Re-signing Nurkic should be #1 on Blazers agenda

[Gronk Brady]

Unless some other team gets crazy and offers him $20+ million per year, I don't see us letting him walk. We matched BRK's 4-year $75 million offer sheet (with trade kicker) for Allen Crabbe. I know this is 2018, not 2016, but would we really let Nurk walk if some team offered him 4-years/$80 million (or less)? I sure hope not. I really don't want to go back to being one of the 5 worst defenses in the league.

BNM

I sure hope they do let him walk if it’s 4/80... that would be insane to go that far into the luxury tax for Nurkic... he still has some upside but he has hands of stone and the will never change... I’ve never seen a big man fumble the ball so much on entry passes and rebounds

 

[BonesJones]

I think 4/52 is probably the max I would give Nurk... anything more I’d probably let him walk... For Ed I would go 2/18or 3/24 max... Shabazz I wouldn’t resign at any price, he needs to go to open minutes for Baldwin... Pat I would give 4/20 max

Why wouldnt we want to lose him as an asset? He was a borderline all-star level player over his past 50 games, is 23 years old, and made us a top 10 defensive team. Why should we let him go of he gets offered $15M a year? What do we have to gain from that?

 

[BonesJones]

I sure hope they do let him walk if it’s 4/80... that would be insane to go that far into the luxury tax for Nurkic... he still has some upside but he has hands of stone and the will never change... I’ve never seen a big man fumble the ball so much on entry passes and rebounds

That's the deciding factor...?

 

[Gronk Brady]

Why wouldnt we want to lose him as an asset? He was a borderline all-star level player over his past 50 games, is 23 years old, and made us a top 10 defensive team. Why should we let him go of he gets offered $15M a year? What do we have to gain from that?

I could be talked into 15 per... but that is absolutely max

 

[BonesJones]

lol, are we going to have a 20 player roster?

9 does not equal 20, my friend. Try again.

 

[Gronk Brady]

That's the deciding factor...?

Please tell me you don’t think Nurk is worth 20 per... he becomes a negative asset at that point...

 

[BonesJones]

I could be talked into 15 per... but that is absolutely max

Why not $16M per? What do we gain by letting him go? How are we closer to winning a championship without Nurkic than we are with him for $16M or even $18M a year?

 

[BonesJones]

Please tell me you don’t think Nurk is worth 20 per... he becomes a negative asset at that point...

Only if he stops us from making transactions that would result in us being a better team than we are with him...

 

[Gronk Brady]

Why not $16M per? What do we gain by letting him go? How are we closer to winning a championship without Nurkic than we are with him for $16M or even $18M a year?

Because this team is good enough to contend, so why make the situation worse... would rather start Ed at center for 8-9 mil and backup with Collins and Papagiannis for a team that can’t win a game in the playoffs

 

[BonesJones]

Because this team is good enough to contend, so why make the situation worse... would rather start Ed at center for 8-9 mil and backup with Collins and Papagiannis for a team that can’t win a game in the playoffs

We went from a bottom 5 defense to a borderline top 5 defense because of Nurkic. After the all-star break, he averaged 21ppg and 14reb per 36 with elite rim protection (that's all-star production) and still has potential to be a better passer and overall better player than that. His impact is really being underrated around here. You don't give up on that because of $16M a year.

We're only good enough to contend with Nurkic on the team. Without him, we probably miss the playoffs.

 

[Gronk Brady]

We went from a bottom 5 defense to a borderline top 5 defense because of Nurkic. After the all-star break, he averaged 21ppg and 14reb per 36 with elite rim protection (that's all-star production) and still has potential to be a better passer and overall better player than that. His impact is really being underrated around here. You don't give up on that because of $16M a year.

We're only good enough to contend with Nurkic in the team. Without him, we probably miss the playoffs.

Contend for what?! This team can’t win a playoff game and you want to commit more money to it? Why are you trying to force the issue... let it be a lottery team then... better than giving Nurk 20 mil to add to Dame and CJ 25+ mil each for a team that can’t even win 1 playoff game

 

[BonesJones]

Contend for what?! This team can’t win a playoff game and you want to commit more money to it? Why are you trying to force the issue... let it be a lottery team then... better than giving Nurk 20 mil to add to Dame and CJ 25+ mil each for a team that can’t even win 1 playoff game

You literally said "This team is good enough to contend". That statement was based off yours....

There's many other changes we could make, to both the roster and the philosophy, that could make a huge difference.

 

[riverman]

Nurk deserves Evan Turner money in my view and I think Paul won't blink to pay him

 

[Driew]

Nurk deserves Evan Turner money in my view and I think Paul won't blink to pay him

Exactly.

 

[LeeRC]

Definitely should keep him.

It will be terrible, say, to see the Suns acquire Doncic and near maxing out Nurkic.


