The 2022 Trade Idea Thread, now with more urgency!

[wizenheimer]

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/1/10/22876169/klay-thompson-golden-state-warriors

5. It’s Time for the Blazers to Reset
Depending on how you want to look at it, the Trail Blazers are either tied for the NBA’s eighth-worst record or the eighth-best draft odds. Damian Lillard is limited by an abdominal injury and the team’s defense is an abomination. Chauncey Billups hasn’t yet proved to be a positive change at head coach from Terry Stotts. It’s been a shitty season, but at 15-24, Portland is tied in record with San Antonio for the final play-in tournament spot. The 10-seed shouldn’t be all that appealing, though, when this roster has no chance of making much noise in the playoffs.

Front office executives and agents have been gossiping recently about whether the Blazers could become sellers ahead of the February 10 deadline. CJ McCollum could bring value to a ton of teams with his scoring ability, just as Jusuf Nurkic can as a bruising center and Robert Covington could with his help defense. Those players’ flaws make it tough to form an appropriate support system around Lillard, but they could help a lot of teams in need of their specific skills.

As first noted by Marc Stein in his Substack, Portland’s handling of Lillard’s injury could play into its trade deadline approach. The more time Dame misses, the further the Blazers will fall from playoff contention.

Everything else can change except Dame and the other good stuff: Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little. Simons, 22, will be in the league a long time, and his recent 43-point game showed what he can become as a fiery guard. Little, 21, is an impressive wing defender who brings energy and explosive scoring potential. The Blazers should keep them for now. Portland’s youth is its silver lining.

Shuffling the rest of the deck could better set up the Blazers around Lillard for next season, and in the meantime, make the team worse to help get higher draft odds. It’s a year in which there are currently three potential first picks: forward Jabari Smith Jr. from Auburn and two northwest players in Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, who was raised in Seattle and plays forward at Duke. All three could complement Lillard with modern skills that he’s never had around him before. The Blazers could either keep the selection or they could use it to trade for a star, rejuvenating their championship hopes.

A retooling period offers far more upside than pushing for maybe an exciting play-in tournament victory or two and then a first-round spanking at the hands of one of the top two seeds in the West. A team with Dame might miss the playoffs, but a team with Dame could land a top pick. No matter how you look at it, a new chapter is beginning.

that's like a summary of the prevailing sentiment of this forum. Kind of a Captain Obvious waving a pinwheel

the question is does Cronin have the balls to make the kinds of trades being talked about? or will he dither away the trade deadline?

 

[Scalma]

Looks like we’re still after Grant (and Simmons) according to Shams. Grant does seem like the Billups type with his ability to switch defensively. And they just traded for Bol, so I’m guessing they are fully embracing the rebuild and will end up trading him. Not sure that’s a deal I wanna make though, because I can’t picture Detroit targeting anyone outside of Ant and Nas + Roco for matching purposes. I’m not trading Ant for Grant. Roco grades out better defensively than him and has also shot the ball better from outside the last two seasons. Grant wouldn’t get the same volume of shots here as he has in Detroit either. We’d be getting swindled. Now if we can somehow use Powell to get him, maybe in a three way, that’s a different story.

 

[illmatic99]

Looks like we’re still after Grant (and Simmons) according to Shams. Grant does seem like the Billups type with his ability to switch defensively. And they just traded for Bol, so I’m guessing they are fully embracing the rebuild and will end up trading him. Not sure that’s a deal I wanna make though, because I can’t picture Detroit targeting anyone outside of Ant and Nas + Roco for matching purposes. I’m not trading Ant for Grant. Roco grades out better defensively than him and has also shot the ball better from outside the last two seasons. Grant wouldn’t get the same volume of shots here as he has in Detroit either. We’d be getting swindled. Now if we can somehow use Powell to get him, maybe in a three way, that’s a different story.

if dame is going to get surgery and sit out, i have less than zero interest in getting in a bidding war for jerami grant. everyone has been saying Grant's value is sky high, but he would help a playoff team way more than a middling play-in team like us. and his usefulness drops even further without Dame-- i'd rather feed nas 15 shots a game and let him develop while we pick up a good lotto pick.

 

[Freshtown]

Grant seems like a win-now player for a contender, not a team whose earliest aspirations of success won’t come until 2023

 

[Scalma]

if dame is going to get surgery and sit out, i have less than zero interest in getting in a bidding war for jerami grant. everyone has been saying Grant's value is sky high, but he would help a playoff team way more than a middling play-in team like us. and his usefulness drops even further without Dame-- i'd rather feed nas 15 shots a game and let him develop while we pick up a good lotto pick.

Grant is under control next season and is also extension eligible. We’re on Dames timeline while he’s here.

 

[illmatic99]

Grant is under control next season and is also extension eligible. We’re on Dames timeline while he’s here.

regardless, as you have noted, he's not really the 3 and D kinda player that he's hyped to be by some people. high usage, low efficiency to boot.

i'd love a powell-grant swap, but that's about as much as i'd do for him. similar kinda impact players but grant is at least SF height and brings some skills that powell duplicates.

 

[illmatic99]

i really like the idea of stealing john collins from ATL right now. He's apparently very upset with how they're running things with their Trae-centric offense, and they keep on losing. Wonder if they have any interest in CJ if we can also take back some of their other contracts as incentive.

a CJ + Roco for Collins + Bogdan would be quite amazing for us. Hell, i'd prolly even consider Gallo instead of Bogdan in that swap.

