I get the concept...I really do. I'm just not a buyer for a lot of these trade ideas.
for instance, take the Whiteside for Batum deal. I saw it justified by pointing to Capela being traded to Atlanta and what Atlanta traded away. Here's the thing about that: Atlanta really really wanted Capela; and Houston really really wanted Covington. There was strong motivation for a trade there. What team would really really want Batum? (or Love or Aldridge)
now, before you come in and say, again, I don't get the concept, I understand it could be that some team might really really want Simons (ha!) and Portland might need a bigger salary to make a deal. That's where Ariza comes in, and possibly an MLE signing. Ariza + Simons could bring back 20M in salary. Whiteside re-signed for about 12M would do the same thing. Whiteside + MLE + Simons could bring back well over 30M in salary
in other words, my view is that Portland does not have to make a bad trade now and take on bad salary next season just because there might be some unlikely hypothetical trade next season that could turn the team into a contender. They will have the options to execute that hypothetical trade without making a bad trade now