RIP BLAZERS: Damian Lillard to get $191 million supermax

[testingtesting]

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-damian-lillard-expected-to-get-191-m-supermax-deal-from-trail-blazers-this-summer-134616480.html

:lmao

[LeGiannis]

Blazers.

[FkLA]

What else are they supposed to do? He's a legitimate Top 10 or Top 15 guy and extremely loyal to Portland. They're never winning it all but its probably better than the alternative, tbh.

[apalisoc_9]

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-damian-lillard-expected-to-get-191-m-supermax-deal-from-trail-blazers-this-summer-134616480.html

:lmao

What options do they have?

The cap is similar for every team but talent is scarce

[Reck]

They're never winning it all but its probably better than the alternative, tbh.

Precisely why you dont throw that kind of money on a single player.

If you know that even with him your team won't get anywhere, isn't it a better idea to get 2-3 decent players for the same price?

The only winner here is Lollard for sure.

[DC23]

That's obscene.

[spurraider21]

What else are they supposed to do? He's a legitimate Top 10 or Top 15 guy and extremely loyal to Portland. They're never winning it all but its probably better than the alternative, tbh.


What options do they have?

The cap is similar for every team but talent is scarce
yup

[Clipper Nation]

What else are they supposed to do? He's a legitimate Top 10 or Top 15 guy and extremely loyal to Portland. They're never winning it all but its probably better than the alternative, tbh.


What options do they have?

The cap is similar for every team but talent is scarce
People said this about John Wall, and then it turned out that the Wizards would have been better off letting him walk after all. The Clippers would be a hopeless mess right now if CP0 signed the supermax instead of demanding a trade.

The supermax is only worth it if the player in question has already won rings by the time they can sign for it. Short of that, it's a franchise-crippling disaster. Honestly, if the Blazers can't convince Lillard to take less, they may very well be better off in the long run by trying to convince him to pull a CP0 instead.

[TD 21]

People said this about John Wall, and then it turned out that the Wizards would have been better off letting him walk after all. The Clippers would be a hopeless mess right now if CP0 signed the supermax instead of demanding a trade.

The supermax is only worth it if the player in question has already won rings by the time they can sign for it. Short of that, it's a franchise-crippling disaster. Honestly, if the Blazers can't convince Lillard to take less, they may very well be better off in the long run by trying to convince him to pull a CP0 instead.

The difference is, the Clippers are located in L.A., which means as long as they have their shit together (which they now do), they can be a player in free agency for the true superstars. Most markets can't say the same.

Of course the Trail Blazers are never winning a championship with Lillard as their best player, but what's the alternative? He's a top 13 player, a good teammate, they're a relatively successful franchise and he's seemingly committed to the market/organization and has a chance to go down as their greatest player. If they don't offer it immediately, the fans will revolt.

[RD2191]

Trash

[FkLA]

Precisely why you dont throw that kind of money on a single player.

If you know that even with him your team won't get anywhere, isn't it a better idea to get 2-3 decent players for the same price?

The only winner here is Lollard for sure.

Like Turner, Crabbe, Meyers Leonard and Ezeli?


People said this about John Wall, and then it turned out that the Wizards would have been better off letting him walk after all. The Clippers would be a hopeless mess right now if CP0 signed the supermax instead of demanding a trade.

The supermax is only worth it if the player in question has already won rings by the time they can sign for it. Short of that, it's a franchise-crippling disaster. Honestly, if the Blazers can't convince Lillard to take less, they may very well be better off in the long run by trying to convince him to pull a CP0 instead.

John Wall is not in the same tier as Lillard. CP0 was, but he was also 5 years older.

Their other two options are:

1. Try to attract another superstar to POR.
2. Try to strike gold in the draft and draft a future superstar that will stick it out with them in a non-destination city.

There's practically no shot the first option happens. The chances of the second one are slim. Locking up their superstar in his prime, that wants to retire there is easily their best option. Besides, the supermax will eventually become the norm so most competitive teams will have to deal with the same cap issues.

[Jonnyblue19]

If Westbrook can get $200 million then Dame can definitely get $190 million. In today's nba he is worth it, even though they will never win.

