Post Draft Speculation

[Rastapopoulos]

Okay, so now that's over with, what next? Maybe speculate on what the drafts each team had mean for its roster going forward.

FOR EXAMPLE: it seems like the Magic have too many PGs now, what with Fultz, Suggs and Anthony. Of those, I can see them being least enamored of Fultz. Any interest?

Likewise, the Kings have Fox, Mitchell and Halliburton. I still think they should trade Hield and Fox for Simmons, but I know a lot of people really rate Fox...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

ALSO: here's what Hollinger said about Greg Brown:

Portland acquired this pick from New Orleans and took an upside Hail Mary on Brown, a pogo leaper who can maybe shoot a little but has a very rudimentary feel for the game. He could become another Derrick Jones, Jr. if everything hits. Of course, the Blazers already have the original Derrick Jones, Jr., and that isn’t totally working out either. There’s a cap angle to this trade as well, as Portland can have a rookie minimum contract in its 14th roster spot to help ease its luxury tax situation.

Hmm. IS this a sign that we're going to try to unload DJJ? I'd like to think so, but then again, as has been pointed out, we basically have to keep him to make any trades around the trade deadline, so...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

ALSO: What happened with Buddy Hield? The Lakers were supposed to be trading for him until they turned around and traded the same players for Westbrook. That kind of leave Hield hanging. Lakers fans want him too, but now they don't have the assets (not that I consider what they had before "assets").

 

[illmatic99]

ALSO: here's what Hollinger said about Greg Brown:

Portland acquired this pick from New Orleans and took an upside Hail Mary on Brown, a pogo leaper who can maybe shoot a little but has a very rudimentary feel for the game. He could become another Derrick Jones, Jr. if everything hits. Of course, the Blazers already have the original Derrick Jones, Jr., and that isn’t totally working out either. There’s a cap angle to this trade as well, as Portland can have a rookie minimum contract in its 14th roster spot to help ease its luxury tax situation.

Hmm. IS this a sign that we're going to try to unload DJJ? I'd like to think so, but then again, as has been pointed out, we basically have to keep him to make any trades around the trade deadline, so...

Jones is a wing, Brown is a big.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

FEWER

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Jones is a wing, Brown is a big.

And yet they're the same size and Brown thinks he's a wing.
Funny thing, I googled "Derrick Jones Jr. size" to see if they were the same height and weight, and this is one of the first hits (from a mock draft):

 

[Fairly-Hard]

So tough to follow this site when everyone starts a new thread to talk about the same stuff?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

So tough to follow this site when everyone starts a new thread to talk about the same stuff?

My heart bleeds for you.

 

[tykendo]

Too early to know what Brown III is, or isn't. I doubt anyone, even in the Nuggets Organization, thought he'd turn into an MVP, of their team for that matter. Sacramento is a true mess. They have some really nice talent, but they keep drafting the same type players. They already have Fox & Haliburton, then they draft another PG,in Mitchell. They have a nice SG (Hield), but they want to get rid of him. Even though his early career has been underwelming (injuries, OK motor) for where he was picked, Marvin Bagley III has upside and needs to be developed. It Seems the Kings are too impatient to actually build a winner. And once you hang a guy out there in a deal, it's hard for that player to be all in on your plan. That organization is a clusterfuck. Hey maybe they can trade Hield for another PG.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

My heart bleeds for you.

Seriously all this could be put in the threads that are titled Draft thread and Greg Brown and Around the NBA and Trendon Watford and Blazers Summer league, and Draft day picks and Moves and Lillard trade request thread and Grade the Blazers roster changes (which you started last year.) Then there is the Ben Simmons thread which you started as well.

Just saying there might be enough threads?

 

[tykendo]

Seriously all this could be put in the threads that are titled Draft thread and Greg Brown and Around the NBA and Trendon Watford and Blazers Summer league, and Draft day picks and Moves and Lillard trade request thread and Grade the Blazers roster changes (which you started last year.) Then there is the Ben Simmons thread which you started as well.

Just saying there might be enough threads?

One solution, get rid of Dame trade thread. Trolls just keep it going with BS to cause high blood pressure.

