SI: Blazer 2017-18 Off-Season Preview

[Reep]

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/05/19/p...nba-season-preview-damian-lillard-cj-mccollum

Pressure Scale: 6. This all depends on Allen. If he is comfortable paying $200 million in salary and the luxury tax on a team that will probably be in the lower half of the West playoffs next season, the front office can breathe easier and focus on using their limited team-building tools to their maximum effect. If Allen feels differently, Portland’s summer gets much more complicated. After all, it would be hard to even find a taker for Turner’s three years and $56 million or Leonard’s three years and $31.8 million. Both of those albatrosses look meaningfully better a year from now with only two seasons remaining.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/05/19/p...nba-season-preview-damian-lillard-cj-mccollum

I can't tell if that scale is out of 5 or out of 10... it kind of works wither way.

 

[Natebishop3]

What's the point of doing a preview before the draft/free agency? Crabbe, Turner, and Leonard might not even be on the team next season.

Stupid content from SI....

 

[BlazerCaravan]

What's the point of doing a preview before the draft/free agency? Crabbe, Turner, and Leonard might not even be on the team next season.

Stupid content from SI....

Sweet sweet clickbait.

 

[Scalma]

"Lower half of the west"

Is this written by our friend Ben?

 

[Boob-No-More]

What's the point of doing a preview before the draft/free agency? Crabbe, Turner, and Leonard might not even be on the team next season.

Stupid content from SI....

The point of the article isn't a 2017-18 season preview, it's an off season preview that addresses what the team may/could do during the draft and free agency periods.

That said, it's not terribly insightful. We all know we have three first round picks and and need to either move some of our bad contracts (Crabbe, Turner and Leonard) or be stuck in luxury tax hell. The author didn't offer any specific worthwhile recommendations. He suggested we might look to add a back up PG like Shelvin Mack or a shooting forward like Luke Babbitt or Mike Scott. Personally, I'd just keep Napier. He's better than Mack and a lot cheaper. If we do move Crabbe, I'd be fine with replacing him with Babbit (who has earned less the last three years than he did in his three years in POR, for a guy who shot .414 3FG%, he was incredibly cheap). Not so sure about Mike Scott. The 2015-16 version wasn't too bad, but the 2016-17 version flat out sucked and was waived in February.

Anywho, I get the point of the article, but wish it contained more meat.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

The thread title specifically calls it on Off-Season Preview and the actual article headline is: NBA Off-Season Preview: Blazers' Hands Largely Tied This Summer.

It's the link to the article that is poorly worded.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

The thread title specifically calls it on Off-Season Preview and the actual article headline is: NBA Off-Season Preview: Blazers' Hands Largely Tied This Summer.

It's the link to the article that is poorly worded.

BNM

Ah that makes sense. I was reading the post and I saw the link and I was like.... wtf?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Ah that makes sense. I was reading the post and I saw the link and I was like.... wtf?

Yeah, it's almost like they reused an old link.

BNM

 

[Reep]

Not much insight, but I do agree that the real question is how does Paul see this team and what is his pain threshold for the luxury tax. Everything else depends on that.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Not much insight, but I do agree that the real question is how does Paul see this team and what is his pain threshold for the luxury tax. Everything else depends on that.

Supposedly it was Paul who didn't flinch at match BRK's offer sheet for Crabbe. If so, he made this bed and doesn't have anyone to blame but himself (although it will be Neil that eventually gets fired if this doesn't work out) for being in luxury tax hell.

If Paul really wants to get his money's worth, and he's going to be paying luxury tax anyway, he really should say fuck it and go all in on someone like Paul George. Send Crabbe and all three picks + $5.1 in cash (the new limit) to IND for George. Crabbe to match George's current salary and make George's impending max. contract less painful and the three picks plus cash to give IND incentive to deal with us rather than LAL, BOS, ATL or whoever.