At the end of the day, if teams want to keep their franchise players they will have to pay the max, even if they don't win. That is how the NBA is now setup.

[Clipper Nation]

The difference is, the Clippers are located in L.A., which means as long as they have their shit together (which they now do), they can be a player in free agency for the true superstars. Most markets can't say the same.

Of course the Trail Blazers are never winning a championship with Lillard as their best player, but what's the alternative? He's a top 13 player, a good teammate, they're a relatively successful franchise and he's seemingly committed to the market/organization and has a chance to go down as their greatest player. If they don't offer it immediately, the fans will revolt.

Destroying your cap flexibility for a treadmill team is never a great idea. Even if you're not a premier free agency destination, staying flexible still makes it so much easier to make those moves on the margins that separate good teams from great ones. It also allows you to take on short-term bad contracts with long-term assets attached during a rebuild. Plus, you avoid situations like the Wizards are in right now where they're saddled with the most untradeable contract in the league.

Sure, fans will revolt now if the Blazers don't offer Lillard the supermax. But those same fans will eventually get tired of sitting through uncompetitive playoff sweeps with Lillard and start demanding a rebuild later, when he's older, higher-paid and harder to trade. There's no clear-cut winning option here that pleases everybody, and that's a failure on Silver's part.

[Play Boban]

today’s nba

[Clipper Nation]

Tbh, if the league and the players expect small-market franchises to agree to these bloated deals, then they need to balance it out by bringing back the amnesty clause every few years.

[spurraider21]

yeah portland was about to win the championship if they just let lillard go. now they're ruined.

[Mugen]

Just the reality of the supermax tbh, pretty punitive unless you have a top 2-3 player.

[Stump]

This might be semi-defensible if his current contract was ending and this one was effective immediately, but he's still got two years until this even takes effect. They'll be paying him over $50 mil when he's 34 years old. That's nuts.

[LeGiannis]

This reminds me of when the Warriors signed Antawn Jamison to a max contract back in 2001. He wasn't anywhere close to a max player but he was their best player and their fans had zero hope for the future

[ducks]

How far will salary cap go up

[Killakobe81]

Destroying your cap flexibility for a treadmill team is never a great idea. Even if you're not a premier free agency destination, staying flexible still makes it so much easier to make those moves on the margins that separate good teams from great ones. It also allows you to take on short-term bad contracts with long-term assets attached during a rebuild. Plus, you avoid situations like the Wizards are in right now where they're saddled with the most untradeable contract in the league.

Sure, fans will revolt now if the Blazers don't offer Lillard the supermax. But those same fans will eventually get tired of sitting through uncompetitive playoff sweeps with Lillard and start demanding a rebuild later, when he's older, higher-paid and harder to trade. There's no clear-cut winning option here that pleases everybody, and that's a failure on Silver's part.

This though I think lilard is more deservingvtan most he flamed out in consecutive series after torching OKC in round one...

[ducks]

Casey Holdahl
@CHold
The Trail Blazers and head coach Terry Stotts have come to terms on a multi-year contract extension.

[Jonnyblue19]

Who owns the Blazers since Paul Allen passed away?

[Jonnyblue19]

Just the reality of the supermax tbh, pretty punitive unless you have a top 2-3 player.


Ding, Ding we have a winner!

[phxspurfan]

“Dame is a special player,” Warriors star Draymond Green told Yahoo Sports. “He just keeps battling. He loves this team and this city, and you respect the fact that he wants to win here and do it his way. He’s an ultimate competitor, and you can tell he’s from Oakland. He’s going to find a way to get it done.”


That's a good quote from Draymond. Lookin out for Dame during his big contract time.

[phxspurfan]

I don't understand the Dame bashing. Especially from fans of a team with G leaguers as their PGs.

[Spurtacular]

Lillard would officially qualify for the supermax if he’s voted to one of the three All-NBA Teams, which is virtually a lock for the four-time All-Star.

:lol Collective bargaining actually based on those rigged votes?

[Spurtacular]

I don't understand the Dame bashing. Especially from fans of a team with G leaguers as their PGs.

