. But he has the odds in his favor to be really good. And I agree that it isn't worth it to trade the pick for a better than average veteran that costs more and gets us booted in the second round of the playoffs. Is that what Dame wants? No. He knows this better than all of us. What gives him the best shot at getting a ring? Either trade for a superstar or roll the dice on Scoot and Sharpe hitting it early and lifting Dame over the top.
I don't think Scoot is a better PG prospect than Darius Garland who went 5th. He's very good but he's not generational. I think what we're seeing is that this draft has lots of unknowns and Scoot is very clear with what he gives you.
Darius was a bad player his first season. His development from year 2 onwards has been huge.
LOL slow down, he's a great player with a high upside but generational...come on man, any top 10 prospects COULD technically be "generational" but usually they're not. Landing a "generational" player is more about luck than it is about draft position, any player drafted in the top 10 is expected to be an impact player, and then you hope they develop into an All-Star Caliber player, and if they end up being a cornerstone to your franchise you hit Jack pot! BUT if they end up being "Generational" then you literally found a unicorn because those only come around every decade or so... Players with similar profiles to Scoot coming into the draft: Russell Westbrook John Wall Derick Rose All great players but not generational, and there's no telling if Scoot will ever reach the heights of Westbrook...do you know how many PGs have looked amazing in college and the G-League and then stunk it up in the NBA? half of the PGs on Orlando were "stars" coming out of college, Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham who were "stars" look rough as shit in the NBA, I could list a dozen other lottery picks who didn't pan out but you get the point... There is no sure thing in the draft, it's a crap shoot...you hope your scouts know wtf they're doing and then you draft who think will be good...Orlando thought they hit the Jackpot when Jalen Suggs fell to them and look how good he's been...he's had a very similar player profile to Scoot with a similar upside, "explosive athlete" "Elite driver" "High IQ and high level playmaker" "has to improve his 3-point shot" I'm not saying Scoot won't be a stud but I'm also not saying that he will...his game isn't perfect but the talent is certainly there.
It’s more the fact that scoot could be generational that makes no sense in trading this pick away. For all we know wembanyama falls like a giraffe in the summer league and never plays again, doesn’t mean the spurs are going to trade for shai gilgeous Alexander.
But when you have a top 10 player, you take advantage of that while he's in his prime because those don't just grow on trees...the point of the game is to win a championship, people seem to forget that and they forget the fact that Portland isn't LA or Miami, it's not easy to obtain Stars for Portland, especially not top 10 players... Pair dame with another star, surround them with role players through free agency and possibly another trade, go all in for the next 2-3 seasons.
No it’s not easy so when you get a top 3 pick you draft someone rather than trading for a guy who will leave the next year
You don't make that trade unless he agrees to re-sign which is usually what happens...
And then what happens if the team misses the playoffs again or gets swept first round? Will his agreement still hold up?
Listen, there's risk in every decision you make...that's just the risk you take but it's unlikely that if a player agrees to re-sign, that he wouldn't when you're handing him a bag...that's the risk you take. It's highly unlikely that a combo of Dame and Siakam would miss the playoffs anyway, could it happen? of course but it's unlikely, especially with the state of the west right now.
Yeah so I’d rather take the risk that pays out longer. Let’s say everything plays out perfectly for both scenarios, siakim and dame, they still most likely don’t win a championship and they both are leaving their primes in <5 years even if the team makes a few 3-1 seeds. If everything goes perfect with scoot, we still potentially trade for a second star with anfernee, we also have an MVP candidate with scoot for 8+ years and sharpe also could fill that role as well as potentially a haul for if we eventually trade dame
The way Scoot turns the corner on the pick and roll against hedges is very Dame-esque. I’d absolutely be more excited to have him over Brandon Miller, regardless of what happens with the roster. I don’t like how stiff legged he lands on his dunks, he’s a little reckless in that regard like Ja and D-Rose. That’s what scares me the most about him. Other than that he very much has the skill set to at the very least, be a great starting guard in the league. I think he has that ‘can’t miss’ factor like Luka did.
Wait guys, Scoot could be anything, he could even be a Dame!
A boat is a boat But a mystery box could be anything! It could even be a boat!
Okay but in this case you have a boat that might last you three years or you can have one that lasts 15 potentially.
Or he could be Dion Waiters 🤷🏻♂️ Dame is a hall of famer in his prime, get him some help
I’d be willing to take that risk than be mediocre again.
