Free Agent Thread

[Chris Craig]

Portland already has 13 players signed. So we're talking about one of those or both to be 14 or 14/15

and yeah yeah, I know...Olshey has trades lined up...just wait, and don't bitch until we see what those trades are

View attachment 40083

that's almost 8 months away....yeah, let's give Olshey till then before we judge what he's done

13? Blazers have 11 players signed. Brown isn't officially signed yet and Watford is a 2way

 

[Minstrel]

Lillard and CJ are his prized "star backcourt." Justifiably in Lillard's case, of course, but Olshey gets too emotionally attached to players that, at least at one time, were viewed as organization triumphs.

In much the way I said earlier this off-season that I'd only trade Lillard if it seemed like pure rip-off for Portland in every way (to add a premium to account for the fact that superstar trades almost never benefit the team trading the superstar), I think Olshey views McCollum in almost exactly the same way. If the Bucks offered him Giannis for McCollum straight across, he'd probably do that. But Siakam doesn't strike him as enough of a rip-off to deal his "homegrown superstar" (as he sees it).

It's one more reason why I'd like a new GM to go along with the new coach.

 

[B-Roy]

13? Blazers have 11 players signed. Brown isn't officially signed yet and Watford is a 2way

I think he means 13 with agreed to contracts. He's assuming Brown will get signed.

 

[Natebishop3]

I know this organization has a history of overvaluing players, but the way Neil overvalues CJ is a new bar that is beyond belief.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's one more reason why I'd like a new GM to go along with the new coach.

And new ownership.

 

[wizenheimer]

13? Blazers have 11 players signed. Brown isn't officially signed yet and Watford is a 2way

is Portland going to waive Brown? if not, count him as signed

so then:

Dame 1
CJ 2
Simons 3
Powell 4
Eleby 5
Little 6
RoCo 7
Jones 8
Nurkic 9
Brown 10

Zeller 11
McLemore 12
Snell 13

 

[illmatic99]

Lillard and CJ are his prized "star backcourt." Justifiably in Lillard's case, of course, but Olshey gets too emotionally attached to players that, at least at one time, were viewed as organization triumphs.

In much the way I said earlier this off-season that I'd only trade Lillard if it seemed like pure rip-off for Portland in every way (to add a premium to account for the fact that superstar trades almost never benefit the team trading the superstar), I think Olshey views McCollum in almost exactly the same way. If the Bucks offered him Giannis for McCollum straight across, he'd probably do that. But Siakam doesn't strike him as enough of a rip-off to deal his "homegrown superstar" (as he sees it).

It's one more reason why I'd like a new GM to go along with the new coach.

It's also been clear that either: 1) everyone else in the FO (ownership down) also feels this way, or 2) Neil has final say in any and all bball matters and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

With the tea leaves coming down to us about how crucial it seems Billups has been in talking Dame off the ledge and motivating Nurk, I wonder how much influence he has/will have in personnel matters. Especially with his perspective from the outside about our prized backcourt not being so prized.

 

[wizenheimer]

with the rumor from Fisher that Portland could actually be up for sale, do you think that Seattle might have told Neil not to use the TPMLE?

 

[Chris Craig]

is Portland going to waive Brown? if not, count him as signed

so then:

Dame 1
CJ 2
Simons 3
Powell 4
Eleby 5
Little 6
RoCo 7
Jones 8
Nurkic 9
Brown 10

Zeller 11
McLemore 12
Snell 13

Right

Depressing

 

[B-Roy]

Well according to Dumas, Simmons doesn't want to be in Portland. He doesn't have much leverage with that contract, but it doesn't seem like we would be getting a very motivated player.

I just want to avoid Simmons. Completely wrong mentality as a person. Even if we get him I don't think it would end well.

 

[RR7]

with the rumor from Fisher that Portland could actually be up for sale, do you think that Seattle might have told Neil not to use the TPMLE?

SOmeone's going to come in and spend 2 billion dollars on a franchise and worry about an extra 10 million in salary? That seems a little ridiculous to me.

 

[Idog1976]

Just gotta laugh at this point.

I can definitively say Toronto and Portland were having talks about Siakam-CJ before the draft. Discussions were about all star caliber players and guys making the same $ and people around the league were talking about it. But from what I was told, Portland did not have significant interest in continuing those conversations.

Makes it seem like convos were initiated from the Toronto side and Neil wasn't interested.