Those teams aren't paying a 191 M for a guy who can be savagely shut down by a 35-year-old Iguodala at crunch time.

[Mikeanaro]

He is an overhyped Patty Mills, borderline corpse.

[TDMVPDPOY]

why offer the supermax, when most teams under cap can only give max...

why didnt they offer him the max instead?

[polandprzem]

why offer the supermax, when most teams under cap can only give max...

why didnt they offer him the max instead?

Supermax sounds cool.


Lilard needs to have better team to win something. He is not capable of being a leader that can lead on his own. Either some character guys or just a better coach. All in all he is not worth supermax.

[pad300]

“Dame is a special player,” Warriors star Draymond Green told Yahoo Sports. “He just keeps battling. He loves this team and this city, and you respect the fact that he wants to win here and do it his way. He’s an ultimate competitor, and you can tell he’s from Oakland. He’s going to find a way to get it done.”


That's a good quote from Draymond. Lookin out for Dame during his big contract time.

Classic Gaymond, smart and dirty.

Interfering in another franchise's contract negotiations, to get them to sign a albatross contract (in the long run).

[pad300]

Just the reality of the supermax tbh, pretty punitive unless you have a top 2-3 player.

I would say top 5 player, but still, Dame just ain't that guy.

[spurraider21]

Classic Gaymond, smart and dirty.

Interfering in another franchise's contract negotiations, to get them to sign a albatross contract (in the long run).
You’re ridiculous

[KobesAchilles]

I’m not sure there are more than 4 players who deserve the Super-Max. Giannis, Kawhi, Steph, and LeBron. Though LeBron is simply from a business standpoint at this time. He brings in a shit ton of money for a franchise. KD has to show me he’s actually capable of handling being the man on the team instead of picking twitter fights with random dudes. Also he hasn’t shown he can lead a team to the finals without joining a fucking dynasty. Lol at 35-4 without him. Dude is all kinds of salty and better pray his team chokes again in the finals without him or he’s healthy and wins another Finals MVP to get people to forget that his team doesn’t need him.

[Killakobe81]

I’m not sure there are more than 4 players who deserve the Super-Max. Giannis, Kawhi, Steph, and LeBron. Though LeBron is simply from a business standpoint at this time. He brings in a shit ton of money for a franchise. KD has to show me he’s actually capable of handling being the man on the team instead of picking twitter fights with random dudes. Also he hasn’t shown he can lead a team to the finals without joining a fucking dynasty. Lol at 35-4 without him. Dude is all kinds of salty and better pray his team chokes again in the finals without him or he’s healthy and wins another Finals MVP to get people to forget that his team doesn’t need him.

Im with you and CN

This would be my list:
Lebron KD Giannis Steph Harden and Kawhi (if healthy)

I get that Dame, Embiid, Jokic, Russ Wall etc have or will get it too ... if not super then a max anyways ... but I Would do what clips did sign them and then flip 'em for future unprotected picks.

IF hornets (or anyone else) pay anything close to that $$ for Kemba jimmy butler etc they deserve whatever they get the last few years of those contracts even if it's my Lakers ...

[Jonnyblue19]

Im with you and CN

This would be my list:
Lebron KD Giannis Steph Harden and Kawhi (if healthy)

I get that Dame, Embiid, Jokic, Russ Wall etc have or will get it too ... if not super then a max anyways ... but I Would do what clips did sign them and then flip 'em for future unprotected picks.

IF hornets (or anyone else) pay anything close to that $$ for Kemba jimmy butler etc they deserve whatever they get the last few years of those contracts even if it's my Lakers ...

That is why Jerry West is the best in the business. What he did for the Warriors and now how he is setting up the Clippers for the future. He always 2 or 3 moves ahead of otherez.

[Clipper Nation]

I don't understand the Dame bashing. Especially from fans of a team with G leaguers as their PGs.

Not thinking Lillard deserves the supermax is not the same thing as bashing him. He can be good and still not be $191 million good.

[Jonnyblue19]

Not thinking Lillard deserves the supermax is not the same thing as bashing him. He can be good and still not be $191 million good.

Exactly, but the reality is he will get it and so will so many good players. It used to be you have to be great and one of top 5-10 players in the NBA not anymore.

