2024 NBA Season

[dwyane36]

You guys need to remember that Draymond staying and being happy means good things for other players as well. If you do not accept what Draymond offers, and you just straight up reject his offer and not renew contracts with him, next season Steph Curry and Klay Thompson may not be as good as they have been so far, I am not saying they won't be, I am saying they may not be.

That is not just because Draymond knows the plays better than anyone and can pass right at the right time to help them score easier, which is a very good reason to begin with, but also this is the guy whey grew up with, almost been like what 10 years together? So when he leaves, they will be a bit upset about it, even if they understand it is business, they may still feel upset, and may play worse.

Of course, Green and the Splash Brothers have had great chemistry on the court for many seasons. However, even if Green is greedy and can't reach a re-signing agreement with Warriors management, it shouldn't affect Curry and Thompson's performance in any significant way. At least I think they'll be as good next season as they've ever been, and Paul will probably make their offense even better.

[Yogee]

Those news articles that says Blazers will build a decent team around Dame are pretty amusing. It's a little too late for that now imo and it's just meant to bring his trade value up. It was already over when they split the duo but didn't really replace McCollum.

[.....]
Yeah, Jimmy Butler is not the ball hog type of player, actually during the Finals I can see him trying to avoid the ball to his hands. I don't know why but that seems questionable for a star player who can really score perimeter shots. Maybe, his confidence was really smashed when the Finals came.

I don't know about that. I listened to some of his interviews and he usually say something about trusting his teammates. I think that's what Pat Riley always tell him.

[Pamadar]

If they'll be able to develop a good chemistry, a strong bond as a friend,

Just like how Bam and Jimmy, if Dame will be able to adopt and fit himself the way these two stars are bonding together, for sure it will be a tough trio to beat up, all are a good threat when handling the ball but adding to that they are also good when playing decoy. More on chemistry blending if ever Dame manages to sign with the Heat.

They already have the necessary skills, so it's crucial for the chemistry to be formed. However, that is still far from happening, so we will have to wait for updates to see if Lillard would be able to join the Miami Heat. It would be a crucial move for both Lillard and the team, especially considering the Heat fell short in the last NBA Finals and were dominated. It's evident that there is a lot of room for improvement for the team.

I will remain hopeful that the Heat will improve, and if Lillard is the answer, then hopefully they will open doors for him.

Yeah right, still far from happening as there's no update yet and we are all just speculating if the trade will take place.

Though just in case and things went accordingly, it is also crucial if who's going to be the replacement, who's going to be traded
and what's the value of the player/s that will be shipped out from the squad, big star like Lilard will need to be a pricey trade
as we know, will know it when we hear any update if the trade rumors will happen.

[OgNasty]

^ We’ll see. The Trailblazers have been praising Dame for years and saying that they’d help him get to where he wants to go if he ever wanted to leave the franchise, so I could see them letting him go for a lot of picks instead of trying to get a star player. Dame is also starting to age, so from a business standpoint it’s probably time to part ways with him anyway.

[FanEagle]

Dame has been at Portland since he first started, if he leaves that's not going to be because he is not getting any help, he hasn't getting any help since he started and he accepted that much, he has shown that he will be willing to retire there with no good help and keep losing as long as he is there, he doesn't mind.

But, he is basically starting to hurt the team at this point, how? Because he is a good player and if he can leave and be traded, they can both get good picks (or players that can be turned into picks) AND also start rebuilding and getting much worse records, him being good hurts their draft lottery chances. So with him gone, plus some picks, plus tanking and getting a pick of their own, they could literally build from ground up again.

[xLays]

As far as I can see, if the Trailblazers don't give up, trade Dame, or provide him with some help, the Trailblazers will never win an NBA Championship in this era. It's like it's time to make a change not just for the players but also the whole organization of Trailblazer. Jerami Grant is not the player who can help Dame win a championship. Remember what happened to Denver after he left the Nuggets. They won the championship a year later.

[ChiBitCTy]

^ We’ll see. The Trailblazers have been praising Dame for years and saying that they’d help him get to where he wants to go if he ever wanted to leave the franchise, so I could see them letting him go for a lot of picks instead of trying to get a star player. Dame is also starting to age, so from a business standpoint it’s probably time to part ways with him anyway.