 

[blazerkor]

I still expect that the team will be aggressively shopping CJ and assets for a number 2 guy (hopefully Simmons, Siakam or Grant). I think there should be some urgency to make that trade happen in the next few days because if I was Norman Powell I wouldn't sign up to play SF with two very ball dominant, shot taking small guards if similar money was out there with a team that would play me at my natural position and get me more touches. For those of you that hate this next thing feel free to rehash other discussions we've had about it but if Simmons is the guy we get (he is the guy I want us to get) then I would think we'd trade Nurk... if we can get a big that makes the three with the taxpayer MLE then we could trade Nurk for the best player(s) and/or future picks available or trade him for a 3 and D big...

That's still the plan I'm hoping Neil has. It would be a nightmare to go into training camp without having moved CJ for a better fitting second option and having lost Norm. It would be a worse nightmare to have Dame come back from Japan having made no move besides losing Norm and have him demand a trade which I don't think is likely but it's also not as unlikely as I would hope at this point.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[e_blazer]

The Lakers now have over $120M tied up in three players. Look for them to fill out the roster with the usual assortment of vet min ring chasers. Any doubt Melo wears piss and purple to finish his career?

 

[SlyPokerCat]

One solution, get rid of Dame trade thread. Trolls just keep it going with BS to cause high blood pressure.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Particularly as that would give the Kings FOUR starting-quality point guards.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

The Lakers now have over $120M tied up in three players. Look for them to fill out the roster with the usual assortment of vet min ring chasers. Any doubt Melo wears piss and purple to finish his career?

 

[blazerkor]

The only reason the NBA did that wasn't some elaborate investigation, it's because Bogdanovic came out and said he didn't agree to the deal.

 

[tykendo]

I still expect that the team will be aggressively shopping CJ and assets for a number 2 guy (hopefully Simmons, Siakam or Grant). I think there should be some urgency to make that trade happen in the next few days because if I was Norman Powell I wouldn't sign up to play SF with two very ball dominant, shot taking small guards if similar money was out there with a team that would play me at my natural position and get me more touches. For those of you that hate this next thing feel free to rehash other discussions we've had about it but if Simmons is the guy we get (he is the guy I want us to get) then I would think we'd trade Nurk... if we can get a big that makes the three with the taxpayer MLE then we could trade Nurk for the best player(s) and/or future picks available or trade him for a 3 and D big...

That's still the plan I'm hoping Neil has. It would be a nightmare to go into training camp without having moved CJ for a better fitting second option and having lost Norm. It would be a worse nightmare to have Dame come back from Japan having made no move besides losing Norm and have him demand a trade which I don't think is likely but it's also not as unlikely as I would hope at this point.

Grant is not a number 2. He's a fantastic role player and great in Detroit's current form for Fantasy Basketball, but not a top tier player. Simmons still has potential to be great, and Siakam has played at top level. Grant is an asset that could help any team, including the Blazers, but if you trade CJ for him, other assets need to come with Grant from Detroit. And Powell is technically a small guard as well, but does play bigger. And i agree, why would he Re-sign if CJ is still here. Trading Nurk is a bad idea IMO. I'd like to see what Billups can get out of him before settling on a Big Body who is mostly a stiff. Plus Nurk can get better at offense. He was better before the injury. And a frontcourt of Simmons and a offensive stiff center is not good.

 

[tykendo]

The only reason the NBA did that wasn't some elaborate investigation, it's because Bogdanovic came out and said he didn't agree to the deal.

If Sactown was to take Schroeder , another PG, back in a trade for SG Buddy Hield, they ought to lose their ownership privileges, and HAVE TO SELL to a new group.

 

[blazerkor]

Grant is not a number 2. He's a fantastic role player and great in Detroit's current form for Fantasy Basketball, but not a top tier player. Simmons still has potential to be great, and Siakam has played at top level. Grant is an asset that could help any team, including the Blazers, but if you trade CJ for him, other assets need to come with Grant from Detroit. And Powell is technically a small guard as well, but does play bigger. And i agree, why would he Re-sign if CJ is still here. Trading Nurk is a bad idea IMO. I'd like to see what Billups can get out of him before settling on a Big Body who is mostly a stiff. Plus Nurk can get better at offense. He was better before the injury. And a frontcourt of Simmons and a offensive stiff center is not good.