If an old broken down Chris Paul can make 40 million a year why can't Dame

[timvp]

I agree that the Blazers have to give it to him. If you're a small market team and you have a top 20 player who wants to stay, you have to max him out ... no questions asked.

[Jonnyblue19]

Wow I didn't know it was a 4 year extension. I thought it was 5 years. He is going to make over $50 million and $53 million his last two years. Damn, great time to be an NBA player!

[Jonnyblue19]

I remember when $30 million year was a lot then $40 million now it is around $50 million.

They wrote if he got the supermax in 2020 and a 5 year contact would pay him $57 million his final year.

Can teams afford to players more$50 million a year, nd still build around them?

[DC23]

There’s 4-5 guys in the NBA worth that much money. Lillard is NOT one of them.

[Brazil]

I agree that the Blazers have to give it to him. If you're a small market team and you have a top 20 player who wants to stay, you have to max him out ... no questions asked.

unless you are the Spurs :lol

[phxspurfan]

Exactly, but the reality is he will get it and so will so many good players. It used to be you have to be great and one of top 5-10 players in the NBA not anymore.

If an old broken down Chris Paul can make 40 million a year why can't Dame

There is the whole all NBA team 2-3 years running part of it. Which kind of means you are one of the top players in the league (at the time you receive the award)

[phxspurfan]

unless you are the Spurs :lol

http://img.randomlulz.com/37e6c29260db6aaf1de1dc5c165a2904.jpg

[phxspurfan]

I remember when $30 million year was a lot then $40 million now it is around $50 million.

They wrote if he got the supermax in 2020 and a 5 year contact would pay him $57 million his final year.

Can teams afford to players more$50 million a year, and still build around them?

Sure, just don't pay players who aren't worth that money that money (*cough* Mills). Instead, pay them according to their VORP (in Mills case, maybe even less than replacement level).

[JohnnyMax]

Harlem and Apalisoc. Don't fall for this camouflaged racism. They hate seeing non-whites get paid. Its why they're going to John Wall level pocket-watching such as downplaying how good Lillard is, bringing up his age when contract runs out. Notice most hardcore racists like Clipper Nation and Spurtacular are on the same side.

[TD 21]

Destroying your cap flexibility for a treadmill team is never a great idea. Even if you're not a premier free agency destination, staying flexible still makes it so much easier to make those moves on the margins that separate good teams from great ones. It also allows you to take on short-term bad contracts with long-term assets attached during a rebuild. Plus, you avoid situations like the Wizards are in right now where they're saddled with the most untradeable contract in the league.

Sure, fans will revolt now if the Blazers don't offer Lillard the supermax. But those same fans will eventually get tired of sitting through uncompetitive playoff sweeps with Lillard and start demanding a rebuild later, when he's older, higher-paid and harder to trade. There's no clear-cut winning option here that pleases everybody, and that's a failure on Silver's part.

So 30 teams should run their business on the hopes that they luck into a superstar and all the requisite surrounding pieces? At any given time, at least 25 are not going to be in that position no matter what they do.

Flexible for what? No superstar is signing in something like 25 markets.

You do realize a successful re-build yield something like what the Trail Blazers are, right? Anything beyond that requires extreme luck.

What's Silver supposed to do about the fact that one player can have a massive effect on the sport and the reality that most of these divas resort to groupthink and now virtually all (at least American superstars) supposedly want to play in major markets?

[Killakobe81]

That is why Jerry West is the best in the business. What he did for the Warriors and now how he is setting up the Clippers for the future. He always 2 or 3 moves ahead of otherez.

he is best GM ever but he didnt really do shot for the warriors or Grizz
his best work was done with Lakers and his consulting with Clippers.

[Killakobe81]

Not thinking Lillard deserves the supermax is not the same thing as bashing him. He can be good and still not be $191 million good.

This. Dame Russ Embiid etc are gonna get paid they are legit all stars...

But max money for a dude that can't lead to a title sucks, especially if he really a #2 but you paying him as a #1.

