Damian Lillard Prediction Thread

[Monster]

Can a team finally not give a player what they want? Trade him somewhere worse. Dame went from real a respectable players to snowflakes overnight and the league facilitates it all. Fuck Pat Riley.

Jon K posted on Twitter this feels like a lot like when KG left. I had thought the same thing. Lillian was loyal really wanted to stay and I get the idea that Portland wasn’t all in him him staying and to be honest I think that’s fair. I don’t think the Blazers franchise is particularly mad at him for leaving.

[kekgeek]

Sounds like Dame is going to end up in Miami

[Phenom]

My prediction is:

Portland: Dame and Nurk for Ayton, Lonzo Ball, and their own 2024 pick back from Chicago, and and Chicago's top 5 protected FRP in 2027 and 2029.

Chicago: Lonzo and the 3 above picks for Mike Conley.

Phoenix: Ayton for Towns.

Minnesota: Towns and Conley for Dame and Nurk.

This would align with what that dropping dimes twitter guy said about how Phoenix and Dallas being landing spots for Towns.

[Lipoli390]

My prediction is:

Portland: Dame and Nurk for Ayton, Lonzo Ball, and their own 2024 pick back from Chicago, and and Chicago's top 5 protected FRP in 2027 and 2029.

Chicago: Lonzo and the 3 above picks for Mike Conley.

Phoenix: Ayton for Towns.

Minnesota: Towns and Conley for Dame and Nurk.

This would align with what that dropping dimes twitter guy said about how Phoenix and Dallas being landing spots for Towns.

Not going to happen.

[KG4Ever]

My prediction is:

Portland: Dame and Nurk for Ayton, Lonzo Ball, and their own 2024 pick back from Chicago, and and Chicago's top 5 protected FRP in 2027 and 2029.

Chicago: Lonzo and the 3 above picks for Mike Conley.

Phoenix: Ayton for Towns.

Minnesota: Towns and Conley for Dame and Nurk.

This would align with what that dropping dimes twitter guy said about how Phoenix and Dallas being landing spots for Towns.

Not going to happen.

I certainly hope not and Nurkic contract is not one I would want. This would not help Ant and Jaden's timeline and I think makes Wolves worse not better in short term. Also, this makes the money problems worse not better in 2024. Easy pass.

[60WinTim]

Phenom -- I thought your trade was pretty creative! But I think I would decline as well for some of reasons stated above.

[Lipoli390]

My prediction is:

Portland: Dame and Nurk for Ayton, Lonzo Ball, and their own 2024 pick back from Chicago, and and Chicago's top 5 protected FRP in 2027 and 2029.

Chicago: Lonzo and the 3 above picks for Mike Conley.

Phoenix: Ayton for Towns.

Minnesota: Towns and Conley for Dame and Nurk.

This would align with what that dropping dimes twitter guy said about how Phoenix and Dallas being landing spots for Towns.

Not going to happen.

I certainly hope not and Nurkic contract is not one I would want. This would not help Ant and Jaden's timeline and I think makes Wolves worse not better in short term. Easy pass.

That’s right KG. It would be a really dumb move for the Wolves. When I posted that it’s “not going to happen” perhaps I was projecting my own negative view of the deal. I’d like to believe TC wouldn’t do anything that dumb, but the Gobert deal still lingers in my mind and makes me nervous.

TC is a long way from gaining my trust, but I have a sense that he’s regained his senses since his momentary brain malfunction around this time last year. I think he’s all in on the Rudy-KAT duo for one more season as he simultaneously builds for a sustainable winner long-term around Ant and Jaden as evidenced by TC drafting or signing Minott, Moore, Miller, Clark, Naz, NAW and now Troy Brown.

If the Wolves end up in the NBA finals next season, then I can see TC trying really hard to find a way to keep Rudy and KAT one more season even if it means exceeding the second apron. Otherwise, I think TC will have to bend to realist and move one or both of our two bigs next summer. That’s not my preference, but I’m not too bothered by giving it another year with our two bigs.

[Phenom]

Phenom -- I thought your trade was pretty creative! But I think I would decline as well for some of reasons stated above.

Thanks Tim, I also thought I was being creative.

[Phenom]

Not going to happen.

I certainly hope not and Nurkic contract is not one I would want. This would not help Ant and Jaden's timeline and I think makes Wolves worse not better in short term. Easy pass.

That’s right KG. It would be a really dumb move for the Wolves. When I posted that it’s “not going to happen” perhaps I was projecting my own negative view of the deal. I’d like to believe TC wouldn’t do anything that dumb, but the Gobert deal still lingers in my mind and makes me nervous.

