Is Shabazz a starting quality PG?

[Wizard Mentor]

His numbers (quoted on TV) are great when he's starting.

He's starting tonight, so it's an interesting question. What do you think?

 

[ripcityboy]

I think he is. Now is he a starting guard on a playoff team..... (shrugs shoulders)

 

[BonesJones]

Not lately. He's too inconsistent, and not much of a facilitator and struggles to get to the rim. Given how loaded the position is, I think the role he has is exactly what he is, a very solid 6th/7th man.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Sometimes he plays really well. Tonight was his chance to show, and he didn't. Baldwin did though...

 

[Hey]

He's worth about 6 million a year

 

[BlazerBeav]

Our center had 6 FGA tonight. That's because Napier couldn't get him the ball.

 

[Scalma]

He's worth about 6 million a year

Over two years? Sure.

 

[Natebishop3]

Nope.

 

[BlazerWookee]

On a mediocre team? Sure...

 

[Phatguysrule]

Yep. On a team that misses the playoffs.

 

[Lanny]

He's worth about 6 million a year

I must be worth his big toe.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Not on a serious contender

 

[CupWizier]

Napier is a borderline starter for a lower level team but a bonafide role player off the bench for a playoff team.

 

[Blazinaway]

If Baldwin can contribute anywhere "close" to what he did last night we keep him and let Bazz go IMO, he has size and can drive the ball really well, also I hope Pat C is gone next yr as well

 

[tlongII]

I like Bazz. I think he's playing hurt so you have to consider that.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

This may change, but right now I'm down on Pat and Layman. I'd love to keep Bazz, but as always, it
depends on contract.

 

[Scalma]

I’d match any offer. Not because I think he’s worth it, but because I’d rather not lose a decent player for nothing. We could always just trade him later. I doubt he’ll get anything prohibitive.

 

[tester551]

I’d match any offer. Not because I think he’s worth it, but because I’d rather not lose a decent player for nothing. We could always just trade him later. I doubt he’ll get anything prohibitive.

How'd that work out for Portland last time... We would've been better off just letting him (Crabbe) walk.

 

[Sarni]

I’d match any offer. Not because I think he’s worth it, but because I’d rather not lose a decent player for nothing. We could always just trade him later. I doubt he’ll get anything prohibitive.

I agree. It’s not 2016 anymore so he is not getting anything stupid like $40M for 4 years, most likely he will be getting offers in the region of $5M and we could trade him later with that contract anyway.

There will be plenty of point guards looking for new deals in the Summer - I think Collison has a player option that he will decline, VanVleet who has been a revelation this year will also be receiving deals. Elfrid Payton is a restricted free agent too.

Napier has made a step up this season but is still a pretty average player. He’s a bench option for 16-20 minutes a night at this point.

 

[Scalma]

How'd that work out for Portland last time... We would've been better off just letting him (Crabbe) walk.

How so? We still wouldn’t have cap space.

 

[Boob-No-More]

How so? We still wouldn’t have cap space.

We wouldn't have had to pay BRK a year later to take him off our hands. Stretching Nicholson resulted in dead cap space of $2.8 million per year for seven years.

BNM

 

[Scalma]

We wouldn't have had to pay BRK a year later to take him off our hands. Stretching Nicholson resulted in dead cap space of $2.8 million per year for seven years.

BNM

And that prohibits what exactly?

 

[Nikolokolus]

He's perfect as a scoring guard off of the bench, who can fill-in when you're team is in a pinch. High level backup, that's it.

 

[Sarni]

We wouldn't have had to pay BRK a year later to take him off our hands. Stretching Nicholson resulted in dead cap space of $2.8 million per year for seven years.

BNM

Is it actually possible to remove dead cap space somehow?

I am not even sure waiving and stretching Nicholson over 7 years was a good decision. We did the same with Varejao which made absolutely zero sense at the time as he was expiring after a year anyway I think. Nicholson would have been $6M a year for 3 more years (who gave him that deal?) but after two we would have probably offloaded him as an expiring.

 

[ripcityboy]

Is it actually possible to remove dead cap space somehow?

I am not even sure waiving and stretching Nicholson over 7 years was a good decision. We did the same with Varejao which made absolutely zero sense at the time as he was expiring after a year anyway I think. Nicholson would have been $6M a year for 3 more years (who gave him that deal?) but after two we would have probably offloaded him as an expiring.

WTF?! We stretched Varejo to 20-21? Hey I guess its Allen's money. (Shrugs)

 

[Boob-No-More]

And that prohibits what exactly?

We have no idea what opportunities it will cost us. 7 years is an eternity in the NBA, but eating up $2.8 million in cap space every year for 7 years for absolutely nothing is not a good use of cap space. We would have been better off to just let Crabbe walk the minute BRK signed him to that ridiculous offer sheet.

BNM

 

[BonesJones]

WTF?! We stretched Varejo to 20-21? Hey I guess its Allen's money. (Shrugs)

All for Caleb Swanigan..

 

[Boob-No-More]

Is it actually possible to remove dead cap space somehow?

No, that's why it's called dead cap space.

I am not even sure waiving and stretching Nicholson over 7 years was a good decision. We did the same with Varejao which made absolutely zero sense at the time as he was expiring after a year anyway I think. Nicholson would have been $6M a year for 3 more years (who gave him that deal?) but after two we would have probably offloaded him as an expiring.

WAS signed him to his 4 year $26 million contract during, wait for it...

the summer of 2016.

So many regrettable contracts handed out that summer.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

WTF?! We stretched Varejo to 20-21? Hey I guess its Allen's money. (Shrugs)

At $1.9 million per year.

Nicholson is stretched at $2.8 million per year through 2023-24.

BNM

 

[hoopsjock]

Is it actually possible to remove dead cap space somehow?

I am not even sure waiving and stretching Nicholson over 7 years was a good decision. We did the same with Varejao which made absolutely zero sense at the time as he was expiring after a year anyway I think. Nicholson would have been $6M a year for 3 more years (who gave him that deal?) but after two we would have probably offloaded him as an expiring.

Several things...

Varejao was stretched because it gave us an extra roughly $10 million in cap room in the summer of 2016. In hindsight that cap room wasn't used well but it totally makes sense at the time of the trade why Olshey would do that.

There is a deadline for players on your roster to be stretched during the summer or they count fully against your cap number the whole season. While stretching Nicholson is a tough pill to swallow for several years, the only way the Blazers could've gotten under the luxury tax line this season without trading a key rotational player was to stretch him. Otherwise they would've had to trade Davis away for nothing instead of Vonleh to get under the tax.

We already have plenty of expiring contracts, would adding yet another one really have been that worthwhile? Nicholson would have also taken up a roster spot as well.