A line up of Nurkic-Doncic-Jackson-Booker would easily be owning the Blazers for the next decade.

 

[BonesJones]

@Gronk Brady You don't want to resign Nurkic at $16M per but you were willing to give up a first round pick in order to pay DeAndre Jordan a $25M a year contract at the deadline...

 

[Gronk Brady]

@Gronk Brady You don't want to resign Nurkic at $16M per but you were willing to give up a first round pick in order to pay DeAndre Jordan a $25M a year contract at the deadline...

I would give Nurk any amount if we traded CJ and he took a more prominent role in the offense and had a more balanced team... if Neil is intent on keeping McLillard together then I don’t want to dig the hole deeper and overpay Nurk for a roster that can’t even win 1 game in the playoffs. And yes, if we are sticking with McLilard I think DeAndre is a much better fit... he won’t fumble the ball on pick and rolls with Dame

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Keep him for $10 million per season. I would let him walk above that price. Aminu was more important to the defensive improvement. Other Blazers such as Mo were as important for the defense as Nurk. Turner/Davis/Collins we're a big factor too. Not playing Meyers was valuable.

The Blazers success was due to two great players; then many solid players and depth. It became a bigger advantage as the season went on and injuries/tanking mounted throughout the league.

Nurk has strengths but also weakness, speed, hands, slow feet; that will prevent him from ever playing full time as a key starter in the playoffs. His attitude in Denver is a concern if he were to get $20million+ payday.

Ultimately I don't see any other team offering him above $10 million; so we will keep him or he plays out the one year offer.

 

[hoopsjock]

Keep him for $10 million per season. I would let him walk above that price. Aminu was more important to the defensive improvement. Other Blazers such as Mo were as important for the defense as Nurk. Turner/Davis/Collins we're a big factor too. Not playing Meyers was valuable.

The Blazers success was due to two great players; then many solid players and depth. It became a bigger advantage as the season went on and injuries/tanking mounted throughout the league.

Nurk has strengths but also weakness, speed, hands, slow feet; that will prevent him from ever playing full time as a key starter in the playoffs. His attitude in Denver is a concern if he were to get $20million+ payday.

Ultimately I don't see any other team offering him above $10 million; so we will keep him or he plays out the one year offer.

So the fact they were dead last in defense without Nurk and WITH Aminu and Harkless in similar roles draws you to the conclusion that Nurk didn't matter much in the team becoming a top-10 defense?

That is a brutally horrible take.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Keep him for $10 million per season. I would let him walk above that price. Aminu was more important to the defensive improvement. Other Blazers such as Mo were as important for the defense as Nurk. Turner/Davis/Collins we're a big factor too. Not playing Meyers was valuable.

The Blazers success was due to two great players; then many solid players and depth. It became a bigger advantage as the season went on and injuries/tanking mounted throughout the league.

Nurk has strengths but also weakness, speed, hands, slow feet; that will prevent him from ever playing full time as a key starter in the playoffs. His attitude in Denver is a concern if he were to get $20million+ payday.

Ultimately I don't see any other team offering him above $10 million; so we will keep him or he plays out the one year offer.

Your post is delusional. Right now, there are 27 NBA centers due to make between $10 million and $29 million in 2018-19. And that doesn't include guys like KAT, Nurk, Jokic, etc. that haven't yet had their first big payday. Nurk, due to his defensive impact alone certainly deserves to be one of the top 30 paid centers in the league. Keep in mind Mason Plumlee, the guy we traded for Nurk makes $13+ million an year to backup Nikola Jokic in Denver.

It doesn't matter how many times you say it or wish it, it doesn't change the fact that Nurk is a full time starting center in the NBA and will be paid accordingly. He started all 79 games he played in and well as all 4 playoff games.

Your dismissal of his defensive impact is laughable. With him as the anchor the Blazers defense improved from 24th to 8th. Aminu and Harkless are not new. They didn't instantaneously become the kind of defensive studs that would vault Portland from a bottom 6 defense into a top 8 one. As promising as Collins is, at his age and experience level, our team defense actually got worse as his minutes increased. He stole most of those minutes from Noah Vonleh. Vonleh was a offensive zero, but had earned his starting role based on his sold defense.

So on defense, none of Aminu, Harkless, Turner, McCollum, Lillard, Connaughton, etc. were new and Collins < Vonleh (defensively). The most significant difference, by far, in the team jumping from the 24th rated defense to the 8th was a full season of Jusuf Nurkic.

As much as it troubles you, he will get more than $10 million/year. You'll just need to learn to deal with it.

BNM

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Your post is delusional. Right now, there are 27 NBA centers due to make between $10 million and $29 million in 2018-19. And that doesn't include guys like KAT, Nurk, Jokic, etc. that haven't yet had their first big payday. Nurk, due to his defensive impact alone certainly deserves to be one of the top 30 paid centers in the league. Keep in mind Mason Plumlee, the guy we traded for Nurk makes $13+ million an year to backup Nikola Jokic in Denver.

