I think we should Super Money Tank for the next 2-3 years (2 Viewers)

[SlyPokerDog]

It was great to be in the playoffs. Hello old friend, we've missed you. And I've seen the future of the NBA and it ain't us.... for now. But there is a path for us and it's not as crazy as it sounds.

The Super Money Tank!

The SMT is a different version of rebuilding a team. It involves gaining assets and clearing cap space. I know, I know, that's pretty much the same as regular tanking. But what we do with that is different.

The Thunder and Spurs are stacked. They've done a great of rebuilding their teams. But there is one problem both teams face in the near future, how do you pay everyone.

The modern NBA roster building is pretty basic, you have two max players and the rest filler. If you have a owner with deep deep pockets, you can go 3 max players but it gets hard financially. Cap wise you're going to get hosed if you go longer than a season or two.

The Thunder and Spurs do not have Ballmer like money. They can't keep everyone. Sure, Golden State did for a while but even Golden State has richer owners and a bigger market.
Thunder and Spurs are small market.

Here are some numbers...



The Thunder have already made their choices.



They're going with SGA, Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.

They can't keep everyone for much longer.

Look at the Spurs.



I see 4 players deserving max/near max contracts in a few years. Wemby, Harper, Castle, and Fox? Can't keep them all.

2-3 years from now there are going to be some crazy offseasons and we need to be ready to take advantage. Picks and cap space for sign and trades.

Our path forward is taking advantage of other teams' good fortune.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[kjironman1]

I had that same thought. Certainly there will be changes to those rosters. Even keeping three max players significantly reduces the way the team is built. You need solid players around the great players.

 

[Hoopguru]

Isn't that what we've been doing the last couple years, to a degree? Bargain trades of late, building assets, and ready to dump more salary, and win with a combination of youth and vets on reasonable contracts, thus 42 wins this year. The league is going to de-incentivise tanking and allow for more potential reward for teams that are not purposely tanking. I expect Tom to implement the SMT on a year by year basis but also be ready to pounce on value players and potential star power.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Isn't that what we've been doing the last couple years, to a degree? Bargain trades of late, building assets, and ready to dump more salary, and win with a combination of youth and vets on reasonable contracts, thus 42 wins this year. The league is going to de-incentivise tanking and allow for more potential reward for teams that are not purposely tanking. I expect Tom to implement the SMT on a year by year basis but also be ready to pounce on value players and potential star power.

I think Lillard can keep this team in the sweet spot for the most lottery balls and not the worst team in the league.

For me, I would rather wait for a Spurs or Thunder cast-off vs getting Giannis.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

You woke up today with violence (and profits) on your mind I see.

 

[riverman]

I think the draft will become less of a fertile ground for cheap talent than the trade market and the G league. I like the idea of looking for the next Toumani or Deni via trade

 

[Everything Beagle]

I think Lillard can keep this team in the sweet spot for the most lottery balls and not the worst team in the league.

For me, I would rather wait for a Spurs or Thunder cast-off vs getting Giannis.

Just what Dame famously always wanted: not to make the playoffs

 

[ehizzy3]

The spurs will try to move on from Fox but his contract is a little crazy, not sure who would want to take that on. I hope it’s not us

 

[e_blazer]

I think Lillard can keep this team in the sweet spot for the most lottery balls and not the worst team in the league.

For me, I would rather wait for a Spurs or Thunder cast-off vs getting Giannis.

Why not rent Giannis for one year, maybe compete for a title next year, then use his ending contract to help clear space for getting a good discard from OKC or the Spurs the following summer?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Why not rent Giannis for one year, maybe compete for a title next year, then use his ending contract to help clear space for getting a good discard from OKC or the Spurs the following summer?

In my opinion, we would burn up way too many draft assets to rent giannis for one year. We'd probably have to give Milwaukee back most of their picks and swaps. We need to save those to make sign and trade deals with other teams.

 

[e_blazer]

In my opinion, we would burn up way too many draft assets to rent giannis for one year. We'd probably have to give Milwaukee back most of their picks and swaps. We need to save those to make sign and trade deals with other teams.

Yeah, that’s probably true. Unless he agrees to sign a year extension so he brings in similar assets on his way out, the rental idea would likely be a mistake. .

 

[RR7]

2-3 years from now, there'll be some other teams we say the same thing about. Lather rinse repeat.
I've read iterations of why we shouldn't bother basically since the Heatles era. Every few years, it's the heat, the Celtics, the warriors, the thunder. The thunder again, the spurs.
It's never how can we sneak in one with Roy. Or Aldridge. Or dame. Or whatever. It's always why we cant and so fuck it.
The championship or bust mentality saps a lot of enjoyment out of being a fan if it's always an all or nothing mentality.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Fine by me but who's telling Dame?

