so Wes never got the millions on a rookie deal, had to scrap his ass off just to get a guaranteed deal with the Blazers, and all along he was setting himself up for ONE summer where he was really going to be able to cash the chips of his NBA career. I'd think less of him if he didn't seek top dollar on the open market. Portland's option all along was either to match or outbid.

Then once the writing was on the wall this group (primarily LMA) was moving on, they went and got paid. I don't blame them. They'd be dumb to take a discount to stay. Sure, Dame stayed, but he didn't have to take a discount, did he? He got all the money available AND he's in a situation on his 2nd contract to be a franchise player (whether or not he ultimately has the talent to match the billing).

The Batum deal was just grabbing assets in exchange for a player with value. Batum is a great support player, solid 36 minutes per night, but yeah he's not going to move the needle. Better to convert that asset into a recent lotto pick as you move forward with a rebuild.