[Killakobe81]

Harlem and Apalisoc. Don't fall for this camouflaged racism. They hate seeing non-whites get paid. Its why they're going to John Wall level pocket-watching such as downplaying how good Lillard is, bringing up his age when contract runs out. Notice most hardcore racists like Clipper Nation and Spurtacular are on the same side.

check my track record.
In the lockout I was 100% on the player's side.
I argued even though he wasn't even considering LAkers at that time that Bron was underpaid and should not be capped.
The guys i mentioned should make over $200 million especially Lebron and Steph due to marketing etc,

but teh very good players like Aldridge Derozen CJ mccollum Wall etc get paid like the megastars and that is NOT good for small markets or the league.

[Jonnyblue19]

he is best GM ever but he didnt really do shot for the warriors or Grizz
his best work was done with Lakers and his consulting with Clippers.

Didn't he draft help draft Klay and Steph and help trade Monta Ellis? Was he also responsible for help bringing over Iggy? He also never offered Barnes the max deal which made him leave in free agency and opened the door for the Warriors being able to afford Durant.

[Jonnyblue19]

check my track record.
In the lockout I was 100% on the player's side.
I argued even though he wasn't even considering LAkers at that time that Bron was underpaid and should not be capped.
The guys i mentioned should make over $200 million especially Lebron and Steph due to marketing etc,

but teh very good players like Aldridge Derozen CJ mccollum Wall etc get paid like the megastars and that is NOT good for small markets or the league.


Yea, I think they might restructure the next collective bargaining agreement based on that. I don't know how small teams will be able to afford these contracts unless they are winning or go deep every year in the playoffs.

[spurraider21]

check my track record.
In the lockout I was 100% on the player's side.
I argued even though he wasn't even considering LAkers at that time that Bron was underpaid and should not be capped.
The guys i mentioned should make over $200 million especially Lebron and Steph due to marketing etc,

but teh very good players like Aldridge Derozen CJ mccollum Wall etc get paid like the megastars and that is NOT good for small markets or the league.
look who you're responding to

[Clipper Nation]

he is best GM ever but he didnt really do shot for the warriors or Grizz
his best work was done with Lakers and his consulting with Clippers.
West is the guy who convinced the Warriors to draft Klay, not trade Klay for Kevin Love, and closed the deal with KD. He's also why Mark Jackass got fired - Jackass trying to ban West from the team's practices was the last straw, iirc. He deserves more credit for their success than you're giving him.

[Clipper Nation]

Harlem and Apalisoc. Don't fall for this camouflaged racism. They hate seeing non-whites get paid. Its why they're going to John Wall level pocket-watching such as downplaying how good Lillard is, bringing up his age when contract runs out. Notice most hardcore racists like Clipper Nation and Spurtacular are on the same side.
Race has nothing to do with it, Lillard still wouldn't be worth a contract like this if he was white or Asian or whatever.

It's not "pocket watching" either, it's salary-cap watching. Lillard isn't making this much money in a vacuum. This contract will significantly impact how the front office can build a team around him in the future.

[spurraider21]

he is best GM ever but he didnt really do shot for the warriors or Grizz
his best work was done with Lakers and his consulting with Clippers.
memphis was the worst team in the league when he took over and they at least made playoffs and hand picked hubie brown who got coach of the year. he then left the year before they traded pau

[DMC]

I don't think this event turned their fortunes around. They aren't going to win a ring anytime soon. They got lucky that Houston met GS in the 2nd round, and they didn't.

[ambchang]

What an age to be a basketball player. Sprewell choking his mom for not giving birth to him 20 years later or he’d be able to feed his family.

Silver can solve the problems for small market by simply enforcing the basic basketball rules on the court. With an even playing field and no superstar calls, small market teams can at least build Championship teams with second tier stars like the pistons did and be able to compete for a ring.

The idea of marketing individuals have taken on an extreme form and is hurting the league more than helping it. And as usual you can trace the problem back to Jordan.

[horseshue]

LOL porzingis and d'angelo are getting Max deals this summer, but people are bitching about dame. He at least lead his team to a wcf. Those two hasnt done anything, except raping some bitches, and fighting with Russians in some gheto.

