Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin expressed optimism after meeting with Damian Lillard on Monday, indicating that the front office is still “committed” to building around its franchise player, Bill Oram of The Oregonian tweets.
After meeting with Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, Cronin released a short statement that read, “We had a great dialogue. We remain committed to building a winner around Dame.”
While that alone won’t end the speculation about Lillard’s future, it does indicate that the veteran guard is willing to see what the front office will do this summer to improve the roster. That could impact what teams like Miami, regarded as the most likely landing spot for Lillard, will do with free agency approaching.
There was increasing chatter that Lillard might finally asked to be traded after the Blazers drafted another point guard, Scoot Henderson, in the lottery. Portland will now look for upgrades on the free agent market and via trades.
The Blazers have a key free agent in Jerami Grant and could look to move Jusuf Nurkic or Anfernee Simons via trade in order to upgrade the roster.
Trade Simons, Nurkic and little for a veteran SG, SF and C. Resign Grant
They already have the rebuild done. Just need better starters. Trade Simons, Nurkic and Little with picks for starters
Why wouldn’t they…
Bad move to keep and build around Lillard at this point. The Blazers don’t have the Deep Pockets of say the Clippers or the Warriors or are not willing to do so. Their hands are tied in who they can acquire. Even best case scenario it won’t be enough and they’ll be 5th seed and second round exit at very best.
The smartest move right now is to trade Lillard for what you can get before he gets hurt again and is less valuable next.
Probably don’t want overspend, if I had to choose. Even though the Allen Trust Fund has to be worth around $20B, who knows what the board wants.
I have a sense that unless your team has a top10 player and good teammates, most teams won’t go above the aprons with the new CBA. (And even then, some teams will only stay under the first apron)
Yes usually happens when the owners need the income from the team for their lifestyle. Not the case with the Clippers or Warriors those owners have other business interests. But like Jennie Buss with the Lakers that is her business. Some of the other teams the same.
I don’t believe Jody Allen needs the team money for her lifestyle. Paul left her a nice stash and all she needs to do is sell the team (along with the Seahawks).
Padam, right she’s one of the few !! Definitely loaded. Big time wealth beyond imagination. Not sure why they wouldn’t want to go into luxury tax in a major way but I think it’s because they’re running the Blazers as a business.
Portland does not even appear to have a path to the playoffs next year. Portland needs to make the “business” decision to move him along. They are set up for a soft rebuild because they already have young pieces.
If Lillard stays …. He clearly is cool just collecting a check. A personal decision for him to make. Would also further explain why he has never sniffed a ring. He really just ain’t that interested. Again, personal decision.
I think they’re running the Blazers like the local entertainment and as in the old baseball days where the city Gets behind the players and they stay and the community Gets behind the entire entity as a whole.
Not much else in sports for the Portland area besides Colleges and so perhaps this is the continuity and quality faces the Blazers want to put forth in the community. Can’t blame them for that but they won’t win a championship.
Because they’re nowhere close to competing in the west with the current roster and Dame’s trade value isn’t going to keep increasing at this point.
Well, that leads the Heat in a different direction. I’m glad that this message comes out early in the offseason. It would’ve sucked for all parties if it dwelled on for a long period – with the Blazers not knowing what they’ll be doing, the Heat wondering if they could land Lillard(not that Pat Riley would wait), and of course Dame knowing where to focus this offseason.
The ball is in the Blazers’ court now.
Who’s next for the Heat?
Riles should look elsewhere, kick the tires on KAT, Lopez. Heck check on Zion.
Miami doesn’t have much by way of assets to offer. Landing Lillard, who Portland will send wherever he wants to go, by far their best shot at upgrading their roster. If no Lillard, Miami will have few options.
The way to tell if a guy is a negative trade asset, is to ask if said player was a free agent would he get the same amount in free agency ! In this case nurkic wouldn’t come close to getting the 3 years 55 million left on his contract! He would be lucky to get a full mid level! He’s a non asset attaching ant and a pick to him isn’t that appealing
I’d trade Draymond for Nurkic and Scoot, then trade Scoot for a star in February.
