OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA THREAD - July 2021

[TBpup]

eh?

You wanted us to get involved in this one? Who in this deal moves any needle? It's fairly unsubstantial for all parties involved. The Roco trade last year was among the very first dominoes to fall in the pre-draft stage.

And you are smart enough to realize that a lot of what we will do this year hinges on Jones opting in, which he has yet to do.

This seems to be happening a lot lately....implying something that I didn't say at all. Didn't say anything about being involved in that one and at no point did I say anything about THAT deal moving the needle. Just that we are still waiting 9 years for Olshey to 'move the needle' as he quoted quite some time ago.

Be smart enough to comment on what I said and not the stuff lately you seem to make up and apply to it. That would be a helpful start.

 

[B-Roy]

Norm wearing a Blazers shirt on his latest IG story. Neil truly a top tier snake oil salesman if he is able to convince Norm to play SF full time again.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Norm wearing a Blazers shirt on his latest IG story. Neil truly a top tier snake oil salesman if he is able to convince Norm to play SF full time again.

He gets more money with us. Neil could say he’ll move him to a team where he can play the 2

 

[illmatic99]

This seems to be happening a lot lately....implying something that I didn't say at all. Didn't say anything about being involved in that one and at no point did I say anything about THAT deal moving the needle. Just that we are still waiting 9 years for Olshey to 'move the needle' as he quoted quite some time ago.

Be smart enough to comment on what I said and not the stuff lately you seem to make up and apply to it. That would be a helpful start.

hahaha, alright my bad then. But you know exactly what you were "implying."

He gets more money with us. Neil could say he’ll move him to a team where he can play the 2

He's unrestricted. He is eligible for the same contract everywhere-- we can't really pay him more than other teams, can we?

 

[blazerkor]

He gets more money with us. Neil could say he’ll move him to a team where he can play the 2

He can get just as much with the Knicks... nobody else can offer him as much but the Knicks could. I just haven't seen anything from him that tells me he's a sure thing. If the Knicks aren't talking to him then we totally have the upper hand on anyone else. Neil also might be telling him that he'll be starting at the 2 here because Neil actually has deals he will take for CJ that he is still publicly saying aren't enough. Many possibilities with what's going on with our team.

 

[wizenheimer]

Jake Fischer actually reported the Bledsoe + 10th for 17th scenario a few days ago, and then it happened. No one seems to have any Blazers rumors though, maybe because we aren't doing anything.

I'd imagine Olshey has been talking to other teams, probably a lot. But I'd also imagine he is not making any serious offers that involve significant risk. That's his M.O. and it sure looks to me like Seattle isn't putting any pressure on him to budge him off of his long held biases on the roster

if there wasn't so much at stake it would be kind of comical. Portland needs to make some deals to give Dame a better roster. But other teams are 'waiting' to see if Dame demands a trade so the market for those non-Dame deals is stalled. Dame is the supertanker stuck in the Suez. I suppose this is not an original dilemma, but the Blazers may be stuck with the worst kind of GM to navigate that situation

 

[illmatic99]

I'd imagine Olshey has been talking to other teams, probably a lot. But I'd also imagine he is not making any serious offers that involve significant risk. That's his M.O. and it sure looks to me like Seattle isn't putting any pressure on him to budge him off of his long held biases on the roster

if there wasn't so much at stake it would be kind of comical. Portland needs to make some deals to give Dame a better roster. But other teams are 'waiting' to see if Dame demands a trade so the market for those non-Dame deals is stalled. Dame is the supertanker stuck in the Suez. I suppose this is not an original dilemma, but the Blazers may be stuck with the worst kind of GM to navigate that situation

all fair, but i don't want Olshey making his best and final offer this early into the trade season.

 

[blazerkor]

hahaha, alright my bad then. But you know exactly what you were "implying."


He's unrestricted. He is eligible for the same contract everywhere-- we can't really pay him more than other teams, can we?

Miami, San Antonio, OKC and the Knicks are the only teams that have the cap space to comfortably be able to offer him between 18-22M if that's what he's going for.

 

[wizenheimer]

He's unrestricted. He is eligible for the same contract everywhere-- we can't really pay him more than other teams, can we?

sure...Portland can pay him more, and if he re-signs with Portland, it's entirely possible they will

The Knicks could make a 20M/year offer and Powell's agent could say to Olshey that Powell will sign with NY because there are better opportunities there and NY wants him as the starting SG. So Olshey counters by offering 27M/year

 

[B-Roy]

He gets more money with us. Neil could say he’ll move him to a team where he can play the 2

Not necessarily, but yeah, he has 20M a year guaranteed with us assuming other teams are more interested in pursuing other options first. Honestly, I don't expect many of the capspace teams to even start considering Norm until the Lowry domino falls, so Norm may just want to commit to the money early.

I'd imagine Olshey has been talking to other teams, probably a lot. But I'd also imagine he is not making any serious offers that involve significant risk. That's his M.O. and it sure looks to me like Seattle isn't putting any pressure on him to budge him off of his long held biases on the roster

Yeah, talking Dame off the edge just means business as usual for good ol' Neil. I look forward to re-shuffling the decks on the Titanic.