 

[Scalma]

regardless, as you have noted, he's not really the 3 and D kinda player that he's hyped to be by some people. high usage, low efficiency to boot.

i'd love a powell-grant swap, but that's about as much as i'd do for him. similar kinda impact players but grant is at least SF height and brings some skills that powell duplicates.

yeah I don’t really want Grant unless it’s for one of Powell/CJ. I’m also still on the fence about trading Roco. I’d probably only do it if he’s definitely not gonna re-sign here, and idk how that can be decided now. We’re not in a position to be dumping good defensive players.

 

[James lamphear]

Detroit going young so more likely they would want either Nas or Simons in the deal.

 

[illmatic99]

Was looking up defensive stats, and came across this abomination.

These are the 10 worst defensive players in the league by DBPM. Our guards occupying 4 of the bottom 10 list has to be a record.



wonder how much of this is schematic....

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Fodder/2RP to Dallas

Moses Brown to Portland

 

[Scalma]

Was looking up defensive stats, and came across this abomination.

These are the 10 worst defensive players in the league by DBPM. Our guards occupying 4 of the bottom 10 list has to be a record.

View attachment 43851

wonder how much of this is schematic....

they were all below average last year too. Powell’s regression started in Toronto. There’s no scheme that can hide an inability to operate a screen and/or keep players in front of them. Our perimeter defense is our biggest weakness, and they’re the primary reason why. Needs to be broken in half ASAP. Scorers that shoot will always be in demand regardless of contract, shouldn’t be a chore to find a deal.

 

[illmatic99]

they were all below average last year too. Powell’s regression started in Toronto. There’s no scheme that can hide an inability to operate a screen and/or keep players in front of them. Our perimeter defense is our biggest weakness, and they’re the primary reason why. Needs to be broken in half ASAP. Scorers that shoot will always be in demand regardless of contract, shouldn’t be a chore to find a deal.

wonder if the Cavs would consider a Norm for Lauri swap.

 

[Scalma]

wonder if the Cavs would consider a Norm for Lauri swap.

idk, but the teams that stick out the most to me for Powell are Boston and Atlanta. Lakers too but they don’t have anything to trade.

 

[Cugel]

Can anyone point out Portland's pick situation? If I understand correctly, should they finish between picks 1-14, they get to keep the pick or else it goes to Chicago? Then, that pick can be traded immediately after making the pick? What happened to the picks given up for Roco?

 

[Scalma]

Ant is a better player and asset than Fox. Yeah I said it.

Yet you won’t hear about Ant headlining a Simmons trade. Weird.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Why settle for Grant when we could pay a bit more and get Ben Simmons (in theory)? Go for the best and use all the pieces you can.

Go for the highest ceiling.

 

[Scalma]

Why settle for Grant when we could pay a bit more and get Ben Simmons (in theory)? Go for the best and use all the pieces you can.

Go for the highest ceiling.

because Morey is a moron

 

[BankTeller]

Ant is a better player and asset than Fox. Yeah I said it.

Yet you won’t hear about Ant headlining a Simmons trade. Weird.

I agree with you about Ant being a better asset than Fox, but the salaries make it too hard to trade for Simmons with Simons as the headline.

 

[Scalma]

I agree with you about Ant being a better asset than Fox, but the salaries make it too hard to trade for Simmons with Simons as the headline.

yeah it was more of a general point. You see national media fluffing guys like Fox and Reddish as headliners and I’m here like maybe I’m just a homer but we’ve got two guys around the same age just as good if not better.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

John Collins ATL
Grant DET


Are these two missing pieces that would enable us to build around Dame, Nurkic, Ant, Little, Watford and Brown?

How about Powell + RoCo for John Collins + Bogdanovic ?

and CJ, Snell and #2 pick for Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk?

Dame / Smith
Simons / Bogdanovic / McLemore
Grant /Little
John Collins / Olynyk / Watford
Nurkic / Zeller / Brown

I think this group is solid AND deep and fairly young

 

[MickZagger]

Fodder/2RP to Dallas

Moses Brown to Portland

Funny to me how you keep advocating trading for Moses Brown and Dort. We had both those players at one time for pennies on the dollar.

 

[BankTeller]

This is something I look at doing 100% by the trade deadline, but I feel like there might those who think this is too much for Nurk.

Nurkic for Wiseman + their 2022 1st.

 

[RR7]

This is something I look at doing 100% by the trade deadline, but I feel like there might those who think this is too much for Nurk.

Nurkic for Wiseman + their 2022 1st.

I think you'd have to take out the 1st. I still don't know if they would go for it, but do think he could be a good fit there.

 

[Blazinaway]

This is something I look at doing 100% by the trade deadline, but I feel like there might those who think this is too much for Nurk.

Nurkic for Wiseman + their 2022 1st.

LOL in our dreams! Homer trade

 

[Scalma]

Funny to me how you keep advocating trading for Moses Brown and Dort. We had both those players at one time for pennies on the dollar.

We had Dort?

 

[MickZagger]

We had Dort?

Training camp.

 

[Scalma]

Training camp.

I don’t remember that. I remember the team working him out during the draft process but that’s about it.

 

[illmatic99]

Training camp.

thought he just worked with beckner in the summer a few yrs back. dont think he was ever associated with the team in any capacity

 

[SlyPokerCat]

The other guy we should have kept besides Brown was GP2.