BNM

 

[Five Second Violation]

Supposedly it was Paul who didn't flinch at match BRK's offer sheet for Crabbe. If so, he made this bed and doesn't have anyone to blame but himself (although it will be Neil that eventually gets fired if this doesn't work out) for being in luxury tax hell.

If Paul really wants to get his money's worth, and he's going to be paying luxury tax anyway, he really should say fuck it and go all in on someone like Paul George. Send Crabbe and all three picks + $5.1 in cash (the new limit) to IND for George. Crabbe to match George's current salary and make George's impending max. contract less painful and the three picks plus cash to give IND incentive to deal with us rather than LAL, BOS, ATL or whoever.

BNM

I just don't see that as enough to get George. I think they would rather let George walk for nothing than take on Crabbe's ugly deal.

Maybe if we did a separate deal to move up into the lottery, then packaged that plus future picks plus one of our remaining guys to Indiana. That's about the only way I can see us having a shot at George. And Pritchard would probably want to be able to dump Ellis or Big Al on us somehow as well.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I just don't see that as enough to get George. I think they would rather let George walk for nothing than take on Crabbe's ugly deal.

Maybe if we did a separate deal to move up into the lottery, then packaged that plus future picks plus one of our remaining guys to Indiana. That's about the only way I can see us having a shot at George. And Pritchard would probably want to be able to dump Ellis or Big Al on us somehow as well.

But who can, and more importantly will, offer more?

BOS definitely has the assets to land George, but so far Danny Ainge has steadfastly refused to even consider trading those assets. For good reason. He doesn't have to. He truly covets those BRK picks (who wouldn't?) and I think he goes all in on trying to sign Gordon Hayward this summer, because he can get him without giving up any of his precious assets.

PHI tried to low ball IND at the trade deadline, but they haven't come to grips with the fact that the shit they are trying to move isn't worth what they "paid" for it.

I'd definitely take back Big Al if it helped us land PG13. His contract is very reasonable. He only makes $9.7 million next season and only the first $4 million of his $10 million salary for 2018-19 is guaranteed. Let him back up Nurk for a year and then cut him loose.

BNM

 

[PDXFonz]

National sports media disrespecting the team? Shocking!

 

[Five Second Violation]

But who can, and more importantly will, offer more?

BOS definitely has the assets to land George, but so far Danny Ainge has steadfastly refused to even consider trading those assets. For good reason. He doesn't have to. He truly covets those BRK picks (who wouldn't?) and I think he goes all in on trying to sign Gordon Hayward this summer, because he can get him without giving up any of his precious assets.

PHI tried to low ball IND at the trade deadline, but they haven't come to grips with the fact that the shit they are trying to move isn't worth what they "paid" for it.

I'd definitely take back Big Al if it helped us land PG13. His contract is very reasonable. He only makes $9.7 million next season and only the first $4 million of his $10 million salary for 2018-19 is guaranteed. Let him back up Nurk for a year and then cut him loose.

BNM

Yeah, I think the Celtics take a wait-and-see approach on trades this offseason (as do the Pacers). If Hayward falls through for them, then I have no doubt that Ainge will target George during mid-summer and he will certainly have the assets to get him if he's truly willing to go into all-in mode. The Sixers still have nice assets as well, and supposedly will target Lowry this summer in free agency so it might make sense for them to also take another swing at George if they seriously want to go into win-now mode.

The Hawks offered four future 1st rounders at the deadline for George and Indiana still declined. I have to think that no matter how much George hints at leaving next year, the Pacers would still laugh off any offer in a minute from us if it included taking on one of our three horrific contracts or if it failed to include a number of future picks. This of course assuming that Lillard/McCollum/Nurkic are all completely off the table, which they should be.

I would take back literally anything from the Pacers if it meant we get George and still keep those three. That would be a group worth paying luxury tax for.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

After all, it would be hard to even find a taker for Turner’s three years and $56 million or Leonard’s three years and $31.8 million. Both of those albatrosses look meaningfully better a year from now with only two seasons remaining.