Are Trail Blazers 'Winning' the Damian Lillard Trade? - Blazer's Edge

gamagana.blogspot.com

Sunday night saw the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns lose their respective playoff games. For the Bucks, it put them on the brink of elimination down 3-1 against the Indiana Pacers, while the Phoenix Suns were shockingly swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Both the Bucks and Suns started their seasons with a massive trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, one that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, Jusuf Nurkic to Phoenix and Deandre Ayton to Portland.

While the Blazers would much rather want to be participating in the playoffs instead of sitting on the couch after a 21-win season, they could be in the best position of the three teams one season after the trade.

The Suns could be the worst off out of the three teams. Phoenix pushed all its chips in after trading for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and absolutely gutted its future. That would’ve been okay if the team was winning like it was supposed to, but the Suns don’t even have a playoff series win — let alone a game — to show for it.

The Bucks, although they have been struck with injuries to Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, aren’t in much of a better spot. Sure, they could come back and win three straight games, but they haven’t shown that they can be a true contender with the current roster. After firing Adrian Griffin — who led the team to a 30-13 start — replacement Doc Rivers led the team to a sub-.500 mark after taking over. Now, he’s one loss away from a second consecutive first-round exit.

The Suns and Bucks are on a train to mediocrity. At least the Blazers have the potential to go in a different direction. There may not be a worse spot in sports than being mediocre, because you don’t put yourself in a spot to win a championship, but you aren’t bad enough to acquire the top young talent. At least the Blazers have the chance to do that.

Giannis, Dame, KD, Booker ... all of those guys are future Hall-of-Famers, but the reality is right now that they are on teams who can’t win the championship, and they no longer have enough assets to acquire the pieces they need alongside them to win.

This is where the Blazers were in the final few years of the Lillard era. They were good enough to be competitive, but not enough to truly make an impact, which is why the Blazers had to blow it up, even if they tried everything in their power not to. Eventually, the Suns and Bucks will recognize that to be their fate as well, and the moves made in the Lillard deal will prove to have been a mistake in hindsight.

Does that mean the Blazers “won” the Lillard trade? No. There’s no guarantee that they will get back on top with the current team they are trying to build. However, if you had to choose one of the team’s futures, the Blazers are the one I’d most like to have.

Adblock test (Why?)

"trade" - Google News
April 29, 2024 at 10:10PM
https://ift.tt/1yXg8Cp

Are Trail Blazers 'Winning' the Damian Lillard Trade? - Blazer's Edge
"trade" - Google News
https://ift.tt/4SyZeof

Rams were willing to do 'whatever we can' to trade up for Braden Fiske - Rams Wire

gamagana.blogspot.com

Les Snead typically wheels and deals during the NFL draft, making several trades to either move up or down the board. This year, however, the Rams general manager only made one trade – and it was a big one.

Early in the second round, the Rams traded up from No. 52 to 39 overall, sending the Panthers Pick 155 and a second-rounder in 2025. It was an expensive move for the Rams, one that the trade value chart says they got fleeced on, but that just goes to show how coveted Braden Fiske was by the front office and coaches.

Sean McVay said after the draft that the Rams immediately identified Fiske as a player they were willing to do whatever to trade up for. They even tried moving up for him from the start of the second round when the Bills went on the clock at No. 33.

“Fiske was the guy that we identified. ‘Hey, let’s do whatever we can to get up and go get this guy,’” McVay said. “And we were trying from the very jump. … Fortunately, Tony was able to get that thing done and we were able to do it and we felt like it was something that was part of the plan. The plan unfolded the way that we wanted it to. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way but a real credit to those guys to be able to execute it and bring it to life.”

Fiske joins his college teammate, Jared Verse, along the Rams’ defensive front as another impact player who could start right away. They both had successful, albeit brief, stints at Florida State, helping the Seminoles go undefeated in the regular season last year.

Pair his relentless play style with his impressive athleticism and the Rams got a talented individual to help replace Aaron Donald.

Adblock test (Why?)

"trade" - Google News
April 29, 2024 at 07:50PM
https://ift.tt/ERQSXMu

Rams were willing to do 'whatever we can' to trade up for Braden Fiske - Rams Wire
"trade" - Google News
https://ift.tt/4SyZeof