12-29-2021, 09:51 AM
(12-29-2021, 09:20 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: I wonder what the market is for Dame Lillard. I am behind on my podcasts and I was listening to a Zach Lowe podcast from a few weeks ago. He brought up the question that he asked other teams of when it is time to be worried about Dame. The answer he got was now. He said this probably doesn't include Philly.
Portland has a lot of free agents and is really a team in transition. They may also want to do well for Dame if he is moved. That doesn't mean they will take a deep discount but this could limit the number of teams would would be targets.
But who could be some of these teams? This summer the thinking was the Knicks could have a competitive offer. That offer does not look as strong now. Would Golden State offer their young players for another high usage player? To be honest, I think the answer would be no at this point. Would replacing Dame with Simmons and picks really put Portland in a better spot? Would Boston include Jaylon Brown? I probably would not and try to improve my talent around Tatum and Brown instead. Would Dame really want to go to New Orleans? That just seems like a team Dame would tell Portland he would prefer to go somewhere else.
Is there a team in hiding? Typically I go back to Miami but with their moves for Lowry this offseason, they are out of the picture.
It is likely that both Dame and Bradley Beal may hit the market. But both have been down this year so far. Beal is expecting a super max. It will be interesting to see if teams go in with A Plus offers. I think it is a sellers market but for the top tier guys the demand may be a little more tricky.
I think the market is pretty strange and I am not sure if it was always like this. Picks are extremely concentrated in a couple of teams that all play like crap - OKC, NO, Houston. Most of current contenders are basically left without assets as Milwaukee, LAC, LAL, Denver, BKN, Mia and Utah all went all in in last couple of years. However, there are a few teams in a very good position both from cap space perspective as well as assets and they are the ones to have a look for a superstar trade, imho: Atlanta, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Boston, GSW and Memphis. Perhaps also Cleveland, if they can continue the current excellent performances.
As for Lillard, I think most suitable destinations for all parties involved would be Philly (Portland can involve a third team for Simmons and get a bunch of assets) and Memphis.
Atlanta has Young (Beal would be a target for them),
Phoenix has CP3 and it would be really cold if they would trade him for Lillard (I doubt the on-court fit of Lillard, CP3 and Booker)
Boston doesn't really have good enough assets outside of Brown/Tatum. But perhaps they don't like eachoter and it would make sense to move one.
I agree with you on GSW.
As for Dallas, I think we will have perfectly good position regarding available picks on draft night. Three first rounders and 3 swaps. What we lack is interesting young talent with high ceiling. But if you are good in relationships, even that would be ok. BKN got Harden for basically three first round picks and four swaps, while players were nothing really special and Houston rejected best ones (Allen, LeVert) for some reason.