If true Fire Olshey needs added into it “on a Bezos Rocket into the Sun”. Like seriously what the fucking Fuck you could trade CJ and parts for Siakam AND YOU DIDN'T TAKE IT?!?!

Fire Olshey on a rocket into the Sun.

 

[wizenheimer]

SOmeone's going to come in and spend 2 billion dollars on a franchise and worry about an extra 10 million in salary? That seems a little ridiculous to me.

probably

I was thinking about how much simpler it would be for the Blazers to get under the tax line this year if they didn't have an extra 6M in the MLE on the books. I think they are less than a million above the line right now

 

[RR7]

probably

I was thinking about how much simpler it would be for the Blazers to get under the tax line this year if they didn't have an extra 6M in the MLE on the books. I think they are less than a million above the line right now

Sure it'd be easier to get under the tax. But I imagine anyone buying the team is going to be more excited about takingover a franchise with a happy top 10 player in the league than one that skirted the tax, but now you buy the team and immediately are in position where you're trading a superstar, and the team is a lot shittier right off the bat.
And going through a potential rebuild.

 

[wizenheimer]

Sure it'd be easier to get under the tax. But I imagine anyone buying the team is going to be more excited about takingover a franchise with a happy top 10 player in the league than one that skirted the tax, but now you buy the team and immediately are in position where you're trading a superstar, and the team is a lot shittier right off the bat.
And going through a potential rebuild.

the problem with that logic is it sure looks (so far) like Olshey is doing nothing to placate that superstar

of course, JA may not be considering selling the team

 

[Idog1976]

Sure it'd be easier to get under the tax. But I imagine anyone buying the team is going to be more excited about takingover a franchise with a happy top 10 player in the league than one that skirted the tax, but now you buy the team and immediately are in position where you're trading a superstar, and the team is a lot shittier right off the bat.
And going through a potential rebuild.

yep it actually makes the team way more exciting to buy if it has say Lillard and Siakam or Lillard and Simmons.

 

[Idog1976]

I can’t wait for Lillard to get back from the Olympics. I mean it’s driving me bonkers. He needs to come back and say I’m not asking for a trade until next summer at the absolute soonest and take himself off the table.

 

[B-Roy]

I just can't help but think how much more sense this offseason is making from Dame's perspective. Never thought Dame would be the type to make or threaten a trade request after all the stuff he's said in the past. But the more I hear about management and ownership's thought process the more it all just makes sense.

 

[wizenheimer]

yep it actually makes the team way more exciting to buy if it has say Lillard and Siakam or Lillard and Simmons.

according to Fisher, Olshey isn't interested in Lillard & Siakam, only Lillard and CJ

either Olshey didn't get the memo about the sale, or Seattle isn't interested in selling, or they are interested and believe a new owner would like to rebuild rather than ride Dame into the sunset

 

[B-Roy]

I can’t wait for Lillard to get back from the Olympics. I mean it’s driving me bonkers. He needs to come back and say I’m not asking for a trade until next summer at the absolute soonest and take himself off the table.

The only thing that would force our idiotic FO to do something other than dumpster dive and run it back would be if Dame asked for a trade, NOW.

 

[tester551]

Listening to Jake Fischer on Spotify:

The Blazers-- the situation right now. Everyone around the league is waiting on Dame to return from Tokyo. He said it on the record that the roster isn't good enough to win a championship, but the team is just making moves around the edges. They have been so far resistant to trading CJ. There were definite talks around Siakam/CJ but they didn't get very far with how highly that franchise values CJ. As such, the expectation around the league is that once Dame gets back, there might still be a potential trade request if the Blazers don't make major moves-- but there is nothing on the horizon.

I don't know how Olshey can't see it.... The Dame/CJ backcourt will not work.

 

[wizenheimer]

I just can't help but think how much more sense this offseason is making from Dame's perspective. Never thought Dame would be the type to make or threaten a trade request after all the stuff he's said in the past. But the more I hear about management and ownership's though process the more it all just makes sense.

there was a tweet several weeks ago, shortly after the Dame stuff started that said Dame, Olshey, and Seattle were all on different pages reading different scripts

considering that 3 years ago Dame went over Olshey's head and talked to PA, I'd wonder if what finally pushed him to the edge was not more Olshey being Olshey but a realization that Seattle didn't care about having a contender

 

[blazerboy30]

You could argue that 6’8 is at a greater disadvantage when guarding 6’3 (with long arms.)

Lower center of gravity, in theory should be faster, etc.

Also, Powell isn’t exactly a “slight dude.”

