Trade Talk: Dame to Bucks, Jrue to Blazers, Nurkic to Suns, etc.

I introduced the idea of Dame going to the Bucks a couple of months ago.  Off the top of my head, that's the only contender I could think of who could actually using a superstar PG that chucks and who could afford Dame without gutting their roster.  At the time, I was sorta picturing him playing alongside Jrue Holiday, but Milwaukee was going to have to give up at least one of their big names to get this deal done.  I would have rather gone with Middleton, since his game is somewhat similar to Lillard's, though Dame being a lot, lot better.  But no use crying over spilt milk.

THE BIG WINNERS - THE SUN

The biggest winner from this trade, if it all goes through, is the Suns.  Booker + KD + Beal is not a compatible Big 3 (unless one of them is injured at all times, or if Beal becomes pass-first), and DeAndre Ayton wasn't going to solve that problem.  Also, their depth was suspect.  But now they're getting Jusuf Nurkic, who should fit better with KD & co.'s style of play, as well as Grayson Allen, who would logically be the Suns' fifth starter.

WHAT ABOUT JRUE?

I feel sorry for Jrue because first of all, just yesterday he was saying that he didn't want to leave the Bucks (though, imo, he didn't sound that convincing).  Remember that the acquisition of Holiday proved to be the ex-factor which made Milwaukee champions.

Second, I just don't see him fitting in with the Blazers' current roster.  Of course I don't know for sure, and they definitely have enough talent to be a surprise playoff team, like the Jazz were last season if they had stayed on that course.  But Holiday is one of those players who like even though he's not in the news making demands and shit like that, he deserves to be on a contender.

Portland, now with DeAndre Ayton instead of Dame and Nurkic, can be classified as a young team.  These young teams in the NBA, not all of them, but some of them are getting scary good.  If Jrue is cool with taking on a mentorship role and isn't preoccupied with winning another ring, then it's all good.  The one thing many of these young teams lack is a true veteran leader.  Also yesterday, he made those comments in the midst of facing a contract extension, so obviously how much Portland would be willing to pay him will be a factor.  But I wouldn't be surprised, or let me say I would be impressed if the Blazers are already thinking about flipping Jrue to a team that can perhaps better capitalize on the career stage that he's in and vice versa.

FINALLY, A RING FOR DAME?

It may be argued that defense in the NBA is as inconsequential as ever - except on the perimeter.  And I'm not saying that Dame is a bad defender.  But at the same time, in all these years I can't say I ever remember him being heralded for his defense.

And in acquiring Lillard, the Bucks gave up one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.  So will that matter in the long run, with Dame + Giannis and the rest of those Milwaukee overachievers?  That remains to be seen.  But maybe, just to be safe, Milwaukee should have also acquired Matisse Thybulle in the process.