Nurkic is a Blazer!!

[Driew]

I think they made it up, and they laughed when he just immediately wrote them out a check. At least, that's what I got out of it.

Yeah that's how I took it as well.

 

[Minstrel]

I think the Blazers could use three (good) selections. The question is whether they can dump enough existing players to roster three rookies. And dumping players may require packaging with first-round picks, so...

 

[theprunetang]

I think the Blazers could use three (good) selections. The question is whether they can dump enough existing players to roster three rookies. And dumping players may require packaging with first-round picks, so...

Let's see...Ezeli, Pat C, and Quarterman. Easy. Switch out Shabazz for any of those and I wouldn't lose any sleep.

 

[BonesJones]

My take is we aren't keeping the first round picks. We might trade one for a 1st next year.

The rookie scale deals are about what Festus makes.

I don't think Leonard is likely to go. My money would be on Ezeli, Davis, and Aminu.

They're not worth $7M..

 

[Minstrel]

Let's see...Ezeli, Pat C, and Quarterman. Easy. Switch out Shabazz for any of those and I wouldn't lose any sleep.

Well, I should have qualified that with dump enough existing players to open up salary room for three first-round rookies. Unless Allen's okay with going into the luxury tax to sign them. Ezeli is a start.

 

[e_blazer]

Well, I should have qualified that with dump enough existing players to open up salary room for three first-round rookies. Unless Allen's okay with going into the luxury tax to sign them. Ezeli is a start.

It seems pretty clear that at some point, between now and the end of the regular season next year, Olshey is going to have to find a lopsided trade to dump somewhere around $17 million or so off of team salary. Spotrac shows the Blazers are committed to $139,190,400 next season. The Luxury Tax threshold is expected to be around $122 million. There are any number of ways to go about it and a bunch of high-priced assets that could be moved. It's going to be interesting to see when and how it's done. Dumping Crabbe, Turner or a combination of Leonard and Aminu for a pick or a rookie scale guy would be options. Dame and CJ are salary hogs, but you'd think that if one of them were to be moved we'd have to get back a proven stud, most likely with a similar big price tag.

 

[Blazinaway]

I think the Blazers could use three (good) selections. The question is whether they can dump enough existing players to roster three rookies. And dumping players may require packaging with first-round picks, so...

Quarterman and Pat C are not guaranteed next yr so they can be gone and roster spots open up

 

[Minstrel]

Quarterman and Pat C are not guaranteed next yr so they can be gone and roster spots open up

Yeah, I meant the salary space to roster them. I wasn't clear enough. I believe each first-rounder will cost somewhere between $5-7M and they're already over the luxury tax threshold.

 

[Denny Crane]

So you don't even think we enter draft day with 3 picks? How many do we keep?

I guess it depends on how sold they are on the depth draft. They won't have a great idea until they can work some of the prospects out, which means if there is any plan to use this draft to improve, that we will hold on to all three of the picks until draft day so that we have the most options to acquire who ever they like.

If it really is a deep draft then 3 first round picks could be huge on draft day for something similar to what the Thunder did for Sabonis last year. I can picture LAC moving players to be active in next years draft... If they lose CP3 they could be hard after Fultz.

At the same time if GMs were truly sold on the strength of this draft would be have been able to end up with 3 first round picks this easily?

We might keep 1.

We're not a super young team that can afford to develop draft picks within Dame's prime. Nurkic is the kind of guy we might get in the draft, but has 2+ years experience yet is only 22.

That, and the rookie scale contracts are more than Plums was making.

 

[Denny Crane]

They're not worth $7M..

The picks? $4M, $1.5M, $1.5M in rookie contract scale. ~$7M.

 

[Denny Crane]

Well, I should have qualified that with dump enough existing players to open up salary room for three first-round rookies. Unless Allen's okay with going into the luxury tax to sign them. Ezeli is a start.

It's not going to take a 1st round pick to take on a contract. We took on Verajao for a 2nd, and he didn't play a minute for us.

 

[tester551]

Yeah, I meant the salary space to roster them. I wasn't clear enough. I believe each first-rounder will cost somewhere between $5-7M and they're already over the luxury tax threshold.

Depends upon where we pick. Top pick in the draft is around $6M. Picking at 7 or 8 is $3M. Picks in the 20's are about $1.5M each.
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/rookie_scale/2018

 

[Blazinaway]

Yeah, I meant the salary space to roster them. I wasn't clear enough. I believe each first-rounder will cost somewhere between $5-7M and they're already over the luxury tax threshold.

nope, its more than last yr with but not ridiculous at all, here's the link

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/rookie-scale/

 

[Minstrel]

It's not going to take a 1st round pick to take on a contract. We took on Verajao for a 2nd, and he didn't play a minute for us.