[Killakobe81]

LOL porzingis and d'angelo are getting Max deals this summer, but people are bitching about dame. He at least lead his team to a wcf. Those two hasnt done anything, except raping some bitches, and fighting with Russians in some gheto.

I don't get this argument.
So because Washed CP3 is making 40 million in year four of his extension and busted leg Porzy will make max dollars that means because dame is a really good even great player he should make Lebron or steph money?!

I get that To the Blazers Dame is their "lebron" and so of course he will demand near $200 M's

But with Dame as your best player as much as iI like him you probaby won't win a title.
Sure they made the WCF but do any of us believe they could beat the Sixers, bucks Raptors or Rox?

if im the blazers i resign him but if no title run by year two I am looking to trade him like clips did Paul and Blake.

[ambchang]

They all have cp3 to thank. Paul created this deal to get as much for himself as possible, and he got it. That guys is a psychopath who threw the owners and the players under the bus to get money he never deserved.

[Killakobe81]

They all have cp3 to thank. Paul created this deal to get as much for himself as possible, and he got it. That guys is a psychopath who threw the owners and the players under the bus to get money he never deserved.

On this, we also agree
and even better he got bron to sacrifice his earnings power to do it.
Now bron will benefit as he moves on through his washed stage as well ...

But CP3 absolutely rigged the CBA for his self-benefit

[FkLA]

he is best GM ever

Excuse me?

https://www.nba.com/.element/media/2.0/teamsites/spurs/Schad/img/Spurs/Headshots/rc.jpg

[Jonnyblue19]

On this, we also agree
and even better he got bron to sacrifice his earnings power to do it.
Now bron will benefit as he moves on through his washed stage as well ...

But CP3 absolutely rigged the CBA for his self-benefit


I would never pay anyone of these players the max but it ain't my money so more power to them to make it. And you can blame the owners to agreeing to this in the CBA agreement. So the owners have no one to blame but themselves for this. But they must be making a fortune if they can some how be paying max deals of $47 million on a 4 year basis and not whine about it.

Again is he worth it, hell no, but it looks like max contracts are the new norms for decent to good players.

[Killakobe81]

Didn't he draft help draft Klay and Steph and help trade Monta Ellis? Was he also responsible for help bringing over Iggy? He also never offered Barnes the max deal which made him leave in free agency and opened the door for the Warriors being able to afford Durant.

he did not draft steph I dont think he was even the primary even drafting Klay

what he was was the one that said no to klay for Kevin Love

[baseline bum]

Im with you and CN

This would be my list:
Lebron KD Giannis Steph Harden and Kawhi (if healthy)

I get that Dame, Embiid, Jokic, Russ Wall etc have or will get it too ... if not super then a max anyways ... but I Would do what clips did sign them and then flip 'em for future unprotected picks.

IF hornets (or anyone else) pay anything close to that $$ for Kemba jimmy butler etc they deserve whatever they get the last few years of those contracts even if it's my Lakers ...

No way on Harden being on that list. He's in that regular season statpadder tier with Westbrook.

[Jonnyblue19]

he did not draft steph I dont think he was even the primary even drafting Klay

what he was was the one that said no to klay for Kevin Love


Good to know, thanks.

[Gibbz]

Dame's highest career postseason WS/48 was his age-23 .130. He has some lofty playoff highlight reels but cannot consistently lead you anywhere. $191 million? Big yikes. I'd let him walk for that.

[Killakobe81]

Dame's highest career postseason WS/48 was his age-23 .130. He has some lofty playoff highlight reels but cannot consistently lead you anywhere. $191 million? Big yikes. I'd let him walk for that.

Nah I can see signing him so you get something for him but gotta sell high

[Gibbz]

Nah I can see signing him so you get something for him but gotta sell high

Good point, they could trade him with that deal and probably get a return. I would not be down with getting stuck with the contract, though.

[namlook]

Someone should tell Barkley the Blazers can't win.

[therealtruth]

Dame's highest career postseason WS/48 was his age-23 .130. He has some lofty playoff highlight reels but cannot consistently lead you anywhere. $191 million? Big yikes. I'd let him walk for that.

Agree. I don't think he's your first option on a championship team.