Reports like [this one](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10081829-report-blazers-got-trade-offers-on-draft-night-that-wouldve-appeased-damian-lillard) are reporting that the Blazers passed on Draft Night trades that would have “appeased” Lillard. The alleged trade involved Sharpe, Simons, Nurkić, and the Scoot pick for one all-star caliber player.
I have a hard time believing that there is one single player we would swap our entire core for. So, who do you think this star player could have been (if the trade existed), and would it have been worth it to sacrifice our core for him?
by BrushandPen
32 Comments
Probably Siakam or PG and it’s good we didn’t trade our whole future for a one-year rental of an aging vet.
Prolly for 12 months of Siakam, a play in loss and Dame leaving anyway. I would have been devastated
Glad we passed on trading Shae, Ant, 3 all for a play-in loss
I would do that trade for like Giannis or something but not for effin Siakam
1) Fentress is the source for the reports. Not someone from the team, a local reporter that tends to irritate others. Color me doubtful.
2) Apparently OG or Siakim was enough to appease Dame… For now. Siakim reportedly did not want to come to Portland and likely would’ve walked after one year. OG is certainly not worth the #3. Dame may not have liked it, but Cronin declining those deals was the smarter move .
3) Haynes works for Bleacher Report and is Dame’s media mouthpiece. When reading it, we should keep in mind that it is likely to be published to provide sympathy to Dame’s side of things. Not that his desires are not justifiable, just to recognize the likely bias.
this is one reason Dame will never be a GM, that’s for sure.
Fuck fentress but holy shit no way should we have traded all those dudes for anyone but Giannis
One year rental on Siakam would’ve been a dumb move. I’m grateful Fentress and Dame aren’t GM.
there were significant rumors that Jaylen Brown was the goal. Boston was hesitant to extend him to a super-max (he still hasn’t signed) and supposedly Jaylen, Dame and Jerami Grant got close at the Olympics.
there are reports that Jaylen said he was willing to join the Blazers and sign long-term, but the Blazers were unwilling to move #3.
That much? For Embiid or Giannis, sure. Otherwise, need names and full details of all the pieces to evaluate.
How self centered can this man be? Dame’s ego is what got us here. Can’t have your cake and eat it too!
Glad we didn’t make that trade for one “all-star caliber player.” What does that even mean? A persistent all star? Someone capable of making an all star game but hasn’t yet? You would consider giving up that talent for an all-NBA guy in his prime on a manageable contract. But short of that, it’s not worth it.
For whatever other faults he may have, I think Cronin navigated the draft correctly and I hope he continues to hold firm on getting a trade return deserving of Dame’s talent.
Cronin turned down Simons + 3 for Jaylen Brown which is what pissed Dame off because he had arranged it.
I guarantee the return wasn’t going to be something we were happy with and this report is just some bullshit Dames agent leaked to Fentress to cause a stir to make Dame look better
Love Dame and love the Blazers but I’m so excited for this new generation. Scoot/Sharpe this your home now man it’s your show. RipCity love y’all
That would’ve absolutely killed the franchise. We would’ve still been a 5-8 seed, and a second round appearance at best. Dame is amazing but we were never going to win a championship with him as our #1 option unfortunately. Scoot and Sharpe have elite athleticism and skill set to maybe one day put us over the top.
It’s standard psychological projection on Dame’s part. If that were the trade for Siakam, you can imagine the psychological dissonance in his own mind on the value potentially being returned from the Heat for himself.
If I’m trading Sharpe, Simons, Scoot and Nurk I’m expecting an All-NBA 1st team player in return.
Thank God Joe Cronin is the Trail Blazers GM not the Make Dame Happy At All Costs GM. That would have been a franchise ruiner lol.
Giannis, otherwise I don’t see it.
So glad Cronin didn’t pull the trigger by trading our whole future for OG or Siakam just to appease a single player.
Don’t get me wrong. Despite the bs right now, Dame is probably my (personal) favorite player of all time, but the Blazers are my home team. I’ve been repping Blazers gear since I was a toddler, far before Dame. And I’ll be rocking the Blazers until I die, far, far after Dame.
So to me, Cronin did the right thing for our franchise and fanbase and I’m thankful for that. We have a bright future and I’m glad we didn’t throw it all away.
I was ok with trading one young player (#3 or Sharpe) and Simons or Nurk but not all that. Hell would thrown in some picks. But that’s too much of a haul. GM’s were trying to fleece Portland. Even KD didn’t get that type of haul.
Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, Luka are the only players I’d consider it
Without naming the “all-star”, the article is completely garbage. What about if the offered all-star was a potential locker room cancer or another guard? That would be a horrible deal
If it was all those dudes for literally one guy, then it was for either PG or Beal. Salaries don’t work otherwise. If it were in a trade featuring a star that opens up Brown & Williams, Bridges & Claxton, or OG & Siakiam.
After thinking about this whole Dame situation constantly for the last week, it has become clear to me that keeping scoot was the right choice. Trading our three biggest assets away for some fringe all star would have done us no good and at best lead us to a 2nd round exit. Scoot and sharpe have the potential to be perennial all stars and could easily lead to much more success then we had in the Dame era. It’s only right that Joe is trying to capitalize his return for Dame to set up the new youth movement and give them the shot dame never had. Plus I’m convinced that Scoot in the matter of a few seasons will be better and exponentially cheaper then any fringe all star we would have overpaid for.
Simons, Sharpe, and Scoot for one player?
No thank you. I can’t even think of a player that I would do that trade for currently in the NBA.
90’s MJ and you have a deal.
Cronin holding strong. Keep it up. save our franchise
Look at it from the perspective of Simons, Sharpe and Nurk, you are the core of a team who’s leader wants you traded. Can’t imagine that is good for team chemistry. At some point, Dame is on an island. With or without his trade request, he put the Blazers in a situation to choose between him or the rest of the team, this is not championship mentality… I like Dame, but I think he is a lost touch with reality and is quickly becoming the villain. I am with Cronin. Plus, there is no single trade we can make that will elevate us past Den, Phx, SLC or The Warriors.
I love how that clown Fentress mentions what we would give up but not what we would get in return. I have to assume it was Siakim, which is why he didnt say anything.
Trade sharpe? Dillard trying to get his ass kicked?
This was the type of trade demand I was worried Dame was asking we do. Basically sacrificing the entire future for a guy Dame likes playing with and when it inevitably didn’t work out and Dame moved on we’d be left with a team that would probably challenge the 11-12 Bobcats for futility
I mean even if that player was KD, the Blazers ain’t competing for shit.
The FO was smart to draft Scoot. They have a very exciting young core and are well positioned for the future.