None of these centers are on the two best teams battling for the title. Coincidence?

If you want to pay players to fit positional labels of the 80's that's fine.

I do not; I want my favorite team to build a roster that has the best chance of winning a title in the current NBA. Being frugal with average rotational NBA players; that have a mix of on court value and flaws is critical to that end.

If the Blazers had such restraint with Meyers Leonard anf Evan Turner the future would be brighter. Instead they grossly overpaid and the team is constrained today from it.

I want the Blazers to make good choices going forward. Nurkic is a good value at one price level. At another level his value is neither good or bad, then at the highest salary his value is a large negative.

I will be interested to see what Neil does.

 

[hoopsjock]

None of these centers are on the two best teams battling for the title. Coincidence?

If you want to pay players to fit positional labels of the 80's that's fine.

I do not; I want my favorite team to build a roster that has the best chance of winning a title in the current NBA. Being frugal with average rotational NBA players; that have a mix of on court value and flaws is critical to that end.

If the Blazers had such restraint with Meyers Leonard anf Evan Turner the future would be brighter. Instead they grossly overpaid and the team is constrained today from it.

I want the Blazers to make good choices going forward. Nurkic is a good value at one price level. At another level his value is neither good or bad, then at the highest salary his value is a large negative.

I will be interested to see what Neil does.

Well Capela will be next year.

 

[Boob-No-More]

None of these centers are on the two best teams battling for the title. Coincidence?

Of the four teams remaining in the playoffs, Al Horford will be the highest paid center in the league again next year making $28,928,709.

Kevin Love spent the regular season as CLE's starting center. He will be making $24,119,025 next season, His back up and occasional starter Tristan Thompson will be making $17,469,565 next season.

I'm sorry, what was your point?

BNM

 

[BonesJones]

Keep him for $10 million per season. I would let him walk above that price. Aminu was more important to the defensive improvement. Other Blazers such as Mo were as important for the defense as Nurk. Turner/Davis/Collins we're a big factor too. Not playing Meyers was valuable.

The Blazers success was due to two great players; then many solid players and depth. It became a bigger advantage as the season went on and injuries/tanking mounted throughout the league.

Nurk has strengths but also weakness, speed, hands, slow feet; that will prevent him from ever playing full time as a key starter in the playoffs. His attitude in Denver is a concern if he were to get $20million+ payday.

Ultimately I don't see any other team offering him above $10 million; so we will keep him or he plays out the one year offer.

None of these centers are on the two best teams battling for the title. Coincidence?

If you want to pay players to fit positional labels of the 80's that's fine.

I do not; I want my favorite team to build a roster that has the best chance of winning a title in the current NBA. Being frugal with average rotational NBA players; that have a mix of on court value and flaws is critical to that end.

If the Blazers had such restraint with Meyers Leonard anf Evan Turner the future would be brighter. Instead they grossly overpaid and the team is constrained today from it.

I want the Blazers to make good choices going forward. Nurkic is a good value at one price level. At another level his value is neither good or bad, then at the highest salary his value is a large negative.

I will be interested to see what Neil does.

Put any of these centers with LeBron or KD and Steph and they are. Correlation doesn't equal causation, that's a weak argument.

 

[stampedehero]

Big companies fire CEOs and give them half a billion dollars to leave …..sports money ain't squat compared to that....an ace pitcher in baseball gets way more than the highest paid NBA player and only has to throw for part of a game every 3 games or so. Some closers only pitch one inning

Some millionaire NBA players are on the floor 6-8 minutes a game. I guess I am just jealous that a few have it all.. Good thing I'm not a GM.

 

[Hoopguru]

No one in sports is worth 16 mil a year. If owners want to shell out their money, then the players are going to rake them.

yep,
the NBA is a marketing machine! If the money wasn't there players would be getting! Its there!

 

[stampedehero]

yep,
the NBA is a marketing machine! If the money wasn't there players would be getting! Its there!

I can imagine that it's no fun making less than a mil per year in the NBA.

 

[dviss1]

No one in sports is worth 16 mil a year. If owners want to shell out their money, then the players are going to rake them.

You gotta be kidding me. A WHOLE ECONOMY is based around Lebron being in Cleveland. GTFO...

 

[stampedehero]

You gotta be kidding me. A WHOLE ECONOMY is based around Lebron being in Cleveland. GTFO...

Respect your view. Actually, Cleveland only has hope in the Cavs. I still can't recognize the absurd money and actual playing time equal.

 

[dviss1]

Respect your view. Actually, Cleveland only has hope in the Cavs. I still can't recognize the absurd money and actual playing time equal.

Answer this:

How much are the Cleveland Cavaliers worth:

With Lebron:

Without Lebron:

Go!

Spoiler

There's much more than a $16 million dollar difference...