At this point in time, I just don’t see why he would even want to stay in Portland. It’s been pretty clear they aren’t willing to spend the money to bring in some big guns to help give him at least a chance to compete for a championship.

Dame is easily one of the best shooters of all time and one of the best players I’ve ever seen, his window of being a star is now limited, so in my opinion he needs to ask to be traded to a contender.

[OgNasty]

As far as I can see, if the Trailblazers don't give up, trade Dame, or provide him with some help, the Trailblazers will never win an NBA Championship. It's like it's time to make a change not just for the players but also the whole organization of Trailblazer. Jerami Grant is not the player who can help Dame win a championship. Remember what happened to Denver after he left the Nuggets. They won the championship a year later.

It is a shame too. The Blazers were on their way to a dynasty but Greg Oden’s injury devastated them. Brandon Roy also could have been great, not to mention they had LaMarcus Aldridge and even Zach Randolph. It was just a series of unfortunate incidents that kept Dame from getting a ring, so I think everyone is fine with him ring chasing now. Poor Portland. What could have been.

[MK-74]

Rumors are that Damian Lillard is not happy that the Trailblazers didn’t try and trade their pick to get him some win now help. He’s also basically stated that he wants to be in Miami with Bam and Jimmy. It seems like this is going to happen and probably going to happen this week. I still think the Beal trade is the big move so far though.

Damian Lillard and his manager Aaron Goodwin will meet with the team today to discuss the team's trajectory!
Damian Lillard may have some requests from the team and if these do not come true, he may want to leave the team.

I did try to research a bit hoping that there is a confirmation to these rumors surrounding Dame, but it seems like there isn't as of this moment.
I've seen articles saying that "Dame will stay with Portland", and some stating the teams that's interested in him. These are coming from some reliable sports websites as well.

I saw this information on our local news channel and shared it. I usually trust the news they share because most of it turns out to be true.
They did not share any news about the latest situation today, but I think they will share when they get information.

[OgNasty]

I'm glad to hear that the Suns are apparently willing to keep DeAndre Ayton now instead of trade him for next to nothing.  Pretty crazy that they almost dealt him for JaVale McGee, Tim Hardaway Jr. & Richaun Holmes.  I think Ayton is worth a lot more than that and I hope he's able to have another year like in their Finals run a couple years back.  He's definitely capable of being one of the top centers in the league, he just needs some development help.  Monty Williams did a horrible job with him and I think if the Suns focus on him they'll have their best chance at getting back into the Finals.

[btc_angela]

I'm glad to hear that the Suns are apparently willing to keep DeAndre Ayton now instead of trade him for next to nothing.  Pretty crazy that they almost dealt him for JaVale McGee, Tim Hardaway Jr. & Richaun Holmes.  I think Ayton is worth a lot more than that and I hope he's able to have another year like in their Finals run a couple years back.  He's definitely capable of being one of the top centers in the league, he just needs some development help.  Monty Williams did a horrible job with him and I think if the Suns focus on him they'll have their best chance at getting back into the Finals.

I do agree, it seems that the Suns has ruined him (although he is still very young and maybe improved a lot in he will be traded). I say they ruined him mentally because,

a. they didn't give him max rookie contract when he played very well and help them reached the finals, but they just lost
b. Monty Williams their previous coach might have the wrong approach on Ayton, so instead of DeAndre improving, his game goes down and then he got the blame for not playing against Jokic during their playoff series

I guess it's time for him to really move out of Phoenix if he has a chance.

[Dave1]

^ We’ll see. The Trailblazers have been praising Dame for years and saying that they’d help him get to where he wants to go if he ever wanted to leave the franchise, so I could see them letting him go for a lot of picks instead of trying to get a star player. Dame is also starting to age, so from a business standpoint it’s probably time to part ways with him anyway.

At this point in time, I just don’t see why he would even want to stay in Portland. It’s been pretty clear they aren’t willing to spend the money to bring in some big guns to help give him at least a chance to compete for a championship.