 

[blazerkor]

I'd imagine Olshey has been talking to other teams, probably a lot. But I'd also imagine he is not making any serious offers that involve significant risk. That's his M.O. and it sure looks to me like Seattle isn't putting any pressure on him to budge him off of his long held biases on the roster

if there wasn't so much at stake it would be kind of comical. Portland needs to make some deals to give Dame a better roster. But other teams are 'waiting' to see if Dame demands a trade so the market for those non-Dame deals is stalled. Dame is the supertanker stuck in the Suez. I suppose this is not an original dilemma, but the Blazers may be stuck with the worst kind of GM to navigate that situation

I think, if you put any weight into reports and believe Dame is giving the team the early season to prove they've upgraded and would give the team to the deadline to trade him, then the only thing that I could see that would make Dame move up his timetable from the deadline to a trade demand now would be if a CJ package didn't get moved for an upgrade and Norm walked for nothing. Then we not only haven't improved the team like he mandated but would seem to have no way to do it even at the trade deadline. That might unclog the gridlock.

 

[blazerkor]

sure...Portland can pay him more, and if he re-signs with Portland, it's entirely possible they will

The Knicks could make a 20M/year offer and Powell's agent could say to Olshey that Powell will sign with NY because there are better opportunities there and NY wants him as the starting SG. So Olshey counters by offering 27M/year

The Knicks are in the very unique position that they can keep talent that would make them just as good as last season and have 60M in cap room (54 after min cap holds). So technically they could match the 27M... I don't think they'd be that stupid.

Holy fucking shit, if Olshey committed right under 100M for three guard that are under 6'4" for next season, that would be so fucking stupid.

 

[wizenheimer]

all fair, but i don't want Olshey making his best and final offer this early into the trade season.

why not?

other teams might already be doing that realizing there is a lot of competition for all-star level players

the strategy of playing it cool might work in normal circumstances. But if players like Simmons and Siakam and Beal and SGA get moved before Dame gets back from Japan, and moved for packages the Blazers could have arguably matched, it could be the worst outcome for Dame & the Blazers

Dame wants the front office to match the sense of urgency he feels. If several all-star level players are moved and it appears Olshey is sitting on his hands....yikes!

 

[B-Roy]

I do wonder what happens if Dame returns from Tokyo and the roster is exactly the same.....or worse. I can't imagine that would sit very well with him.

 

[illmatic99]

why not?

other teams might already be doing that realizing there is a lot of competition for all-star level players

the strategy of playing it cool might work in normal circumstances. But if players like Simmons and Siakam and Beal and SGA get moved before Dame gets back from Japan, and moved for packages the Blazers could have arguably matched, it could be the worst outcome for Dame & the Blazers

Dame wants the front office to match the sense of urgency he feels. If several all-star level players are moved and it appears Olshey is sitting on his hands....yikes!

Every negotiation works that way. Are you really arguing that he should just simply push all of our limited assets into the first offer he makes?

 

[wizenheimer]

Yeah, talking Dame off the edge just means business as usual for good ol' Neil. I look forward to re-shuffling the decks on the Titanic.

I don't think Dame was talked off of any ledge. I do not believe anything Olshey says to him will matter. For Dame, after 9 seasons, the test is actions, not words. My take is that Dame was at the same spot after that Vegas meeting as he was before

my hunch is that Dame doesn't trust anything Olshey says to him. The difference now is that Dame believes Seattle will not hold Olshey accountable. I don't think it was coincidence that Dame started registering major discontent after the Olshey presser on firing Stotts

obviously...that all IMO

 

[blazerkor]

why not?

other teams might already be doing that realizing there is a lot of competition for all-star level players

the strategy of playing it cool might work in normal circumstances. But if players like Simmons and Siakam and Beal and SGA get moved before Dame gets back from Japan, and moved for packages the Blazers could have arguably matched, it could be the worst outcome for Dame & the Blazers

Dame wants the front office to match the sense of urgency he feels. If several all-star level players are moved and it appears Olshey is sitting on his hands....yikes!

I completely agree. If Olshey is conservative and patient when Dame mandated a sense of urgency to get this team in position to contend, that's the kind of thing that could accelerate Dame's decision process. Just like if Neil is aggressive, goes out and gets a Siakam or Simmons and re-signs Norm to a good contract it might accelerate Dame recommitting to his future here.

 

[blazerkor]

I do wonder what happens if Dame returns from Tokyo and the roster is exactly the same.....or worse. I can't imagine that would sit very well with him.

I think the exact same roster (meaning we re-sign Norm) with the addition of someone that Dame likes with the taxpayer MLE would buy the team a couple months of regular season basketball to prove that it's better or to make moves they didn't. Norm walking and therefore almost guaranteeing we go into the playoffs with an inferior roster than last year's... I think Dame loses his patience.

 

[wizenheimer]

Every negotiation works that way. Are you really arguing that he should just simply push all of our limited assets into the first offer he makes?

did I say that?

