Event How many picks to keep?

[Wizard Mentor]

Current Situation:

• We are $20+ mil into the luxury tax (after ditching Ezeli) for next season. In 2 years, we'll have to pay Nurk. The repeater tax is debilitating, and not sustainable.
  
• We have our big 3, need appropriate players whose skills mesh with them, not to mention we could use better players.
  
• We have a very young team, but Lillard will be 27 before next season starts, so the time is now to start competing.
  
• We have 3 1st round draft picks in a very deep draft, some say it's the deepest in years.
• Next year we are allowed to have 17 on the roster instead of 15.
• We have players who some would argue have less value than their contracts. Draft picks may be needed to remove them from our cap (e.g. Biebs).
• The GM is likely loathe to trade away a player that he just convinced to join the team (ET), as that would send a poor message to future FAs.

A difficult decision:
Since it's a deep draft and rookie scale contracts are the best value in the NBA (by far) under the current CBA, it only makes sense to keep all 3 of our picks, especially since the new roster size is 17. OTOH, we're very young, and don't have enough experience. Adding draft picks doesn't help that situation at all. It's time to start competing for a championship. We can concentrate our draft picks for a higher draft pick, but not many teams would be willing to do that.

So, how many draft picks do you think we should keep and why? Considering these facts, what should we be doing considering our salary cap situation?

My current vote:
After reviewing draft videos this June, I may change my mind, but for now I'm on the keep all 3 picks bandwagon.

 

[Natebishop3]

One of two options IMO

1. Trade all three to move up into the top 10.

2. Trade all three with some of our guys to bring back solid rotation players.

 

[Dougnsalem]

Two. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends nose....

 

[RipCityWarrior]

Keep 2 picks, trade one as incentive to take one of the bloated paychecks (Meyers) and or dead weight (festus)

 

[BonesJones]

Depends on a number of factors.

As far as "convincing a FA to sign" then trading him, we didnt convince him, the insane contract we offered did. It wouldn't be a bad look to trade away a guy we obviously overpaid.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Two. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends nose....

Jusef Nurkic can pick his friends' noses...

 

[Orion Bailey]

Jusef Nurkic can pick his friends' noses...

Please. They nose better. He would inadvertently create a crater of which their face would fall into.

He much prefers to have them pick his nose.

 

[Dougnsalem]

Jusef Nurkic can pick his friends' noses...

True. And we can pick our butts. Guess that makes 4....

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Keep 2 picks, trade one as incentive to take one of the bloated paychecks (Meyers) and or dead weight (festus)

Probably gonna take 2 picks for a team to take Meyers.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Jusef Nurkic can pick his friends' noses...

Nurkic can pick Chuck Norris's nose!

 

[Dougnsalem]

Probably gonna take 2 picks for a team to take Meyers.

I like your optimism. Its refreshing....

(I was thinking it would now take CJ)

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Keep 2 picks, trade one as incentive to take one of the bloated paychecks (Meyers) and or dead weight (festus)

Festus can be bounght out for $1M, so not an issue, but the conclusion is the same.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Depends on a number of factors.

As far as "convincing a FA to sign" then trading him, we didnt convince him, the insane contract we offered did. It wouldn't be a bad look to trade away a guy we obviously overpaid.

Absolutely, but in the past, FAs wouldn't sign in PDX, even for "insane contracts." Doubtful Neil trades him, but it's possible.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

One of two options IMO

1. Trade all three to move up into the top 10.

2. Trade all three with some of our guys to bring back solid rotation players.

If it's a deep draft, 1) doesn't seem optimal. It also doesn't seem likely.

 

[blue9]

There is no right answer. If you get a good deal, then you make a trade - if you don't, you keep all the picks.

 

[PDXFonz]

? - Depends how many it takes to land Terrance Ferguson.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

. Trade all three to move up into the top 10.

1. Brooklyn (to Boston) ... 20-62 ... (.244) ... 250
2. Phoenix... 24-58 ... (.293) ... 199
3. L.A. Lakers* ... 26-56 ... (.317) ... 156
4. Philadelphia** ... 28-54 ... (.341) ... 119
5. Orlando ... 29-53 ... (.354) ...88
6. Minnesota ... 31-51 ... (.378) ... 53
7. New York ... 31-51 ... (.378) ... 53
8. Sacramento^ ... 32-50 ... (.390) ... 28
9. Dallas ... 33-49 ... (.402) ... 17
10. New Orleans^^ ... 34-48 ... (.415) ... 11
11. Charlotte ... 36-46 ... (.439) ... 8
12. Detroit ... 37-45 ... (.451) ... 7
13. Denver ... 40-42 ... (.488) ... 6
14. Miami ... 41-41 ... (.500) ... 5

Here are the lottery teams. I don't see any of them trading their pick for our 3 picks.