That's because Varejao was an expiring. Getting another team to take on a long term bad contract will likely require a first-round pick.

 

[PDXFonz]

"We'll post him up more than... we haven't really posted anybody up this year".

 

[RR7]

It's not going to take a 1st round pick to take on a contract. We took on Verajao for a 2nd, and he didn't play a minute for us.

We got a 1st for varejao. That's why we currently have their pick.

 

[riverman]

I feel for Stotts...he had to burn a season and probably didn't want to have to do that

 

[Scalma]

"We'll post him up more than... we haven't really posted anybody up this year".

I swear I think the only guy I've seen post up this year is Harkless.

 

[riverman]

I don't think here's anything wrong with good chemistry, but I do think th


I swear I think the only guy I've seen post up this year is Harkless.

Layman actually did it a few times and Vonleh on a few mismatches

 

[Shaboid]

I swear I think the only guy I've seen post up this year is Harkless.

And ET here and there. I wish Stotts would take advantage of mismatches a bit more across the board.

 

[Denny Crane]

We got a 1st for varejao. That's why we currently have their pick.

OK, sorry. A 1st that was last or close to last in the 1st round, right?

 

[Denny Crane]

That's because Varejao was an expiring. Getting another team to take on a long term bad contract will likely require a first-round pick.

If your assumption that our contracts are bad ones is wrong, then what?

Guess what? Those assumptions are wrong. I don't see any one of our players not on a rookie deal that another team wouldn't take for a 2nd rounder (if they could).

 

[Boob-No-More]

That's because Varejao was an expiring. Getting another team to take on a long term bad contract will likely require a first-round pick.

No, he wasn't. We had to use the stretch provision to spread out the final year and nearly $10 million of Varejao's contract over a five year period.

BNM

 

[Minstrel]

If your assumption that our contracts are bad ones is wrong, then what?

Then I'll be wrong.

Guess what? Those assumptions are wrong.

Agree to disagree.

 

[Minstrel]

No, he wasn't. We had to use the stretch provision to spread out the final year and nearly $10 million of Varejao's contract over a five year period.

Yup, my mistake. Though, as RR7 pointed out, Cleveland did send a first, not a second.

 

[Denny Crane]

Then I'll be wrong.



Agree to disagree.

Here's the thing. We have evidence.

NO is a proven quality GM. He's willing to sign those contracts.

His moves were entirely predictable because they are what quality GMs would do. That includes the trade for Nurkic - which goes to prove that our roster (and salaries) isn't cast in concrete.

Brooklyn was willing to pay Crabbe his big contract. Crabbe's contract isn't that big - it's $7M less than Dame's (next season).

Boston would have matched ET, but didn't have bird rights.

The evidence seems to be at least 3 GMs would take those players on their "absurd" (lol) contract.

And then there's the naysaying nabob of negativism on a message board telling me what other GMs think.

Another positive thing for us is the dearth of SGs in free agency this coming summer.

When I look at our salary structure, the big glaring issue is we're paying $50M for our starting guards. Running up against the LT is a given if we want to try to win. With a ~$120M LT threshold, that leaves about $6.6M per player to fill out a roster of 13.

 

[Minstrel]

Here's the thing. We have evidence.

NO is a proven quality GM.

How good a GM Olshey is, isn't clear. Beyond that, even solid GMs can make mistakes.

His moves were entirely predictable because they are what quality GMs would do. That includes the trade for Nurkic - which goes to prove that our roster (and salaries) isn't cast in concrete.

I never said every player on the roster was unmovable. He traded a player who's decent and not (yet) expensive. That says nothing for his ability to move players with (in my view) bad contracts.

Brooklyn was willing to pay Crabbe his big contract. Crabbe's contract isn't that big - it's $6M less than CJ's (next season).

I certainly judge good moves by whether Brooklyn would make them. And yeah, Crabbe's contract also isn't very big when compared with the cost of a stealth bomber. It's huge for a player who's as limited as Crabbe is. McCollum is a far better player.

Boston would have matched ET, but didn't have bird rights.

Do you have a source for that? I'm genuinely curious.

We also have the report that even Turner was shocked at Portland's offer and when he told Iguodala about the offer, Iggy told him to grab it immediately. That certainly doesn't suggest that Portland was making the standard market offer.