TC is a long way from gaining my trust, but I have a sense that he’s regained his senses since his momentary brain malfunction around this time last year. I think he’s all in on the Rudy-KAT duo for one more season as he simultaneously builds for a sustainable winner long-term around Ant and Jaden as evidenced by TC drafting or signing Minott, Moore, Miller, Clark, Naz, NAW and now Troy Brown.

If the Wolves end up in the NBA finals next season, then I can see TC trying really hard to find a way to keep Rudy and KAT one more season even if it means exceeding the second apron. Otherwise, I think TC will have to bend to realist and move one or both of our two bigs next summer. That’s not my preference, but I’m not too bothered by giving it another year with our two bigs.

Would having Dame really make the Wolves worse? What is all the fuss about Dame then? It has been reported that Portland will not cater to Dame's Miami request. They want a good deal and they want to offload Nurk at the same time. This trade seems to check a lot of boxes for all involved, provided that the Wolves are ok with remaining expensive, which they will if they hit the best case scenario with Towns, as Lip mentions above. On the other hand, it could just be lip service from TC. He probably knows it ultimately won't work with Towns and will always be able to say he has to trade him for cap reasons. If they are serious about putting Ant and Jaden deep into the playoff crucible, Dame elevates the playoff floor for this team in a way Towns has yet to do.

[Lipoli390]

I certainly hope not and Nurkic contract is not one I would want. This would not help Ant and Jaden's timeline and I think makes Wolves worse not better in short term. Easy pass.

That’s right KG. It would be a really dumb move for the Wolves. When I posted that it’s “not going to happen” perhaps I was projecting my own negative view of the deal. I’d like to believe TC wouldn’t do anything that dumb, but the Gobert deal still lingers in my mind and makes me nervous.

TC is a long way from gaining my trust, but I have a sense that he’s regained his senses since his momentary brain malfunction around this time last year. I think he’s all in on the Rudy-KAT duo for one more season as he simultaneously builds for a sustainable winner long-term around Ant and Jaden as evidenced by TC drafting or signing Minott, Moore, Miller, Clark, Naz, NAW and now Troy Brown.

If the Wolves end up in the NBA finals next season, then I can see TC trying really hard to find a way to keep Rudy and KAT one more season even if it means exceeding the second apron. Otherwise, I think TC will have to bend to realist and move one or both of our two bigs next summer. That’s not my preference, but I’m not too bothered by giving it another year with our two bigs.

Would having Dame really make the Wolves worse? What is all the fuss about Dame then? It has been reported that Portland will not cater to Dame's Miami request. They want a good deal and they want to offload Nurk at the same time. This trade seems to check a lot of boxes for all involved, provided that the Wolves are ok with remaining expensive, which they will if they hit the best case scenario with Towns, as Lip mentions above. On the other hand, it could just be lip service from TC. He probably knows it ultimately won't work with Towns and will always be able to say he has to trade him for cap reasons. If they are serious about putting Ant and Jaden deep into the playoff crucible, Dame elevates the playoff floor for this team in a way Towns has yet to do.

Whether we’d be better or worse next season with Dame and Nurkic rather than KAT and Conley is an open question. But even if it were certain that the Wolves would be significantly better next season, the deal would still wouldn’t make sense for several reasons.

First, not only would would the Dame/Nukic for KAT/Conley trade not avoid the second apron cliff we’re currently headed for after next season, it would actually make the situation substantially worse because Nurkic would be on the payroll after next season unlike Conley who’s contract expires after next season. It’s conceivable, although unlikely, that the Wolves could stay barely under the second apron with both KAT and Rudy. It’s entirely impossible do so with with Rudy, Dame and Nurkic.

Second, although the Blazers have have more playoff success with Dame than the Wolves have had with KAT, I don’t know that Dame’s a significantly better player. KAT’s career numbers look just as good if not better than Dame’s.

Third, KAT is 5 years younger than Dame. Lillard is past his prime while KAT will be in his prime for at lease several more seasons. That means we’d be getting KAT’s best but probably not Dame’s best over the next few seasons. Moreover, KAT’s trade value will be more sustainable than Dames over the next few years.

If the Wolves ultimately decide to trade KAT this summer or next, it has to be for a package that fits well with Ant and Jaden over the longer term. That’s why swapping KAT for a Scoot package made sense. If the Wolves decide that they can’t keep both bigs next summer, they could choose to trade Rudy and they’d still have a center who lead the team to 46 wins two seasons ago.