So why didn't we look to move Aldridge?

[Kaydow]

http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/7/6/8897121/portland-trail-blazers-news-trade-free-agent-neil-olshey

Was the strategy to hope that a deep playoff run would convince LA to re-sign? Acquiring AA at the deadline for 1st rd pick suggests we were going for it. LA himself put off surgery to come back. Did we know that a 1st rd playoff series loss would likely be the end of LA's reign in Portland? It's easy to play Monday morning QB and say we should have moved him now, but we did start off the season 30-8. It would have shocked the fans to see him traded in a season that started so well, especially after he pledged to sign 5 year extension last summer. Did NO put all his eggs in that basket? That's a big gamble. Given how tough the West was a 1st rd loss could have happened if we had home court and were 100% healthy. Whatever the case, the fans didn't know how likely it was that LA could bounce, but maybe the team did. Would you have traded LA at the deadline? Or try to ride it out and go for a deep post season run?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/7/6/8897121/portland-trail-blazers-news-trade-free-agent-neil-olshey

Was the strategy to hope that a deep playoff run would convince LA to re-sign? Acquiring AA at the deadline for 1st rd pick suggests we were going for it. LA himself put off surgery to come back. Did we know that a 1st rd playoff series loss would likely be the end of LA's reign in Portland? It's easy to play Monday morning QB and say we should have moved him now, but we did start off the season 30-8. It would have shocked the fans to see him traded in a season that started so well, especially after he pledged to sign 5 year extension last summer. Did NO put all his eggs in that basket? That's a big gamble. Given how tough the West was a 1st rd loss could have happened if we had home court and were 100% healthy. Whatever the case, the fans didn't know how likely it was that LA could bounce, but maybe the team did. Would you have traded LA at the deadline? Or try to ride it out and go for a deep post season run?

The only reasonable time to have traded LA was two summers ago. Once Rolo was acquired and the team started out very hot in November/December 2013, the majority of the fan-base would have revolted if LA had been traded at any point between then and the 2015 trade deadline.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Who was the last franchise player in his prime to bolt? It's unusual for a team to let that happen without compensation of some sort.

Not trading him in 2013 was a risk. I suspect there is a lot behind closed doors that led to this.

What are the Vulcans doing these days?

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

The only reasonable time to have traded LA was two summers ago. Once Rolo was acquired and the team started out very hot in November/December 2013, the majority of the fan-base would have revolted if LA had been traded at any point between then and the 2015 trade deadline.

Spot on. There wasn't really a good time to trade him in the last two years. 80% of blazer fans would have lost their shit. Its kind of on LMA since in the last two years signs have been pointing too a resign, until Wes's injury, and then it was to late/

 

[magnifier661]

Who was the last franchise player in his prime to bolt? It's unusual for a team to let that happen without compensation of some sort.

Not trading him in 2013 was a risk. I suspect there is a lot behind closed doors that led to this.

What are the Vulcans doing these days?

Howard, Gasol, Parsons and LBJ. Not as uncommon as you think

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Howard, Gasol, LBJ. Not as uncommon as you think

Cleveland received a huge TPE and five future picks for LeBron.

Orlando landed Vucevic/various other pieces that landed Tobias/three first round picks/TPE

Memphis landed Marc Gasol and two first-round picks for Pau.

 

[magnifier661]

Cleveland received a huge TPE and five future picks for LeBron.

Orlando landed Vucevic/various other pieces that landed Tobias/three first round picks/TPE

Memphis landed Marc Gasol and two first-round picks for Pau.

Lakers received nothing for Howard.

Lakers received nothing for Gasol.

Miami received nothing for LBJ

 

[Sedatedfork]

Did orlando get anything when Shaq left?

 

[magnifier661]

Did orlando get anything when Shaq left?

Yes they didn't get shit for him either.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Did orlando get anything when Shaq left?

I'm not sure. The CBA was totally different then. They wouldn't have been able to pull it off in todays CBA.

 

[TBpup]

I'm guessing Paul Allen had something to do with this. Trading the last vestige of Roy/Oden/Aldridge may have been too much for him. We will never know but then again, if Wes doesn't go down with injury, I don't think we are at this point.

 

[magnifier661]

I'm not sure. The CBA was totally different then. They wouldn't have been able to pull it off in todays CBA.

You are right. It was much different back then. A main rule change was to avoid the deals like Shaq to Lakers or T-Mac to Orlando. But Shaq and T-Mac left for nothing.

 

[Denny Crane]

Who was the last franchise player in his prime to bolt? It's unusual for a team to let that happen without compensation of some sort.

Not trading him in 2013 was a risk. I suspect there is a lot behind closed doors that led to this.

What are the Vulcans doing these days?

LeBron took his talents to South Beach.

 

[HailBlazers]

Cus 2nd in the West

 

[Mediocre Man]

I believe PA gave the orders on this one. He either believed we were a contender or was convinced by someone we were. When Wes went down it was too late to move anyone

 

[Kaydow]

Who was the last franchise player in his prime to bolt? It's unusual for a team to let that happen without compensation of some sort.

Not trading him in 2013 was a risk. I suspect there is a lot behind closed doors that led to this.

What are the Vulcans doing these days?