Dame is easily one of the best shooters of all time and one of the best players I’ve ever seen, his window of being a star is now limited, so in my opinion he needs to ask to be traded to a contender.

They try but they failed in that process, remember they let go of CJ? Him and CJ are a great tandem, and who they got for that trade?

So it's the failure of Portland management to surround him, maybe its not the money, but poor decisions on their end. And so I guess Dame will have to make the difficult decision to just move out of Trailblazers and start from scratch to Miami and chase that NBA champions with Butler and others as the Heat has so much experience going although they haven't won it but they have been in that position. And so with the addition of Dame, they might get over that hump and become a NBA champion again.

[danherbias07]

[.....]
Yeah, Jimmy Butler is not the ball hog type of player, actually during the Finals I can see him trying to avoid the ball to his hands. I don't know why but that seems questionable for a star player who can really score perimeter shots. Maybe, his confidence was really smashed when the Finals came.

I don't know about that. I listened to some of his interviews and he usually say something about trusting his teammates. I think that's what Pat Riley always tell him.

And that's why Damian Lillard would best suit in Miami Heat. They are a team who rotates the ball, maybe it's time for Dame Time to learn that too. But from West to East, I hope that will not be difficult for him.

According to news though, it seems like the Trail Blazers will not let him go.
Damian Lillard trade rumors: Trail Blazers 'remain committed to building a winner' around star guard, GM says
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/damian-lillard-trade-rumors-trail-blazers-remain-committed-to-building-a-winner-around-star-guard-gm-says/

The Portland Trail Blazers "remain committed to build a winner" around Damian Lillard, general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement Monday.

Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, and Damian Lillard, are definitely a good small ball lineup with an advantage in speed. They can go big by switching Scoot for Nurkic. In case they are having trouble against a big star player, they can use Matisse Thybulle I say it's not that bad. If Dame wants more then I think he is trying to build an All-Star caliber but their roster is already decent. They just have a lot of work to do in their chemistry.

I heard the Miami Heat is patiently waiting for Dame to come but I really doubt this could happen. I think Dame is just pushing the Blazers management to increase the firepower of their roster.

[Yaunfitda]

[.....]
Yeah, Jimmy Butler is not the ball hog type of player, actually during the Finals I can see him trying to avoid the ball to his hands. I don't know why but that seems questionable for a star player who can really score perimeter shots. Maybe, his confidence was really smashed when the Finals came.

I don't know about that. I listened to some of his interviews and he usually say something about trusting his teammates. I think that's what Pat Riley always tell him.

And that's why Damian Lillard would best suit in Miami Heat. They are a team who rotates the ball, maybe it's time for Dame Time to learn that too. But from West to East, I hope that will not be difficult for him.

According to news though, it seems like the Trail Blazers will not let him go.
Damian Lillard trade rumors: Trail Blazers 'remain committed to building a winner' around star guard, GM says
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/damian-lillard-trade-rumors-trail-blazers-remain-committed-to-building-a-winner-around-star-guard-gm-says/

The Portland Trail Blazers "remain committed to build a winner" around Damian Lillard, general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement Monday.

Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, and Damian Lillard, are definitely a good small ball lineup with an advantage in speed. They can go big by switching Scoot for Nurkic. In case they are having trouble against a big star player, they can use Matisse Thybulle I say it's not that bad. If Dame wants more then I think he is trying to build an All-Star caliber but their roster is already decent. They just have a lot of work to do in their chemistry.

I heard the Miami Heat is patiently waiting for Dame to come but I really doubt this could happen. I think Dame is just pushing the Blazers management to increase the firepower of their roster.

I don't think that the roster has enough firepower in the West though. But I'm excited as how Scoot will be for Portland this upcoming season. He could be a big help for Nurkic. But then again the West is pretty much stack up so hard to see how those lineup are going to contest teams like Memphis or GSW.

And I do think that Dame really wanted a All star caliber team mate to help him out. Or even build a big 3 for that matter and I don't see that on him, Grant or any of the other guys in the lineup, decent but not good in my opinion.

[Jating]

There is also a news that Donte DiVincenzo is entering unrestricted free agency and will not sign with his player option with Warriors. So I guess the Warriors will have to lost another part of their rotation in Donte, coming off the bench, scoring almost 10 points per game.

