2020 Free Agency Thread

[RR7]

 

[MickZagger]

Elfred Payton as a backup PG would be spectacular!

 

[BigGameDamian]

Taj Gibson would be nice.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Nobody cares for Bobby Portis?

I wouldn’t be opposed to any of the three players the Knicks are saying goodbye to.

 

[tester551]

Nobody cares for Bobby Portis?

I wouldn’t be opposed to any of the three players the Knicks are saying goodbye to.

Portis would be a great backup PF. I suspect he'll get more $ than what I'd be willing to offer as a Blazer fan.

 

[Natebishop3]

Covington has already been added, fills a glaring need for a defensive wing, and is a legitimate starter, so isn't your question pretty much moot?

I was including him in my question, as it is already done. So from here out, if we only add role players through free agent signings, is this enough to win a championship?

 

[Blazinaway]

the options continue to increase!

 

[e_blazer]

I was including him in my question, as it is already done. So from here out, if we only add role players through free agent signings, is this enough to win a championship?

I think that we all know the answer to that is that, in addition to adding the right role players, it depends on external factors. There aren't any players that we can add that will make the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, or Jazz worse (I would have put the Warriors in this group before yesterday)...and that's just in our conference. I'd say that the addition of Covington and other right role players puts the Blazers on equal footing with the Nuggets and Jazz, but probably still behind the Lakers and, maybe, the Clippers (not a fan of their chemistry). So, I'd say that the Blazers would have to stay healthy, have some of our young guys progress, and catch some breaks with other teams having issues with health or other personnel problems.

 

[wizenheimer]

Not sure where the 18 in a row comes from, but whatever. I'm assuming you selectively included our sweep at the hands of the pelicans as one of those 0-4s, but do they count as "real contenders"? Or do you just include them to make a point, while ignoring us beating OKC and Denver the following year?
Is the loss to memphis included as well?

There's plenty of negative stuff to post about the blazers playoff performance without having to frame in such a way to only include the series they've lost and ignore anything else and come up with 18 games in a row that...isn't accurate?

yeah...the Pelicans are in there. I'm not sure why I should exclude that sweep from the record, especially considering Dame-CJ-Nurk were all healthy and participating. But you apparently missed I said Portland has shown they can beat other flawed pretenders in the playoffs. And New Orleans showed Portland can be beat by other flawed pretenders too. In other words, I didn't 'ignore' the successes, just put context around them. But that's only a 1st step. I'd think the next step would be to actually win 2 or 3 games in a playoff series against an elite team, and they haven't done that since 2016 when they beat the Warriors, at home, who were missing Curry.

The context I want to see is improvement over the previous high water mark. They got swept by the Pels in 1st round; then made it to the WCF....where they got swept; than got swept in 1st round. That's not improvement. In the last 4 years, they've played in 6 series. They won two and got swept in the other four. That's not upward trajectory

I was replying to a post talking about what Portland might, or might not, accomplish in this 'off-season'. Maybe Olshey has some big blockbuster trade lined up. But if past is predicate, it will just be changing out role players. That's been the M.O. and it hasn't moved the needle in 7 years

 

[PtldPlatypus]

sure seems like Olshey's history says that he doesn't care about adding a backup PG. He believed CJ could fill the role and I'd bet he now thinks Simons can.

I have no faith in the FO. It's mainly that Olshey apparently believes the top-of-rotation/core-trio of Dame, CJ, and Nurk is a contender. I think that's crazy

this is what Olshey's teams have done in the playoffs when they've faced real contenders over the last 7 years:

1-4
1-4
1-4
0-4
0-4
0-4
0-4

yeah, that's right, the Blazers have been swept out of the playoffs 4 straight times and have now lost 18 games in a row against against better playoff teams. Portland has shown they can sometimes beat other flawed pretenders, but have no chance at all against elite teams

that issue isn't going to be solved with backup PG's or 4th options on offense or 36 year old has-beens or another 4-year project

So, game 1 against the Lakers was a figment of my imagination?

 

[wizenheimer]

So, game 1 against the Lakers was a figment of my imagination?

no...a lapse in mine. dumb me

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Is this team good enough to win a championship if we only add bench role players with our money?

If we got some good role players, I think we would have as much talent as Miami did last year. Then IF we could play as well together and as tough as Miami, we could be a contender. Of course that's a really big IF.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Is this team good enough to win a championship if we only add bench role players with our money?