I do, however, primarily agree with your premise that height matters.

I do think reach does factor in to negate some of it. Minimizing passing angles, contest shots with outstretched arms.

There are definitely benefits.

But I think the benefits of being taller are greater.

Yes height matters because it's correlated with other aspects of the body and measurables.

There's a reason why offensive linemen are usually tall...ie 6'6 300lbs instead of 5'11 300lbs.

 

[Blazinaway]

according to Fisher, Olshey isn't interested in Lillard & Siakam, only Lillard and CJ

either Olshey didn't get the memo about the sale, or Seattle isn't interested in selling, or they are interested and believe a new owner would like to rebuild rather than ride Dame into the sunset

and as mentioned before all this is could be the plan by Olshey to push Dame into requesting a trade so N.O. and the franchise can try to avoid blame, what a clusterfuck appears to be brewing

 

[B-Roy]

there was a tweet several weeks ago, shortly after the Dame stuff started that said Dame, Olshey, and Seattle were all on different pages reading different scripts

considering that 3 years ago Dame went over Olshey's head and talked to PA, I'd wonder if what finally pushed him to the edge was not more Olshey being Olshey but a realization that Seattle didn't care about having a contender

Well Paul Allen is dead now. And he was replaced by a shell that just cares about the financials. It sounds like Dame locked himself into a bad marriage with no way out. He's holding the public trade request over their heads since that is the only leverage he has. And it's soul crushing that our FO would rather trade Dame than entertain the idea of going all in.

I don't even know if Dame would actually publicly request a trade. I think he's got too much pride and morals to do that. He's not Harden. But if he doesn't the cycle will just continue.

 

[B-Roy]

and as mentioned before all this is could be the plan by Olshey to push Dame into requesting a trade so N.O. and the franchise can try to avoid blame, what a clusterfuck appears to be brewing

If Olshey trades Dame, even if Dame asked for it, there is no way he will have the fanbase's support.

With the Billups thing, there is no goodwill there between Billups and Portland. But Dame is a demi-god in Oregon. Even the slimiest used car salesman wouldn't be able to convince them.

But likely Olshey doesn't care, or more importantly, Seattle doesn't care. They know if they can continue building a pseudo-contender, people will continue coming to the games. And they're likely too arrogant to consider the perspective of anyone other than their own.

 

[RR7]

and as mentioned before all this is could be the plan by Olshey to push Dame into requesting a trade so N.O. and the franchise can try to avoid blame, what a clusterfuck appears to be brewing

If Dame requests a trade because the franchise didn't build well enough around him, that would put blame squarely on Neil. Not on Dame.

 

[Titan]

Well Paul Allen is dead now. And he was replaced by a shell that just cares about the financials. It sounds like Dame locked himself into a bad marriage with no way out. He's holding the public trade request over their heads since that is the only leverage he has. And it's soul crushing that our FO would rather trade Dame than entertain the idea of going all in.

I don't even know if Dame would actually publicly request a trade. I think he's got too much pride and morals to do that. He's not Harden. But if he doesn't the cycle will just continue.

Exactly, best thing that can happen for the franchise is a new owner(s). One that is passionate about winning and understands that you have to spend and take risk. The Vulcans only care about profits. Paul cared about the team.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Yes height matters because it's correlated with other aspects of the body and measurables.

There's a reason why offensive linemen are usually tall...ie 6'6 300lbs instead of 5'11 300lbs.

But often it doesn't correlate: (and therefore doesn't matter)

"Standing just 6'1 ¼ without shoes, Mitchell has less than ideal height for a NBA shooting guard, but compensates for that with a gigantic 6'10 wingspan, a chiseled 211 pound frame, and tremendous athleticism that allows him to play much bigger than his size. He's got great speed and body control in the open floor, and is a big time leaper off two feet, posting a 36 ½ inch no-step vertical at the Combine. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Donovan-Mitchell-84680/ ©DraftExpress"

 

[wizenheimer]

But often it doesn't correlate: (and therefore doesn't matter)

"Standing just 6'1 ¼ without shoes, Mitchell has less than ideal height for a NBA shooting guard, but compensates for that with a gigantic 6'10 wingspan, a chiseled 211 pound frame, and tremendous athleticism that allows him to play much bigger than his size. He's got great speed and body control in the open floor, and is a big time leaper off two feet, posting a 36 ½ inch no-step vertical at the Combine. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Donovan-Mitchell-84680/ ©DraftExpress"

how often does Mitchell play SF?