To be honest, I still think a team like the Knicks would need to be a third party in that trade and the Siakam trade. They still have a ton of young assets and cap space. Also if we are able to get either of those guys it will mean the team is looking at a much different timetable than CJ would fit into.

As far as Grant being a second option, I completely disagree. He was a fantastic role player that a team decided could be a first option for a season and did alright despite the record and considering his teammates. As a second option I think he would flourish but I do think we should get more coming back in that trade. Siakam should be straight up or us adding just a little sweetener and Simmons is going to cost us but his upside is ridiculous and CJ's value with the Sixers straight across is high so no third team would probably be needed.

 

[wizenheimer]

I still expect that the team will be aggressively shopping CJ and assets for a number 2 guy (hopefully Simmons, Siakam or Grant).

I have to ask...have you seen anything, at all, that shows Olshey is even seriously shopping CJ, let alone aggressively shopping him?

for instance, I noticed that the initial chatter about Philly and Simmons included the Blazers as a potential suitor. However, when I read the details of the chatter, the few times there were details, it was almost all speculation

but, over the last week, the reports of the teams in 'serious' talks for Simmons never included Portland.

personally, I think Olshey really really wants to rinse-repeat the Dame/CJ experiment for another season. He wants a last chance to prove himself right. And the combination of Seattle ambivalence and next summer's Blazer cap will give him a green light to do so. And by then, Dame may very well be demanding a trade

 

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[Rastapopoulos]

personally, I think Olshey really really wants to rinse-repeat the Dame/CJ experiment for another season. He wants a last chance to prove himself right. And the combination of Seattle ambivalence and next summer's Blazer cap will give him a green light to do so. And by then, Dame may very well be demanding a trade

I think Olshey will not make major changes until he sees what Billups does with the roster. In his mind, replacing Stotts with Billups was a game-changer - it's not the roster that's the problem.

 

[wizenheimer]

As far as Grant being a second option, I completely disagree. He was a fantastic role player that a team decided could be a first option for a season and did alright despite the record and considering his teammates.

Grant is not a good #2 option. However, I think there's 6 years of solid evidence that CJ is not a good #2 either...if you want a contender that is

I don't really like the idea of CJ for Grant. At the same time, maybe the idea needs to be gauged as CJ for Grant + 10M in extra cap + a re-signed Powell. That makes the idea more digestible, but of course, I don't see why that would appeal to Detroit

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Ooh, just remembered the Magic also have Michael Carter-Williams. He REALLY must be surplus to requirements. I'd like him more than Mudiay as our backup PG.

 

[tykendo]

Grant is not a good #2 option. However, I think there's 6 years of solid evidence that CJ is not a good #2 either...if you want a contender that is

I don't really like the idea of CJ for Grant. At the same time, maybe the idea needs to be gauged as CJ for Grant + 10M in extra cap + a re-signed Powell. That makes the idea more digestible, but of course, I don't see why that would appeal to Detroit

I think CJ next to Cunningham would be great for both Cade, and Detroit, because of the professionalism CJ would bring, and ability to show the youngster the right way to do things. But CJ doesn't fit their timeline( possibly a Presti type take) for their youth movement.

 

[boredinsalem]

It seems like Derozan is there for the taking with the Lakers out and the Clippers not having cap room (or many traceable assets). I think SA would accommodate a sign n trade if we had anything to offer.

I doubt Neil has the balls, but CJ and Jones to the Knicks for cap relief and a few picks, a pick or two (2nd rounders?) to SA and Derozan and a $20 million trade exemption (assuming Derozan signs for $20M per year) would work. With the cap exemption we could throw all the picks from the deal plus a few more to Detroit for Grant. They'd then be under the cap and have more picks for the future.

Lillard/Simons
Powell/Little
Covington/Derozan
Grant/Derozan
Nurkic/MLE (Ibaka)

That team would have a nasty edge and provide lots of spacing for Derozan. Doubt he's ready to take on a 6th man role at this point, but he could get 30 MPG, run the second unit, and sub O for D with Covington at the end of games.

 

[Chris Craig]

One solution, get rid of Dame trade thread. Trolls just keep it going with BS to cause high blood pressure.

Nah

 

[Paine Tablet]

My heart bleeds for you.

I don't often agree with you but I actually appreciate very much that you create threads. I don't think you are excessive about it and you offer your thoughts as a starter. Things should be talked to death.