Report: Damian Lillard Requests Trade, Spurs on List of Preferred Teams

[Extra Stout]

If Wemby is who everyone thinks he is then the Spurs will be compe ive whether anyone likes it or not.

LeBron went 35-47 his first year, with a productive Carlos Boozer.

If Vassell gets an extension anything like the current payscales going around the Spurs might never have enough cap room to add a top 15 point guard via free agency for the rest of Wemby's career. VanVleet wasn't a top 10 pg in my eyes and ... still has an estimated 1st year salary of 40.8!

Getting Doug McDermott and Khem Birch off the books pays for most of Devin’s extension.

I wouldn’t take Houston’s profligacy as setting the market.

If the Spurs can’t find a free agent point guard, then if Blake Wesley fails to develop they can draft one with one of their many picks.

High risk yet high reward . I don't expect it to happen and won't be heartbroken when it doesn't. Just an entertaining thought experiment.

Yeah.

[The Truth #6]

Sad reality is most American NBA stars are divas that lead to drama or are not actually superstars that get you to a ring. The latest Finals could illustrate this reality. Build around Joker (not just the talent but the no BS stability and home grown team building approach) or like Miami with extremely hard working dudes and hope to get lucky.

I’m exaggerating to a point but not completely. It’s hard to build a winner these days. Everyone is impatient and wants to fast track. I agree to wait a year and possibly stealth tank/slow roll to then see what we need to go all in on, or not. Or get another lottery pick. There is always star movement every year. This is a good situation. So far from the DDR years of nonsense.

[Obstructed_View]

Getting Doug McDermott and Khem Birch off the books pays for most of Devin’s extension.

I was ready for Dougie to go right up until the Spurs won the lottery. He might become Victor's favorite target.

[slick'81]

I was ready for Dougie to go right up until the Spurs won the lottery. He might become Victor's favorite target.

his floor spacing and veteran presence is actually needed now

[daslicer]

Amazing how many Spurs fans are acting like Laker fans in here and are just excited an alleged big-name star is interested in them that they are willing to trade the farm to get him. They are willing to do this despite Damian being a small 6ft player who is 33 years old and whose best days are going to end very soon. This is the equivalent of being excited about the hot girl from your high school that rejected you back in the day but now at the age off 33 is interested in you but also has 3 kids and is now starting to decline in looks.

[Brazil]

Trade for Dame. Get these kids in the playoffs and let them learn how to win on the big stage. What player could we sign or draft in the next 3 or 4 years that could possibly be as good as Dame? Who gives a if he's 32? Isn't CP3 still balling (when healthy lol) at like 50 years old? Who the wants to watch a bunch of 30 win seasons for the next 2-3 years? Wemby said he wants to win now. Believe him or don't. Just hope no one is crying when he dips in a few seasons because the front office was too chicken to try anything.

Bruh Spurs will be in tanking mode, not shooting for worst 4 but they are not going to push it, I can see Spurs trying a top 10 pick next year imho

[slick'81]

Bruh Spurs will be in tanking mode, not shooting for worst 4 but they are not going to push it, I can see Spurs trying a top 10 pick next year imho

if they miss the playoffs and are back in the lottery that should be ideal

[Brazil]

if they miss the playoffs and are back in the lottery that should be ideal

I think it's low key the plan. Obviously Spurs did not want to make any big moves before knowing what they have with Victor, they also want to focus on his adaptation and health.

[ace3g]

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
36s
Clippers, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Pelicans are all among teams "to reach out" about a potential Damian Lillard trade, per B/R's ChrisBHaynes

[rascal]

Getting back into the top 5-10 in next year's draft should be the goal.
They already said they're bringing back the same team and manage Wemby's minutes so they are on track for the soft tank.

That's the only way the spurs are going to get that all star PG to pair with Wemby.

[PhantomDashCam]

Just some random thoughts:

- We have eight first round picks (likely) coming our way over the next three years.
They’re all not going to be on the team.
Under certain depreciating protections, you should be able to offer two-three without selling the farm/mortgaging a significant part of the future.

- We also have no idea on what price Vassell will command and what the Spurs would be willing to pay him too in FA or as a rookie extension. (Desmond Bane anyone?)

- A closing 5 man group of: Zach Collins, Wemby, Sochan, KJ and Dame is a pretty potent mix on paper

- Anfernee Simons and CJ Mcollum developed into borderline All-stars with Dame still on the team. Elite, team-friendly compe ion helps others improve and reach their potential sooner.

[Mal]

Why do you want to lose in the conference semifinals?

It's better to be in playoffs, be there, give your best rather than be 10th-12th again and miss everything or lose in play-in.

I`m all about going through process of trade, rather than - he is too old, contract too big, pass. Spurs can fit it - 2 years of Lillard-ball, then pass the torch to Wemby.

[Extra Stout]

It's better to be in playoffs, be there, give your best rather than be 10th-12th again and miss everything or lose in play-in.

