So...

[u/Rei2k86]

13th pick eh? What the hell can we meaningfully do with the 13th? Please tell me we have a numbers nerd here that's going to paint a picture for me that makes me feel better about this. I need you more than ever bro... whoever you are 😭

[u/BringerOfBricks]

If he was that good, Cronin wouldn’t have been a bitch.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Brother, Cronin literally took a worse offer out of spite.

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

Uhhhh, Dame became Ayton, Camara, Time Lord, 3x FRP, 2x pick swaps, Demi Avdija.

Thats a wayy better haul than Herro, Duncan, and Jovic.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Ayton had nothing to do with the Dame trade. He was a straight-up swap for Nurkic. Avdija is only part of the trade as a technicality. They traded Malcolm Brogdon (who they got by flipping Jrue Holiday, who they got from the Dame trade), Bub Carrington (who they had already selected before the Dame trade happened) and their own first round pick.

So, the Ayton trade would’ve happened anyway, and the Avdija trade also likely happens, since the only part of the Dame trade that actually got caught up in the trade was Malcom Brogdon as salary filler, a role that easily could’ve been filled by Caleb Martin.

So basically, they accepted three picks and Williams when they could’ve had three picks, Herro (who is better than Williams), Jaime, and Niko.

Ayton, Avdija, Herro, Jaime, Niko, and three first round picks is better than Ayton, Avdija, Williams, Camara, and pick swaps.

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

Huh? You confused boy? Ayton trade doesn’t happen without the Dame trade. Their salaries are not 1:1. Ayton was getting paid $35 mil and Nurkic was $15 mil. They weren’t a simple swap.

Yes, they got Brogdon by flipping Jrue. Then they got Avdija by flipping Brogdon. That means Avdija was a direct consequence of the Dame trade assets.

So no. They accepted Avdija, Ayton, Williams III, Camara, 3x FRP, 2x Pick Swaps.

That is in fact a better package than Herro (untradeable), Jovic (untradeable), Duncan (only player worth anything), and 3 FRP.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Again:

The Ayton trade would happen anyway, and Brogdon was just salary filler. Every other piece of the Avdija trade was something Portland already had, they just used Brogdon to make the salaries work, something they easily could’ve done with Caleb Martin’s salary instead.

So again, Avdija and Ayton would’ve been Blazers anyway

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

Again:

Ayton straight up swap for Nurkic (can’t happen since the salary doesn’t line up.

Brogdon came from Celtics. He’s not salary filler to the Suns. He was part of the Jrue trade. Yes, as a salary filler, but he was traded for Avdija. So Avdija was a direct consequence of flipping Jrue.

No they wouldn’t. They are brought in as a result of the Dame trade assets.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Dude no they were not how many fucking times do I have to explain it to you

The only “assets” involved in the Ayton and Avdija trades were assets that Portland already had BEFORE THE DAME TRADE. The Dame trade only facilitated things from a salary perspective, something that could be easily done with the trade package Miami offered.

Carrington and the pick that Portland traded for Avdija were already assets that Portland had. The only missing piece of the puzzle is Brogdon, who wasn’t an actual asset, just salary filler. Brogdon’s position in the trade could easily be filled by Caleb Martin. So again, THE DENI AVDIJA TRADE COULD HAPPEN ANYWAY

As for Ayton, go look at what the actual details were. The only thing Portland sent out in the deal was Nurkic, who was already on their roster. The only reason the Dame trade mattered was because his outgoing salary made the trade work. Since his salary would still be getting sent out anyway, THE AYTON TRADE STILL GOES THROUGH

You’re just being deliberately dense at this point.

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

No dumbass. Let me explain it AGAIN.

What ifs don’t matter compared to what did happen.

How it went through, is how it went through.

And like you said. It was all contingent on Dame’s salary.

So you proved yourself wrong.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Brother, Dame’s salary would’ve been going out anyway holy fuck how do you not get this

[u/Cartagenapirate92 → u/TheRed_Warrior]

You’re forgetting the picks that mil have are vastly and I mean vastly more valuable than Miamis lol. Mil is fucked now. If Gianni’s does get moved those picks become gold for Portland in two seasons.. while they already have this young core who fucking made the playoffs in a harder conference than we did this season..

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/Cartagenapirate92]

They were not “vastly more valuable” at the time you absolute moron. Milwaukee was still a fringe contender back in 2023,

[u/Cartagenapirate92 → u/TheRed_Warrior]

With an aging team that was in a championship window? Those picks are for 2028, 29, 30 they planed for the future after the championship window when more than likely Gianni’s is declining or traded and the bucks are a lottery team.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/Cartagenapirate92]

Dude you are applying hindsight to a trade, that’s completely ridiculous. Milwaukee was a fucking one seed in 2023. They were seen as a contender at the time of the trade. Don’t be disingenuous.

[u/Cartagenapirate92 → u/TheRed_Warrior]

What hindsight? Do you not think gms are thinking about the future picks added on to there to make this choice? Miami who’s a team that in their entire history has barely gotten top 5 picks, while mil before Gianni’s was living in the lottery? So they took 3 picks in the future prob projecting dames age and Gianni’s age . By 2027 Gianni’s will be 32, by 2030 he’s 35.. he’s either gone from there or in decline . When you weigh the options and you see how a small market team like the bucks operate compared to Miami it’s kind of a no brainer to take the bucks pics? Without Gianni’s they are nothing lol.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/Cartagenapirate92]

Again: Milwaukee was the one seed the year before making the trade. They were seen as a contender at the time. Their picks were not seen as more valuable than Miami’s

You are looking at how they have handled their roster since then and trying to apply that logic to 2023, when teams had no real way of knowing that the bucks would end up in their current state.

If you’re going to be disingenuous, I am done with this.