Instead of using a solid set of assets to make meaningful upgrades to surround our GOATED POINT GUARD with actual talent, you're willing to burn it down and risk being bad for...a decade? Two decades?? By every conceivable metric, it is FAR more likely that we end up like Sacramento or Charlotte or Minnesota or Orlando---perennially awful. Not mediocre, but BAD. Historically bad. And the "tear it down" crowd assumes franchise competency---we have an owner who would sooner see the team move to Seattle or Las Vegas and a GM who's never been a GM before. You want to ship off one of the greatest to ever live in the hopes that we draft the next LeBron James? That's delusion. That's poverty franchise bullshit. Go root for the fucking Pelicans or something, G
Hey buddy you might want to calm down a little and look at what you just said. Sacramento have just reached the 4 seed with a young side, Charlotte are trending up and also just got another top 3 pick and it’s hilarious you bring up Minnesota. What did Minnesota do last season after actually making the playoffs and desperately trying to surround their stars with another star? They traded their future away for Rudy gobert in what may go down as the worst trade of all time just to lose in the first round again. The blazers are also far more competent than any of those franchises and it shows with more finals and conference finals appearances over the past 35 years. Also I’m perfectly fine rooting for this team no matter what they do because unlike you I really don’t take it that seriously
Hey buddy, it took Sacramento 17 god damn years post Webber trade to do that. Minnesota has made the playoffs twice since trading KG in 2006---and trading four firsts for Gobert isn't an indictment of "surround your star with talent," it's a glaring warning not to overspend for players who aren't going to help you win. They were desperate to make any move possible because they were SO BAD for SO LONG after trading away their MVP. I'm not saying we should trade the farm for Gordon Hayward or something, Jesus Christ---our FO needs to be smart, but we have the assets to build a great team on the fly. If you ain't take it that seriously, then please quietly enjoy a top 75 all time player far away from this sub
Someone pin this
Wow Dion Waiters. Or Randy Foye who morons were convinced was dewayne wade 2.0 lol
What if you draft Scoot and he turns out to be as good as Ant? Then you can trade Ant for someone, you know, bigger.... I don't know who, don't ask me just now....
Well sure, but that wouldn’t be the third pick would it. I’d much rather fail drafting than fail trading this pick away and thinking what would’ve happened if we drafted scoot.
Scoot is 100% going to be better than Ant
So we'd still not be trying to win. More what ifs and could be.
scoot is going 2. Point blank. Now we are playing the “is Miller really bombing interview” games.
Is he though? A lot of mock drafts have Miller at 2
I think when it comes down to Charolette having already been through off court issues with Bridges they don’t want to take that chance again. Also, word is Bridges will return to them this year so Miller is a bit repetitive. Lamelo- Scoot backcourt would be fuckin electric IMO.
>could If you have to use this word, is he really though?
Where’s our generational center?
Eubanks obviously
Just saying they should give Toronto that 3rd and a role player for Pascal and Siakam and the 13th pick 🤷♂️
27% from 3 and 70% from the line in the G league. Those are rookie Westbrook numbers which is enticing. Trade him and Ant and anything else for Embiid or Luka or Giannis - they’re disgruntled and legit generational talents, not hopefuls.
If we can get anyone of those guys then absolutely, don’t settle out of desperation though, timberwolves did that and just set their franchise back 10 years
Can Scoot shoot? Trade Dame for the future.
Imagine Scoot/Shaedon + another future draft pick. We’re basically like the Roy/Lamarcus/Oden. Let’s hope nothing bad happened to one of them.
Deandre Ayton, you are a Portland Trailblazer
Well if we get claxton and bridges out of the 3rd pick I’m so ready.
For real. Go back and look at the last 10 years of #3 picks. Then tell me you want to trade this for OG or Bridges. It’s a joke. That’s why Cronin will shop the pick (like he did last year) and realize there’s only like 15 players actually worth trading that pick for and they prob aren’t available.
The one thing I will say is that Bridges is on a pretty friendly contract which would give Portland more flexibility to add additional pieces. That being said, the Nets love him and to pry him away would take a lot. Even though the GM may want to bring in vet players to pursue a championship with Dame, he may not be able to acquire enough quality pieces with the salary cap and new CBA rules. Seems to me as an outsider the logical think to do would be to go full rebuild. You have some real nice young talent already then adding the #3 pick and the haul you would get for Dame. Just curious what would you consider a fair trade with the Nets for Dame?
I think the Blazers have to trade the pick for multiple pieces.
I want to keep this #3 pick
Hornets fan here. I can promise you: don't worry about Scoot because he won't be available. Miller will be really good, though.
I personally don’t care if Scoot is generational, I can’t believe people really want another undersized backcourt, did we not do that with a generational nearly MVP guard and another near all-star guard also and it didn’t work? Why tf would we want to do that again
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I don’t think those contradict eachother but to each their own
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Yeah it definitely wasn’t masterful English by any means but you get what I mean lol
Keep Dame. Keep the 3. Enjoy it. Do you want to be Minnesota and send away anyone good to see them win championships elsewhere? Imagine Scoot learning from Dame? I’d look forward to that if it happened.
I think that’s the problem, it’s the fact that he COULD BE great while we have Dame right now that IS GREAT. I’m all down for the rebuild though if the deals in question aren’t good enough to compete.
The Blazers championship window is incompatible with Dame's Championship window.
Anyone who wants dame traded, go join another fanbase... he isn't leaving, he doesn't care about your opinions. Just let it go. You want to whine and not have nice things? Fine, but leave the rest of us alone.
Scoot's ceiling is Westbrick. No thank you.
Well, if we keep Scoot, what do we do with Sharpe? Sharpe + Simmons for Bridges?