Dame Time, One Last Time
Sometimes the best stories don't make sense
I was camping and out of cell service when it was announced Dame Lillard would be returning to the Portland Trail Blazers. When I finally got service, texts from a handful of friends came in sharing the news. My first reaction was happiness. A feeling that went beyond the roster fit and cap table. Like one of those times when it doesn't make sense on paper, but it just feels right in your heart.
I was about halfway through writing another post, but decided to write this instead. I had to share how I was feeling about the homecoming of a Blazers legend and ignore all the left-brained second-guessing that has filled the airwaves following the announcement.
Dame reportedly had the opportunity to join an organization that could compete for championships during the last few productive years of his post-Achilles tear, aging body. It would be business as usual—a team attempting to get every last drop out of a player whose playing days are numbered. A former superstar chasing a ring to try and prove that he belongs among the top 75 players of all time.
However, Dame chose the path not often taken. He is comfortable enough in his own skin to say he is ok with the possibility of not winning a ring to be considered among the elite players and point guards who have ever played.
He chose home. He chose family. He chose his heart. He chose his fans. He chose forgiveness.
I mean, just look at this video of him entering the locker room again for the first time. He couldn't be happier.
As a fan of the NBA, Blazers, and Dame, this is a good story we can all get behind. Dame and the Blazers are a story that would feel incomplete if he didn't return. We should celebrate this move. It should be something we encourage more of. Instead of jumping from team to team chasing rings and legacy, why not create your own legacy right where you are supposed to be?
Dame and the front office had to repair hurt feelings and a difference of opinion to get this deal done. It's a lesson in fighting for the things we love and care about most, rather than running when things get tough. We should follow our hearts, forgive, and move forward together. Life is too short to chase what others want us to pursue instead of going after what truly matters to us.
Embrace your 'Dame back to Portland' moment in your own life. Don't hold grudges. Don't make your life miserable. It's in your hands. Make it happen.
At least the script should read something like that.
However, before we write off the signing of Dame as only a feel-good story, we must remember that Dame can still do things on the basketball court that most others in the Association can't. He's still a top 15-20 player, statistically. He's still one of the best offensive weapons when he gets going. His leadership is among the league's elite. He can score the ball and get to the free throw line with the best of them.
I can almost bet that Dame thinks that if the stars align, there is a chance the Blazers win it all. Afterall, he did say in his introductory press conference that this was a "basketball move."
Deep down in their hearts, I don't really think the Blazers front office feels the same way Dame feels. I think they are hoping for it to work out on the court. They have a very good young core, but they need one of those young pieces to pop and develop into a star to have a chance. And that pop needs to happen ASAP. If a pop doesn't happen, the Blazers likely won't compete for a championship when Dame is on the roster, at least while playing meaningful minutes.
Dame almost certainly won't be able to fill that void once he returns. In all honesty, his best chance at a championship with the Blazers is if the guy drafted to replace him, Scoot Henderson, is good enough to beat Dame out for the starting spot. It feels like a long shot at this point.
The front office probably looks at Dame as a player who can come in and mentor the young guys. A player who can put butts in seats and win back a fanbase who has been searching in the wilderness for something to cheer for ever since Dame left. A player that a new owner can point to and justify the price they will have to pay for the franchise.
When it comes to roster building, this move doesn't really make a ton of sense. The Blazers just traded for Jrue Holiday, another aging star who has shown signs that Father Time isn't far away. Dame and Jrue make up about 30% of the Blazers cap, which isn't great when both are north of 35 years old.
The hope is probably to recreate what the Houston Rockets did this year. However, two salaries of Jrue and Dame make building a young, competitive roster more complicated in the coming years, especially with key extensions on the horizon and Dame's no-trade clause looming over the team. The Rockets had flexibility and tradable assets this summer to make win-now moves. I'm not sure the Blazers have the same cards up their sleeves.
How the Blazers balance Dame and Jrue with Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot will be an interesting experiment. Dame and Jrue will surely attempt to turn back the clock to their backcourt partnership on Team USA that won gold in the 2020 (played in 2021) Olympics, but playing the young guys big minutes will be what could eventually get the Blazers over the edge.
I don't even want to think about all that logical stuff though. I want to focus on how my heart feels about the signing. Something about full-circle moments in life are beautiful, and this is exactly that for Dame, the Blazers, and the fans. The Blazers are my favorite sports team. Dame is my favorite athlete. I'm going to enjoy this one, even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I sure hope Dame and the Blazers prove me wrong.