Alex Kennedy: Portland looking to accumulate picks, save money

[Scalma]

Portland Wants to Accumulate Picks, Save Money

Needless to say, it’s extremely unlikely that the Portland Trail Blazers will trade Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum. With that said, the rest of their roster may be available for the right offer.

One general manager said that the team is trying to accumulate draft picks and cut costs. Remember, Portland currently has the second-highest payroll in the league (behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers) at $119 million. And next year, that number jumps to $137 million. That’s not a bad thing when you’re the defending champion Cavs, but it’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re the ninth-best team in the Western Conference standings.

The general manager I spoke to made it clear that Portland would listen to offers for Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis among others if the potential trades allowed them to stockpile draft picks and save some money.

http://hoopshype.com/2017/02/14/nba...-pacers-are-all-active-before-trade-deadline/

Not surprising considering Olshey pretty much said as much yesterday. I think Aminu is the most likely to be dealt.

 

[Natebishop3]

Dame will be THRILLED.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Olshey is bi-dollar.

 

[Darkwebs]

This is great to hear. It means the Blazers aren't opposed to tanking, which may be the prudent choice at this point. But I wonder who would even want any of our players (outside of Lillard and CJ). Maybe Aminu and Davis, since they are decent players on cap-friendly contracts.

 

[Jade Falcon]

If we trade Aminu, then you can pretty much say goodbye to whatever little Defense we have left.

 

[Scalma]

If we trade Aminu, then you can pretty much say goodbye to whatever little Defense we have left.

I'm willing to jump on that grenade.

 

[BonesJones]

Who would want Aminu though?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I don't mind a Dame/CJ lineup. Breaking it up without adding the complementary pieces too early would be foolish. We're not gonna hit it out of the park with a DeMarcus or Paul George Trade, those are pipe dreams.

The following are essentially set:

1: Dame
2: CJ
3: Turner (doubt he's movable right now)
4: ???
5: ???, Nurkic

Everyone is expendable to get a starting 4 or starting 5. Not a huge rush to just dump assets to get someone less than optimal. There are guys like Okafor or Vucevic who I think could still be attainable, they are just waiting for the right combination of assets they'd have to lose to get them makes sense.

 

[Natebishop3]

Who would want Aminu though?

Aminu is fine as a bench player. He's on a very reasonable contract in the new NBA market.

 

[Scalma]

Who would want Aminu though?

Anyone that likes defense.

So pretty much any playoff team.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Aminu is fine as a bench player. He's on a very reasonable contract in the new NBA market.

He's the perfect 6th man. I'd love to keep him and Turner while trading Crabbe and Harkless.

 

[BonesJones]

Aminu is fine as a bench player. He's on a very reasonable contract in the new NBA market.

Anyone that likes defense.

So pretty much any playoff team.

I meant that as in what teams specifically?

 

[Minstrel]

Aminu is tradeable. Harkless is tradeable. Davis is tradeable. All of them have some strengths and are on manageable contracts. Unfortunately, those aren't the boat anchors.

 

[B-Roy]

The general manager I spoke to made it clear that Portland would listen to offers for Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis among others if the potential trades allowed them to stockpile draft picks and save some money.

A CURIOUS NAME MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING FROM THIS

 

[e_blazer]

Aminu is tradeable. Harkless is tradeable. Davis is tradeable. All of them have some strengths and are on manageable contracts. Unfortunately, those aren't the boat anchors.

If I were GM, I'd be looking at my backcourt and thinking about how next season the Blazers have almost half of the luxury tax threshold committed to just Dame, CJ and Crabbe. That is not sustainable. Olshey has some decisions to make about those 3 guys if he wants to get the cap under control

 

[BonesJones]

A CURIOUS NAME MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING FROM THIS

"Among others".

 

[e_blazer]

A CURIOUS NAME MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING FROM THIS

LEONARD?

Good luck finding an unbalanced trade for him.

 

[B-Roy]

"Among others".

Neil would rather trade his first born.

 

[Nikolokolus]

A CURIOUS NAME MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING FROM THIS

Not that curious.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

boo.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

with Leonard its probably just better to keep him at his shit value right now than deal him to dump him.

 

[Jon]

they could probably trade meyers for a 2nd rd pick in 2028

 

[BonesJones]

Maybe we could send Aminu to Washington for their 1st, they could trade Jason Smith and a small contract to Brooklyn and we could give them Meyers and Vonleh.

 

[B-Roy]

with Leonard its probably just better to keep him at his shit value right now than deal him to dump him.

Another three years and he might be worth a high second!

 

[BonesJones]

Brooklyn is the only team I see taking Leonard for free. They need assets any way they can get them, and they'll probably trade Lopez as well.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Another three years and he might be worth a high second!

When the salaries all go up, 10 million isn't gonna seem that big of a deal. Its not an albatross countract.

 

[e_blazer]

Another three years and he might be worth a high second!

That's better than the present situation. Right now, he'd cost you a first rounder just to dump his salary.

 

[Minstrel]

Another three years and he might be worth a high second!

As an expiring, that's definitely possible!

 

[barfo]

A CURIOUS NAME MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING FROM THIS

You can't listen to offers if the offers aren't made.

barfo

 

[Minstrel]

When the salaries all go up, 10 million isn't gonna seem that big of a deal.

$10 million is currently not that big of a deal--as long as it's attached to a legitimate NBA player. Meyers, currently, isn't one. There's literally nothing he does at an NBA level right now, except shoot open threes, and even that he's below average right now. Considering shooting threes is his sole ability--that makes him not an NBA player without major improvements.