I'm saying I believe several of these trade negotiations have been going on for weeks and if Olshey is playing it cagey he won't have decent traction. If Portland has "limited assets" then they need to move more of them onto the table, early, in order to compete

 

[tester551]

Every negotiation works that way. Are you really arguing that he should just simply push all of our limited assets into the first offer he makes?

Doesn't have to be the first offer. Just an offer that is aggressive from the get go.

 

[illmatic99]

did I say that?

I'm saying I believe several of these trade negotiations have been going on for weeks and that I Olshey is playing it cagey he won't have traction. If Portland has "limited assets" then they need to move more of them onto the table, early, in order to compete

Doesn't have to be the first offer. Just an offer that is aggressive from the get go.

i agree that he should be aggressive, but you will lose every negotiation in which you put all your chips on the table early. This all conjecture anyway. No indication that he hasn't already done it.

Getting Jones to pick up his option was one of the first dominoes in our summer that was crucial. Let's see how it goes from now.

 

[blazerkor]

Every negotiation works that way. Are you really arguing that he should just simply push all of our limited assets into the first offer he makes?

Right but these negotiations have to have been going on in a really serious at the very least since Dame's presser and more likely since Neil met with Dame after Stotts was fired. So by no means could today be the first offer. So at this point the value of our assets has been gauged. There is a chance that there are no needle moving moves that the trigger can be pulled on but I very seriously doubt that is the case.

Most likely the hold up is Neil trying to get over on everybody and being willing to do nothing before he takes a strategic loss that would vastly improve our team.

 

[B-Roy]

 

[B-Roy]

It’s crazy to me that there is this many suitors for Lowry. 30 million a year at age 35. Him and Chris Paul both. Jesus.

 

[lawai'a]

Agreed that Nance would be the best option. Satoransky would be second, IMO, in that he has the skills to backup PG but the size to play the 3, and would fit nicely in a reserve role alongside Ant and Nas. Also, I've wanted him here for years...

i like his fit as well if the minutes are there to justify his $10mill. salary, without attaching assets. if he brought additional ones our way it might change the balance of my stance.

 

[B-Roy]

i like his fit as well if the minutes are there to justify his $10mill. salary, without attaching assets. if he brought additional ones our way it might change the balance of my stance.

Sato has positive value.

 

[wizenheimer]

i agree that he should be aggressive, but you will lose every negotiation in which you put all your chips on the table early. This all conjecture anyway. No indication that he hasn't already done it.

Getting Jones to pick up his option was one of the first dominoes in our summer that was crucial. Let's see how it goes from now.

that's fine. I just don't believe that the dickering started in the last few days. For instance, Portland and Philly had their seasons end weeks ago

Jones opting in may be important. That's a good bit of salary filler in a large trade and even good salary leverage in a smaller one-for-one trade. I think we can all agree that Olshey's preference would be to do something like Jones and a first, or two, for somebody like Larry Nance Jr. It's pretty certain Olshey is still reluctant to trade CJ

Nance wouldn't alter Portland's trajectory but it might be the kind of deal that would cover Neil's ass for a while. Allow him to punt the ball down field for a few more months and take some pressure off

 

[lawai'a]

Sato has positive value.

please add why if there are less minutes available at the 1/2 than at 3/4 presently?

 

[blazerkor]

i agree that he should be aggressive, but you will lose every negotiation in which you put all your chips on the table early. This all conjecture anyway. No indication that he hasn't already done it.

Getting Jones to pick up his option was one of the first dominoes in our summer that was crucial. Let's see how it goes from now.

Yeah, it's hardly a simple situation. Teams that can really get better by getting CJ are going to want Dame, so Neil convincing teams that they won't get Dame no matter what in order to value CJ is a bit of a sell but there are 30 teams that would probably give great value for Dame. I say that because if the rumors are true and Steph Curry's team wants Dame, who won't. So if you were Neil you could be pretty convincing in telling a handful of teams that if they refuse to take a good deal now that includes CJ they'll be pissing away the only chance they'll ever get at either of our guards.

All of that said, when I saw that DJ was opting in now, I kind of thought that might mean there was a deal on the table that is to Neil's liking for a CJ/DJ centered package.

 

[illmatic99]

that's fine. I just don't believe that the dickering started in the last few days. For instance, Portland and Philly had their seasons end weeks ago

Jones opting in may be important. That's a good bit of salary filler in a large trade and even good salary leverage in a smaller one-for-one trade. I think we can all agree that Olshey's preference would be to do something like Jones and a first, or two, for somebody like Larry Nance Jr. It's pretty certain Olshey is still reluctant to trade CJ

Nance wouldn't alter Portland's trajectory but it might be the kind of deal that would cover Neil's ass for a while. Allow him to punt the ball down field for a few more months and take some pressure off

it just seems like some of you guys are laying the groundwork to trash the guy before he even gets a chance to do something. Do you know for sure what he's offering/planning? How do you know he won't trade CJ?

he has admittedly said he is going to be more aggressive this year. Let's see if that was just blowing smoke also before killing him.

Also, if he can land Nance in a trade centered around Jones, that's a DAMN GOOD deal for us.