I`m all about going through process of trade, rather than - he is too old, contract too big, pass. Spurs can fit it - 2 years of Lillard-ball, then pass the torch to Wemby.

That’s the philosophical difference. Some believe the right thing to do, the ethical thing to do, is to give it your all every year, and make moves to put the best possible team out there every year, even if the short-term moves mortgage some of the future. Soft-rolling a season after drafting a generational superstar seems cynical and unethical.

However, it is manifestly obvious that is not how the Spurs’ organization sees things.

[ismael-robert]

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
36s
Clippers, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Pelicans are all among teams "to reach out" about a potential Damian Lillard trade, per B/R's ChrisBHaynes

Notice what these have in common...their stars are getting older and they are looking for something to get them over hump (or their stars are frustrated with losing and wanna leave). Spurs are looking for another dynasty

[RC_Drunkford]

Notice what these have in common...their stars are getting older and they are looking for something to get them over hump (or their stars are frustrated with losing and wanna leave). Spurs are looking for another dynasty

so Zion, Anthony Edwards, KAT, Tatum and Brown are old?

[Kurik]

My hope is that a team besides Miami gets Dame and the Spurs as the team with loads of cap space still can take advantage. Let other teams make mistakes, as long as Lillard doesn’t go to Miami some dominoes may need to fall.

[lefty]

Bruh Spurs will be in tanking mode, not shooting for worst 4 but they are not going to push it, I can see Spurs trying a top 10 pick next year imho

Don't Spurs already have good picks from previous trades?

[exstatic]

My hope is that a team besides Miami gets Dame and the Spurs as the team with loads of cap space still can take advantage. Let other teams make mistakes, as long as Lillard doesn’t go to Miami some dominoes may need to fall.

Yeah, I’m kind of done renting gobs of cap space for SRPs. If you can’t come to the table with a first, Spurs should simply sign a deal or deals to get to the floor, and tell the teams needing space to all the way off.

[Kurik]

Don't Spurs already have good picks from previous trades?

Raptors should be in a sweet spot around 10-12. I think Charlotte will be a playin team next year assuming Lamelo stays healthy, so their pick around 12-14. I think the Spurs will be right around the 10th seed in the West so we’re looking at potentially 2-3 first round picks between 8-14.

[CGD]

Yeah, I’m kind of done renting gobs of cap space for SRPs. If you can’t come to the table with a first, Spurs should simply sign a deal or deals to get to the floor, and tell the teams needing space to all the way off.

I feel the sentiment, but I also think it’s situational. For example, given their proven track record of compe ion a FRP from Miami is probably not likely to be THAT far off from a SRP from one of the career NBA loser front offices like CLE, WAS, or even a NOLA. We just saw in this past draft how pretty similar players in the 20-45th range are, or at least, how picks there are mostly about the eye of the beholder.

[spurraider21]

i dont think lillard makes much sense unless its a kawhi-esque giveaway, but its worth noting hes actually coming off one of the better individual seasons of his career. he also has less mileage than steph

i dont think he's cooked or notably declining or anything like that

also have to realize that with a 19 year old wemby, you are hoping to have like a 15+ year window the way we did with timmy. there are going to be multiple iterations of the wemby spurs. we dont necessarily need the same version of the team aging together for all 15 years

[tesseractive]

That’s the philosophical difference. Some believe the right thing to do, the ethical thing to do, is to give it your all every year, and make moves to put the best possible team out there every year, even if the short-term moves mortgage some of the future. Soft-rolling a season after drafting a generational superstar seems cynical and unethical.

However, it is manifestly obvious that is not how the Spurs’ organization sees things.

They've got a lot of promising young players. They want to see where they are before making any moves. As long as they go into every game trying their best to win with the players they have, that's not unethical. Unethical is putting your players on the court and basically telling them to half-ass it so they will lose.

If they go 10-25 to start the season with their young core, making win-now moves is silly, but it might be time to look at some other options for some guys who haven't been getting it done. If they go 16-19, maybe it makes sense to trade for a key veteran and try for a playoff run. They're still going to lose early in the playoffs, but getting a young team some early playoff experience can be great to build on.

[Mal]

That’s the philosophical difference. Some believe the right thing to do, the ethical thing to do, is to give it your all every year, and make moves to put the best possible team out there every year, even if the short-term moves mortgage some of the future. Soft-rolling a season after drafting a generational superstar seems cynical and unethical.

However, it is manifestly obvious that is not how the Spurs’ organization sees things.

The tank is clearly over. Spurs have loads of picks incoming and cap space to do it. But they shouldn't take a part in bidding war, just wait and see how it goes.

[ismael-robert]

so Zion, Anthony Edwards, KAT, Tatum and Brown are old?

Mentally yes, they're tired of losing and becoming tired of their teams and nobody wants that

[RC_Drunkford]

Mentally yes, they're tired of losing and becoming tired of their teams and nobody wants that

way to try to save yourself from a horrible take

so if people say Wemby is wise beyond his years, doesn't that make him part of that group as well? Cause he's mentally old