So Poole and then Donte, I guess the Warriors bench will not be that deep, but they are going to totally rely on their offense.

Maybe seeing Paul and Steph starting at the same time.

[Sanitough]

Maybe seeing Paul and Steph starting at the same time.

There is a possibility that this approach would help Curry conserve his energy, as they would already have a facilitator, while he and Thompson focus on finding open shots. It would result in a smaller lineup, but adjustments can always be made.

[danherbias07]

And I do think that Dame really wanted a All star caliber team mate to help him out. Or even build a big 3 for that matter and I don't see that on him, Grant or any of the other guys in the lineup, decent but not good in my opinion.

Yeah, that might be the case on why he keeps on pushing the Trail Blazers management to acquire more players, not just good but an All-Star caliber just like other teams where they have duos or trios of star players. They should try Scoot Henderson and him, maybe it will just like be CJ McCollum and Dame.

There is also a news that Donte DiVincenzo is entering unrestricted free agency and will not sign with his player option with Warriors. So I guess the Warriors will have to lost another part of their rotation in Donte, coming off the bench, scoring almost 10 points per game.

So Poole and then Donte, I guess the Warriors bench will not be that deep, but they are going to totally rely on their offense.

Maybe seeing Paul and Steph starting at the same time.

I just received the notification about Donte DiVincenzo. This will be a waste of defensive players if the Warriors will let him go but it will be an opportunity for other teams who are looking for a player that has no good backcourt defenders yet. That man has speed and the hops, he can surely uphold someone like Ja Morant and other teams who are focused on their guards.
I would definitely not miss where this good roleplayer will land.

Maybe seeing Paul and Steph starting at the same time.

There is a possibility that this approach would help Curry conserve his energy, as they would already have a facilitator, while he and Thompson focus on finding open shots. It would result in a smaller lineup, but adjustments can always be made.

We saw how Steve Kerr is already preserving Steph. He makes him rest even in mid minutes of the game. He trusts his players so badly that he would do a risky move and now that they have CP3, someone will be filling up that spot where Steph is benched.

[Kelvinid]

Maybe seeing Paul and Steph starting at the same time.

There is a possibility that this approach would help Curry conserve his energy, as they would already have a facilitator, while he and Thompson focus on finding open shots. It would result in a smaller lineup, but adjustments can always be made.

I thought CP3 would lead the second unit. It would be risky for him to play as a starter, considering his tendency to get injured again with increased minutes. CP3's current value lies primarily in his leadership abilities, as he is no longer the consistent playoff performer who could put up significant numbers. That's just my perspective.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

Maybe seeing Paul and Steph starting at the same time.

There is a possibility that this approach would help Curry conserve his energy, as they would already have a facilitator, while he and Thompson focus on finding open shots. It would result in a smaller lineup, but adjustments can always be made.

Definitely that is a big possibility to have CP3 plays the point moving forward when he joins the Warriors next season. At least Steph will just have to go to a lot of picks and concentrate on his shots same with Klay.

They can't do anything about Donte though, he is a good player, but if he opted out of his contract, then other teams are going to get him very easy and maybe giving him more money and playing time as he was vital with the Warriors last season.

[yazher]

I'm glad to hear that the Suns are apparently willing to keep DeAndre Ayton now instead of trade him for next to nothing.  Pretty crazy that they almost dealt him for JaVale McGee, Tim Hardaway Jr. & Richaun Holmes.  I think Ayton is worth a lot more than that and I hope he's able to have another year like in their Finals run a couple years back.  He's definitely capable of being one of the top centers in the league, he just needs some development help.  Monty Williams did a horrible job with him and I think if the Suns focus on him they'll have their best chance at getting back into the Finals.

He was not worth trading and he looks good when he is in the Phoenix Suns because he already established strong bonds with the team. He will also be a huge asset in making it to the playoffs again because, without his help, it would be a disaster for the Suns because they already lose Chris Paul this upcoming season. What they need to do right now is get ready and train well to synchronize their play with their new teammates so that they will have another high chance to compete in the NBA playoffs again.