BigGameDamian
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2012
- Messages
- 33,817
- Likes
- 13,718
- Points
- 113
https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndic...-to-move-kemba-walker-deandre-jordan.amp.html
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: C Ed Davis, SF/PF Maurice Harkless, C Jusuf Nurkic, 2018 first-round pick (lottery protected)
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: C DeAndre Jordan, SG/SF Sindarius Thornwell
Count the Portland Trail Blazers among the ever-growing list of teams eyeing DeAndre Jordan, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein. And they, unlike certain other suitors, have the dispensable assets to break the monotony of what the Los Angeles Clippers deem, per Stein, unworthy offers.
Jusuf Nurkic is a necessary starting point in every package. He isn't a better player than Jordan, but he boasts a more expansive offensive game and can survive on the perimeter long enough, from a distance, to help coax ball-handlers into long twos.
Plus, Nurkic doesn't turn 23 until August. He has plenty of time to improve his crummy shot selection, and the Clippers can (probably) re-sign him in restricted free agency for noticeably less than what it'll take to keep Jordan.
Maurice Harkless has seen his playing time plummet, but he, too, is under 25. Bankrolling the $22.4 million he's owed over the next two seasons is a worthwhile venture for a Los Angeles team thin on switchable wings.
Stir in Ed Davis' expiring deal, along with a first-round pick, and the Clippers can talk themselves into extracting enough across-the-board value from Portland to green-light this proposal. Pulling the trigger even saves $4 million, bringing them far enough beneath the luxury-tax line to hit the peace-out button on Brice Johnson and open the roster spot it'll take to accommodate a two-for-three transaction.
Taking on more money poses a risk for the Blazers. They already have one of the league's highest payrolls and would need to lop off salary in a separate trade to avoid the tax this year. They also have to worry about footing the bill for Jordan's next contract, unless they strictly view him as a rental.
All of that's fine. It has to be. Treading water in the middle of the Western Conference isn't good enough—not when Damian Lillard recently met with owner Paul Allen to gain clarity on the team's direction, per ESPN.com's Chris Haynes. The Blazers need to do something big, and this not only qualifies, but it also boosts their ceiling without knifing into the backcourt partnership of Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: C Ed Davis, SF/PF Maurice Harkless, C Jusuf Nurkic, 2018 first-round pick (lottery protected)
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: C DeAndre Jordan, SG/SF Sindarius Thornwell
Count the Portland Trail Blazers among the ever-growing list of teams eyeing DeAndre Jordan, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein. And they, unlike certain other suitors, have the dispensable assets to break the monotony of what the Los Angeles Clippers deem, per Stein, unworthy offers.
Jusuf Nurkic is a necessary starting point in every package. He isn't a better player than Jordan, but he boasts a more expansive offensive game and can survive on the perimeter long enough, from a distance, to help coax ball-handlers into long twos.
Plus, Nurkic doesn't turn 23 until August. He has plenty of time to improve his crummy shot selection, and the Clippers can (probably) re-sign him in restricted free agency for noticeably less than what it'll take to keep Jordan.
Maurice Harkless has seen his playing time plummet, but he, too, is under 25. Bankrolling the $22.4 million he's owed over the next two seasons is a worthwhile venture for a Los Angeles team thin on switchable wings.
Stir in Ed Davis' expiring deal, along with a first-round pick, and the Clippers can talk themselves into extracting enough across-the-board value from Portland to green-light this proposal. Pulling the trigger even saves $4 million, bringing them far enough beneath the luxury-tax line to hit the peace-out button on Brice Johnson and open the roster spot it'll take to accommodate a two-for-three transaction.
Taking on more money poses a risk for the Blazers. They already have one of the league's highest payrolls and would need to lop off salary in a separate trade to avoid the tax this year. They also have to worry about footing the bill for Jordan's next contract, unless they strictly view him as a rental.
All of that's fine. It has to be. Treading water in the middle of the Western Conference isn't good enough—not when Damian Lillard recently met with owner Paul Allen to gain clarity on the team's direction, per ESPN.com's Chris Haynes. The Blazers need to do something big, and this not only qualifies, but it also boosts their ceiling without knifing into the backcourt partnership of Lillard and CJ McCollum.