Blazers 3 draft picks
3 Scoot Henderson
23 Kris Murray
43 Rayan Rupert
Trade Scoot for Draymond? wtf
That’s why he’s called sillyman he just spews random basketball words hoping they form an intelligent thought. They never do…
Purple kush? Bruce Banner? Must be Godfather OG? THAT could inspire a trade scenario like yours.
Another offseason of constant, useless Dame rumors. See you again next offseason after they miss the playoffs again.
Blazers can send Anfernee Simons and #23 to Spurs for a future pick, then sign free agent Draymond.
Why would a wanna be contender trade assets for a future draft pick?
They would be moving out Simons and bringing in Draymond Green. That would help them towards building a supposed championship team. Move out a guard and bring in a defensive forward with championship history. I think Simon’s salary vacated would create some space to sign Green.
I’m not agreeing to the move I’m just explaining it for you.
Draymond is not coming to Portland. Dame is not getting ring in Portland unless it is later in his career. Scoot and Sharpe are the real deal they could be Tatum and Brown. Portland would be fools to trade either
Dame is gonna be 33. It’s already “later” in his career.
Dame would rather rot in Portland than win elsewhere.
I’m always reminded of Kevin Garnett’s quote that he stayed loyal to Minnesota too long. What was it 12 years? Longer? Finally won a ring in his 13th or 14th season?
KG said, he should have left (Minnesota) much earlier.
Minnesota ownership was fairly toxic to KG though. At least Portland seems to treat Dame well, other than the not-winning
It’s so sad that we love in a time where one second we’re excoriating players for trying chasing and trying to construct big 3s via free agency yet we continue to chastise a guy like Lillard and Beal for wanting to stay with their original teams that drafted them with hopes of one day winning with them.
In a world where loyalty is a trait to be laughed at we find a Lillard who like Ewing, Baylor, Reggie Miller wants to win a ring with the team who drafted him. It’s a matter of values and fidelity, unsexy character traits. If I lived in Oregon, I’d be a Trailblazer fan BECAUSE Lillard is still there, win or lose. And with 30 teams there are a lot of annual non-winners. Just ask Barkley, Malone, and dozens of others. So many of the commentators here will raise up a guy like Morant and criticize a Lillard.
KnicksCavs, No one here is “chastising Damian Lillard.” We’re all calling out he and the Blazers if they have championship aspirations. Then we’re pointing out what they need to do.
Mostly it’s bringing some better players than they have in the last 5 years which is hard, or start a whole new rebuild and trade Dame to a contender.
I don’t think a single person looks down on Damian Lillard for being loyal to the blazers. The conversation is about winning a championship or not.
If he’s happy and the team and City love him, why make a trade? You won’t win but if everyone’s happy so be it.
Clearly you’re not reading most of the comments. Any comment about improving the team WITH Lillard are fine. I’m talking about the ones saying he’s content with JUST collecting a check and has no desire to win. He wants to win IN Portland. Is it realistic? Not likely but I commend him for staying loyal to a city he loves. There is no guarantee he would win if he went to Miami or any where else. Portland would want a young star in return or lottery picks. Trading him is not like in baseball where you can just demand prospects at the minor league levels. Most teams are hoping to add Lillard to a pre-existing core of talent. Having to match salaries and trade players might not work or make the team as good as you want it to be.
Maybe POR and DL have a different understanding than most of what it means to build a winner around a star player. One that only requires him to be around while they’re building, not when they’re done.
Dame has been in Portland for 10+ years. Have not won yet! Maybe you are right, Portland and Dame have a different “understanding” of how you build around a star player. My money is big-time on them getting it wrong. It paid off nicely last year. Portland is not even a playoff team right now.
I’m not suggesting they can (or should even try to) build a contender around him; in fact, I don’t think they can (or should try).
It’s just the rhetoric that I find strange. I think when most teams with a star talk like they did, it indicates a win-now personnel policy to get there within the star’s prime. POR is a nickel short of doing a rebuild from scratch, with teenagers. But their audience is Dame, not me, so if he’s cool with it, they’re fine.
If it doesn’t work, dont change nothing, keep trying lol
That’s not the definition of insanity.
Sell the team to Phil Knight already
Nurkic and Simons for Vucevic and Caruso
Pretty sure Blazers management has said this for the last 3-4 seasons.
