Dame's agency presumably knows its stuff.As a consequence, their own judgment of the situation matters; they looked at the landscape and assured their client that the grass was definitely greener on the other side. Hopefully they're willing to let the other shoe drop and accommodate the Blazers like the Blazers are purportedly willing to accommodate Lillard. Tucking tail just to get Dame off the books is not an option for the Blazers.

Herro and Robinson? YGBSM!If either player were worth a damn on defense, then maybe. However, as suggested this screws the Blazers without a third team in the trade: two minus-defender guards to team up with Ant, a sophomore phenom, and a plug-amd-play rookie in the backcourt? I get a little sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Keep Herro in the worst case, but with all this catch-and-shoot brilliance the only option open to the Blazers in the near term becomes a playbook built around a run-and-gun offense. That's fun to watch, but pretty well guarantees a lottery invitation. The Blazers have gotten enough of those—and on the heels of two tank seasons this club needs to compete and develop even if they can't contend.

Season ticket holders need to pressure a sale, if possible.Dame's departure shaves nine figures off of the sale price for sure, but a roster burdened with duplicative players hindering the development of younger entrants makes things even worse. Keeping the team and turning it into a clone of Sterling's Clippers, just so that Jody & The Vulcans can spit currency out of a duplicator, is cynical and cruel.

If Miami wants Dame, they damned well better pay.I get that Miami with Lillard on the roster is supposed to contend, but the Blazers shouldn't—can't!—let themselves get rolled, even at the cost of refusing to advance a trade.That one is on Dame and his representation,and they better make a decent duo with Cronin when it comes to working out a trade. (…And yes, I'm repeating myself. For amplification.)

Harden's on the market, but he's not an option regardless of the gymnastics that might obtain him.他是一个女主角,一个麻烦制造者,一个得分后卫who steals all the oxygen. The Blazers at this point can just keep Ant and go one-for-three.

Billups might be closer to the bubble, but he's not gone yet.So it goes even if it turns out that his avoidable missteps were a material contribution to this Dumpster fire. This is not the time to fire an African-American head coach for any reason short of misconduct, a reality unchanged by Dame's pending departure. On the bright side, he's in the best position yet to guide the roster contruction that he wants. Let's see how that goes.

Cronin, though…Next week might well end with him getting fired. The exec working this deal needs to be a shark, not a carp. Maybe one of Cronin's lieutenants is an attorney with a congruent reputation?

I really hope that having screwed us fans, the media will at leasttryto make up for it.I'm not optimistic, though.

The team truly, awfully,desperatelyneeds guys who can play defense.If the Blazers are going to take bad-value, one-dimensional players to match contracts, we should all prefer that those players live in the defensive or three-and-D dimension. Offense is not really a problem,if the incumbent backcourt players can clean up their passing.

Nurk is on the table, now.The Dame & Nurk Pick & Roll Show has been the beating heart of the Blazers' offense since Nurk showed up in town, and loses a step when the guard is a substitute. I hope that the FO and staff have given some thought to what should replace that spectacle, and who the club should obtain in order to effect the replacement.

Trader Bob and Cupcake Ray are no longer the club's GOAT Villains.For the next 20 years at least that honor will go to Neil Olshey in the absence of catastrophe, and he will deserve every bit of the abuse heaped upon him.

…And with that, I'll be slouching off in the hopes of getting my mind right and accomplishingsomethingdecent with the rest of my day. Good luck and sympathies to all of you.