In the end, though, we can actually see what happens since Olshey has said, in the wake of the Plumlee deal, he wants to move some of these contracts. It's certainly possible that I'm wrong and they can be moved "cheaply." While I think that the vast majority of teams would want nothing to do with the contracts of Crabbe, Turner and Meyers, it only takes one team in any of those player's cases. Maybe Olshey finds such a team. But I certainly disagree with your belief that all these contracts are completely reasonable in the eyes of the rest of the NBA.

 

[Denny Crane]

How good a GM Olshey is, isn't clear. Beyond that, even solid GMs can make mistakes.



I never said every player on the roster was unmovable. He traded a player who's decent and not (yet) expensive. That says nothing for his ability to move players with (in my view) bad contracts.



I certainly judge good moves by whether Brooklyn would make them. And yeah, Crabbe's contract also isn't very big when compared with the cost of a stealth bomber. It's huge for a player who's as limited as Crabbe is. McCollum is a far better player.



Do you have a source for that? I'm genuinely curious.

We also have the report that even Turner was shocked at Portland's offer and when he told Iguodala about the offer, Iggy told him to grab it immediately. That certainly doesn't suggest that Portland was making the standard market offer.

In the end, though, we can actually see what happens since Olshey has said, in the wake of the Plumlee deal, he wants to move some of these contracts. It's certainly possible that I'm wrong and they can be moved "cheaply." While I think that the vast majority of teams would want nothing to do with the contracts of Crabbe, Turner and Meyers, it only takes one team in any of those player's cases. Maybe Olshey finds such a team. But I certainly disagree with your belief that all these contracts are completely reasonable in the eyes of the rest of the NBA.

McCullom and Dame make far more money.

"Best offer" implies there were others, a bidding war of sorts, for ET.

https://www.boston.com/sports/bosto...ny-ainge-says-hed-like-to-re-sign-evan-turner
Danny Ainge says he’d like to re-sign Evan Turner

http://www.celticsblog.com/2016/7/1...rner-leaves-boston-celtics-for-portland-trail

Free Agent Evan Turner leaves Boston Celtics for Portland Trail Blazers on 4 year $70 million deal

But his early bird rights always signaled a strong possibility that his future was elsewhere. The Celtics' expectations were essentially how it played out, with Turner having offers from competitive teams that were too good to turn down. Although sources told CelticsBlog yesterday that the Celtics were expected to receive a chance to compete with Turner's best offer, the $17.5 million AAV was too rich for their roster structure, cap space and free agency targets.

Had the Celtics held full bird rights, they could have held on to his low cap hold of $4.5 million and signed him to a large contract after using their cap space on free agents. But with early bird rights, the amount they could use to sign Turner without reducing their cap space was around $7 million. With their space earmarked for Al Horford and Kevin Durant, the Celtics are not in a position to commit significant space to non-starters before those two targets are off the market. With Turner's market value placing him at starter-level, there was little doubt that he was leaving Boston.

 

[Denny Crane]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nba/rumors...n-turner-drawing-interests-from-several-teams

NBA Rumor Central: Evan Turner drawing interest from several teams

Free-agent guard Evan Turner is a wanted man. According to Sporting News, Turner is being courted by at least six teams.

On Thursday, ESPN's Ian Begley reported that Turner is planning to meet with the New York Knicks, and Sporting News reports that the Bulls, Pelicans, Mavericks, Lakers and Grizzlies are all attempting to sign Turner as well.​

(Seems NO snuck in and got him, as the Blazers aren't mentioned among the 6 teams with interest in him.)

CBS in Boston reported that 6 teams actually prepared offers:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/07/01/celtics-evan-turner-nba-free-agency-lakers-bulls-knicks/

But they might not be able to wait very long. The Knicks, Bulls, Pelicans, Mavericks, Lakers and Grizzlies are all preparing their bids for Turner, according to The Sporting News.​

 

[Minstrel]

McCullom and Dame make far more money.

Unsurprising, since they're much better players.

"Best offer" implies there were others, a bidding war of sorts, for ET.

That article doesn't source your claim that the Celtics wanted to match Portland's offer. It says that they "expected" to compete with his best offer but it turned out his best offer was far too high:

Although sources told CelticsBlog yesterday that the Celtics were expected to receive a chance to compete with Turner's best offer, the $17.5 million AAV was too rich for their roster structure, cap space and free agency targets.​

It also doesn't surprise me that multiple teams were interested in Turner. Turner's a solid player with clear strengths. That second report you quoted doesn't suggest that any of those teams were interested to the tune of $17-18M per year, though. Olshey didn't "sneak in" to steal Turner--from the sounds of it (Turner's reaction), he simply blew everyone else's offers away. If he was offering around what everyone else was, Turner wouldn't have been shocked by the offer.