 

[Chris Craig]

I think we trade 1 or 2 and a player or 2 to bring back someone that can help us get better next year. We will use 1 at least...or trade them all get some new guys and some 2nds and draft in the 2nd round

 

[Trackjack]

Due to Paul that loves the draft we properly draft 3 players but not saying that we might trade them after we pick them.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Keep two, trade one for a 2018 or 2019 first from a crappy team

 

[tester551]

I would actually say trade so we have 4 picks. Next year, teams will have the use of "2 flex" contracts bringing the max roster size to 17.
It would be nice to have a couple of second rounders to utilize that with.

Orlando & Philly both have 2 second round picks.
My ideal trade would be to dump Crabbe's contract for a pair of high second round picks.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I would actually say trade so we have 4 picks. Next year, teams will have the use of "2 flex" contracts bringing the max roster size to 17.
It would be nice to have a couple of second rounders to utilize that with.

Orlando & Philly both have 2 second round picks.
My ideal trade would be to dump Crabbe's contract for a pair of high second round picks.

Not a bad idea at all if we can get them to do so.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

1. Brooklyn (to Boston) ... 20-62 ... (.244) ... 250
2. Phoenix... 24-58 ... (.293) ... 199
3. L.A. Lakers* ... 26-56 ... (.317) ... 156
4. Philadelphia** ... 28-54 ... (.341) ... 119
5. Orlando ... 29-53 ... (.354) ...88
6. Minnesota ... 31-51 ... (.378) ... 53
7. New York ... 31-51 ... (.378) ... 53
8. Sacramento^ ... 32-50 ... (.390) ... 28
9. Dallas ... 33-49 ... (.402) ... 17
10. New Orleans^^ ... 34-48 ... (.415) ... 11
11. Charlotte ... 36-46 ... (.439) ... 8
12. Detroit ... 37-45 ... (.451) ... 7
13. Denver ... 40-42 ... (.488) ... 6
14. Miami ... 41-41 ... (.500) ... 5

Here are the lottery teams. I don't see any of them trading their pick for our 3 picks.

No problem, we'll throw in Biebs....

 

[Orion Bailey]

No problem, we'll throw in Biebs....

Statements that obvious don't need green font

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Statements that obvious don't need green font

I don't actually think that adding Biebs to the 3 picks particularly increases their value. Lots of unnecessary hurt
feelings on these boards, so I error on the side of green font when I'm not being serious

 

[Orion Bailey]

I don't actually think that adding Biebs to the 3 picks particularly increases their value. Lots of unnecessary hurt
feelings on these boards, so I error on the side of green font when I'm not being serious

And I am saying that you making that statement is so obvious you are not being serious, I don't think anyone needs the green font to differentiate.

 

[HailBlazers]

All of them. I'm sure they have a euro identified to stash.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I'd say we have a one-in-three chance of drafting someone well suited to contributing above the level of current players on our team. If we're truly committed to grooming for the Real Championship Window of 2019-2027, we should keep all of them, trade for more if we can, and buy as many Powerball tickets as we can.

 

[Blazers Roy]

I'd say we have a one-in-three chance of drafting someone well suited to contributing above the level of current players on our team. If we're truly committed to grooming for the Real Championship Window of 2019-2027, we should keep all of them, trade for more if we can, and buy as many Powerball tickets as we can.

Exactly ,keeping all 3 might result in 2 duds + 1 all-star if Neil makes the right guess.
The draft is one big roulette table and you should have as many chips as possible on that table.

Having 3 guys who make pennies for 4 years on a team which is hemorrhaging money is not a bad idea either.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Exactly ,keeping all 3 might result in 2 duds + 1 all-star if Neil makes the right guess.
The draft is one big roulette table and you should have as many chips as possible on the table.

Having 3 guys who make pennies for 4 years on a team hemorrhaging money is not a bad idea either.

All we have to do is stay $1 under the luxury tax level until we're ready to make our play, then go over it to trade for vets. If we expect Nurk will be expensive to keep (he will), and good enough to also build around age-wise (he is), then we should dump our underperforming 25-year-olds for picks, expirings, and more hungry 22-year olds like Nurk or Hark or Vonleh. Keep doing what we've been doing, recycling the duds into the soil to collect the gems.