 

[riverman]

So the mystery star turns out to be Anthony Davis and Dallas pulled out because of Grant's salary wanting to cut costs. Joe offered Grant and picks to Dallas. That was a pretty big swing. AD wants out of Washington and we might be able to get them to take Grant for him with some projects or picks. I'm not sure if AD is still capable of beasting or not..AD with Dame, Deni, Jrue and Rob Williams would be a force.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Fine by me but who's telling Dame?

We'll sign and trade him to the Spurs so he can be their next Big Shot Bob.

 

[BassPlaya]

Tanking is for losers.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Tanking is for losers.

Spurs tanked and we just lost to them. I guess that makes us double losers.

 

[wizenheimer]

Tanking is for losers.

lol, losers, right....5 championships and maybe more on the way....such losers




tanked for #1 pick and Portland's only championship....losers

 

[Rastapopoulos]

So the mystery star turns out to be Anthony Davis and Dallas pulled out because of Grant's salary wanting to cut costs. Joe offered Grant and picks to Dallas. That was a pretty big swing. AD wants out of Washington and we might be able to get them to take Grant for him with some projects or picks. I'm not sure if AD is still capable of beasting or not..AD with Dame, Deni, Jrue and Rob Williams would be a force.

Nobody's taking Grant, unless it's a tanking team and we attach a ton of picks. Yes, that sounds like Washington, but I think they're actually sick of tanking by now (and they're about to get a very high pick in a very good draft, to go along with a good young core and Davis and Trae Young).

 

[Rastapopoulos]

tanked for #1 pick and Portland's only championship....losers

Is it fair to call what an expansion team does "tanking" - they're trying their best, Jennifer

 

[BassPlaya]

Spurs tanked and we just lost to them. I guess that makes us double losers.

You're correct. I should qualify my snark.

If you're here for the love of watching a team win basketball games, then to me.... tanking is a loser stance.
If you're here for the love of winning a championship, then it can be a winning stance.

I personally don't care if it's more advantageous, or smart, or any other label folks want to put on it. Not trying to win games is a failure to the premise of athletic competition.

 

[wizenheimer]

Is it fair to call what an expansion team does "tanking" - they're trying their best, Jennifer

but the distinction is so subjective it's worthless. Portland went thru a stretch of games the season they drafte Walton when they went 2-23 and 4-27. Portland was 19-23 in January that season; they finished 27-55. It was a tank

 

[Cugel]

Offering Grant is the same as not making an offer. Think about it, DAL makes the worst trade of all time and Joe low balls them for the centerpiece of said trade.

 

[e_blazer]

Spurs tanked and we just lost to them. I guess that makes us double losers.

Nothing wrong with tanking as long as you recognize that there are two pieces involved: the tank and the good luck to have the actual lottery/draft break your way. The Blazers have done well with the first part, but not so great with the second.

 

[Phatguysrule]

2-3 years from now, there'll be some other teams we say the same thing about. Lather rinse repeat.
I've read iterations of why we shouldn't bother basically since the Heatles era. Every few years, it's the heat, the Celtics, the warriors, the thunder. The thunder again, the spurs.
It's never how can we sneak in one with Roy. Or Aldridge. Or dame. Or whatever. It's always why we cant and so fuck it.
The championship or bust mentality saps a lot of enjoyment out of being a fan if it's always an all or nothing mentality.

We've never done the hard work to build a team good enough to actually compete for a championship.

We always half-ass it and try to take a shortcut.

Have we been good enough to actually beat a finals team in a seven game series since 2000? I really don't think so...

 

[Domihatin]

No tanking!!!!! *Full missile launch*

 

[e_blazer]

We've never done the hard work to build a team good enough to actually compete for a championship.

We always half-ass it and try to take a shortcut.

Have we been good enough to actually beat a finals team in a seven game series since 2000? I really don't think so...

I don’t think that the league is going to allow the “hard work” of tanking to continue as a strategy for rebuilding.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I don’t think that the league is going to allow the “hard work” of tanking to continue as a strategy for rebuilding.

I honestly don't think it changes much. You're still going to have teams tanking for middle spots.

Honestly, the best thing for the lead to do is probably to get rid of the lottery altogether.

The worst team should probably get the number one pick.

It seems to work in the NFL.