If we get career years from Dame CJ RoCo Nurk and one of our young guys makes a leap, yes. We wouldn't be a favorite but could sneak out a title like the Raptors, Mavs, Pistons have done. We aren't as far as some people think.

But even if it CAN be a possibility, it doesn't mean its LIKELY or that we WILL.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

yeah...the Pelicans are in there. I'm not sure why I should exclude that sweep from the record, especially considering Dame-CJ-Nurk were all healthy and participating. But you apparently missed I said Portland has shown they can beat other flawed pretenders in the playoffs. And New Orleans showed Portland can be beat by other flawed pretenders too. In other words, I didn't 'ignore' the successes, just put context around them. But that's only a 1st step. I'd think the next step would be to actually win 2 or 3 games in a playoff series against an elite team, and they haven't done that since 2016 when they beat the Warriors, at home, who were missing Curry.

The context I want to see is improvement over the previous high water mark. They got swept by the Pels in 1st round; then made it to the WCF....where they got swept; than got swept in 1st round. That's not improvement. In the last 4 years, they've played in 6 series. They won two and got swept in the other four. That's not upward trajectory

I was replying to a post talking about what Portland might, or might not, accomplish in this 'off-season'. Maybe Olshey has some big blockbuster trade lined up. But if past is predicate, it will just be changing out role players. That's been the M.O. and it hasn't moved the needle in 7 years

You could alternatively exclude all of the Warriors series since they were the greatest team of all time, nobody ever expects us to contend against them, and they are likely irrelevant this season.

 

[Blazinaway]

Austin Rivers opts out and Illyasova now available as well - the list grows

 

[GDiama]

I cannot understand what Detroit is doing. Giving up Kennard for peanuts, taking on Ariza, now trading for Dedmon. I don't think they have cap space to hand Wood a serious offer anymore. Wtf

 

[RR7]

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Austin Rivers opts out and Illyasova now available as well - the list grows

Rivers is all but certain headed to Philly.

 

[Blazinaway]

I cannot understand what Detroit is doing. Giving up Kennard for peanuts, taking on Ariza, now trading for Dedmon. I don't think they have cap space to hand Wood a serious offer anymore. Wtf

I cannot understand what Detroit is doing. Giving up Kennard for peanuts, taking on Ariza, now trading for Dedmon. I don't think they have cap space to hand Wood a serious offer anymore. Wtf[/QUOT

Agree, seems Wood may not be in their plans, wonder if they have any capspace left? I would love to get Wood

 

[MickZagger]

Rivers is all but certain headed to Philly.

Why you say that?

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Scalma]

if you want to hear really bad ideas and no actual intel, this is for you!

 

[B-Roy]

Ilyasova as a vet min guy would be really nice.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Ilyasova as a vet min guy would be really nice.

So would Taj Gibson.

 

[TBpup]

With Nurk taking a slight step up and staying healthy, CJ having a better passing year, and Trent improving linearly, and Simons becoming a contributor, Zach staying healthy and learning to defend without foul trouble, etc etc. Is a longshot but not too far fetched if we're lucky.

Nurk taking a slight step up - natural progression at his age, should happen
CJ having a better passing year - he is certainly capable as evidence by how he plays.....when Dame is out.
Trent improving linearly - should happen as well.
Simons becoming a contributor - now we enter shakier ground. He will have to be able to play PG for that to happen.
Zach staying healthy and out of foul trouble - nothing we have seen would make one very confident in either of those.

So Nurk/Trent should improve
CJ can, but will he?
Simons and Zach seem sketchy at best.

Overall, not bad, but not enough seemingly to make us a legit contender.

 

[Blazinaway]

I would not mind trading Zach Collins in a S&T for Wood if we can make the cap work, seems like Detroit is dealing

 

[Blazinaway]

Cap space available

Atlanta- $44M
New York- $40M
Charlotte- $19M
Detroit- $9M

 

[TBpup]

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/

Click on 'Type' across the top and it will list all the UFA's first in order of how much they made last year. Millsap is listed first at $30,000,000.
There are ~127 names on that list, some of whom could be quite helpful to Portland. Since not many teams have cap space (~4), Portland, Neil and Dame need to be aggressive and make their case that this can be a contending team with a couple solid additions.

 

[Blazinaway]

Kanter opts in with Boston