I want to hear from management, particularly Neil Olshey. What is he in the witness protection program now? Sure, he's going to get blasted & have to answer questions that are completely uncomfortable. But this isn't going to flame out in a couple of days. The longer we don't hear anything & nothing happens (in regards to our roster), the more impatient we're getting. Put your face out there & tell us what our plan is. If not who we're targeting specificially, what TYPE of player are we looking to acquire? What style of play are we building the roster around? Give us something . . . some reason to be hopeful again. Where are you Neil?

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

I want to hear from management, particularly Neil Olshey. What is he in the witness protection program now? Sure, he's going to get blasted & have to answer questions that are completely uncomfortable. But this isn't going to flame out in a couple of days. The longer we don't hear anything & nothing happens (in regards to our roster), the more impatient we're getting. Put your face out there & tell us what our plan is. If not who we're targeting specificially, what TYPE of player are we looking to acquire? What style of play are we building the roster around? Give us something . . . some reason to be hopeful again. Where are you Neil?

He can't comment on free agents until July 9th I believe, or he'll have to fire himself.

 

[Hobbesarable]

I believe PA gave the orders on this one. He either believed we were a contender or was convinced by someone we were. When Wes went down it was too late to move anyone

Yep, they put all of their eggs into that basket. They had faith (before Wes went down) it would work itself out in the end.

 

[magnifier661]

Who was the last franchise player in his prime to bolt? It's unusual for a team to let that happen without compensation of some sort.

Not trading him in 2013 was a risk. I suspect there is a lot behind closed doors that led to this.

What are the Vulcans doing these days?

I don't know if you consider DeAndre Jordan a franchise player, but he left the Clips for nothing as well, signing a max offer. Monroe signed a max to leave Pistons for nothing as well

 

[Chris Craig]

Because Olshey is/was delusional and needs psychiatric medication

 

[BrianFromWA]

Lots of UFAs, especially Max/All-Star types, leave for nothing but cap space and 2nds. Only 3 of the last 39 resigned with their original team as UFA (3 more if you count extensions). 27 left for bupkis.

 

[riverman]

I think it's simple..there was not a good enough deal available on a team that Lamarcus would agree to be traded too and the deals that were out there would have required overpaying someone who was not worth a max deal and saddling the Blazers with a long expensive contract. I think Olshey wants cap flexibility and no long contracts while the opportunity is there to build around guys that have more value with less risk. Vonleh to me was a coup. We got the #9 pick from last years draft without tanking.

 

[andalusian]

I honestly can say that I do not mind that this happened. They took a risk trying to build a contender with the existing core - and it almost worked. The last 2 years were pretty enjoyable before the injury issues at the end of the year. Can't always be in a constant rebuild. They tried to go for it - and we got great basketball for a bit of time while they also managed to develop some of the young-ones, pretty good imho.

 

[Chris Craig]

I honestly can say that I do not mind that this happened. They took a risk trying to build a contender with the existing core - and it almost worked. The last 2 years were pretty enjoyable before the injury issues at the end of the year. Can't always be in a constant rebuild. They tried to go for it - and we got great basketball for a bit of time while they also managed to develop some of the young-ones, pretty good imho.

Yeah they went all in and the engine block blew...now they have to completely dismantle the engine and rebuild it

 

[magnifier661]

Yeah they went all in and the engine block blew...now they have to completely dismantle the engine and rebuild it

Or it started smoking and they realized they just needed to change the oil?

 

[andalusian]

Yeah they went all in and the engine block blew...now they have to completely dismantle the engine and rebuild it

If you do not take risks, you will never succeed. There is nothing wrong with taking risks - and given how well this team worked - and how durable they were for more than a year, it did not seem like a bad risk.

It is what it is - but it gave us 2 very enjoyable years watching and cheering for a very good team while managing to jump-start a rebuild when the engine (Wes) blew.

 

[magnifier661]

If you do not take risks, you will never succeed. There is nothing wrong with taking risks - and given how well this team worked - and how durable they were for more than a year, it did not seem like a bad risk.

It is what it is - but it gave us 2 very enjoyable years watching and cheering for a very good team while managing to jump-start a rebuild when the engine (Wes) blew.

The voice of reason in here. Kudos

 

[BrianFromWA]

If we're using a car analogy, it's actually more like knowing when to trade it in.

With LMA's FA clock ticking, we were like the guy whose truck has been running like a champ and is now at 98k miles on a 100k powertrain warranty. Sure, you've upgraded a few things here and there, had to replace a broken mirror and tune up the cruise control, but the engine's never had a problem. It's Labor Day weekend and dealers are desperate to throw deals your way. You could trade it in on a sweet 0% down deal on another new-model truck that may or may not end up not being as reliable, or may get t-boned the second you drive it off the lot, but if you don't you're running the risk that your truck is going to do what most trucks do right after their warranty period ends and have the entire engine block blow and leave you with no truck, and nothing to turn in except scrap metal and parts scavenge.

Historically, the vast majority of UFA all-stars leave (consider 9 years the warranty period for keeping your good players), and the majority leave for nothing but cap space/trade exceptions and some 2nds. Those who are traded generally bring back some good deals.

 

[donkiez]

We gambled this season that a deep playoff run would convince LA to stay. Wesleys achilles put an end to that, but really we were having issues before Wes went down. AA might have helped that but he went down also. A series of unfortunate incidents, story of the Blazers.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[Sedatedfork]

I just don't think there is an appropriate car analogy here. It is it's own unique situation.