That this rate the only way Dame is winning in Portland is if he is on a vet minimum towards the end of his career…
Not only does Portlands roster need a shake up but the front office also….
Pre draft we all knew it was going to be Scoot and you had options to trade him but didn’t make a move. Now after the draft you have Scoot and don’t want to move Dame.
After Portland decided Siakim wasn’t worth it, I’m surprised Tornto didn’t try swing the deal the other way.
Dame for Scottie Barnes, GTJ, Chris Boucher and this years first round pick (13th or Grady D)
GTJ opted in which was a surprise, Boucher had a poor season and Scottie although a great young prospect took a backwards step. Imagine if you flipped all 3 and had a core of Dame OG Siakim and Poeltl. Otto Porter and Thad Young as back up vets aswell as young guys Flynn, Precious and Koloko. All they’d need to fill out the team is a starting SG and some back guards/wings.
Could’ve then tried to get Dillon Brooks using the MLE. Complementary scorer and good defender.
Then guys on the min like Corey Joseph and NAW (returning to Canada),
Portland on the other hand goes full rebuild with two corner stones is Scoot and Scottie. Simons and Sharpe are already there and the 13th pick, along with picks 23 and 43.
Imagine Scoot, Simons, Sharpe, Scottie, Whitmore (13th), Murray (23rd) and GG Jackson (43rd). That’s your young core and on top of that you have options to make with Grant, Thybulle and Reddish.
Portland would be so much better off and Toronto would be a underdog contender for a championship. I know I wouldn’t want to face them. Dame giving out 30/40 point games, DBrooks being a pain, OG locking up your best player, Siakim giving you 20/30 and locking up guys and Poeltl somehow getting 15 rebounds.
Everyone can shoot, everyone can handle the rock, everyone can defend abit, championship experience. They’d have it all
Huge mistake. I’d trade Dame to Brooklyn and get back Cam Johnson in a sign and trade plus Claxton and picks. Maybe include Seth Curry. I’d look at getting a good wing role player like Grant Williams or Bruce Brown as well in free agency. Portland has a great opportunity to move on and rebuild with real talent. Claxton, Johnson, Williams, Sharpe and Scoot has real promise. Nurk who is impossible to trade off the bench with Simons in a 6th man role where he is probably best suited.
Cam Thomas has to be included with Claxton and Cam Johnson… i would even take Simmons contract to bounce out Nurkic for sure (that’s even the first ans best thing to do in my opinion)
Too much media attention for a guy who hasn’t even made the playoffs the last few years. I gotta remind myself to stop Reading these boring articles involving Lillard and the Blazers.
Trade Simons, Nurkic and Little with picks for a veteran SG SF and C. Resign everyone except Winslow and Chance. Sign Brandon Williams again
So, the Blazers still have to build a contender or trade Lillard?
That meeting was sure productive. Lillard is getting traded, or there are a lot of offers for Simons & Scoot that couldn’t be accepted prior to the start of the new fiscal season?
Lillard will be dealt, teams will load up to get him, and not cooperate with other Blazer moves to sort of force the situation.
Its not really forcing, not a lot of teams have interest in Simons at $25 million. There are a few though.
Henderson, Simons, Sharpe, Nurkic, little and picks for Ingram, CJ McCollum,Jonas and Lewis. Or keep Henderson. Starters PG. Lillard SG. ? SF? PF. Grant C.? Bench. Henderson, Sharpe, Reddish, Matisse, Knox, Johnson, Watford, Murray, Rupert, Walker, butler, Badji and Mays. Trade Simons, Nurkic and little for a veteran SG,SF and a better center. Resign Grant
Harrison Barnes?
I’d kick off a rebuild by dealing Lillard and Nurkic. Then sign and trade Grant.
Henderson, Simons, Sharpe is a good core to start with.
I’d personally deal Lillard to the Rockets for Eason, Washington, Tate, and picks. Eason becomes their starting PF.
I’d deal Nurkic to Hornets for Mark Williams, Bouknight, and picks.
Sign and trade Grant to the Thunder for Pokusevski, Jaylin Williams (C), and picks.
Whatever they eventually get they should rebuild instead of trying to run in back with Lillard.