I think this quote by Olshey from the offseason is relevant right now.
”I think probably one of the things we were a little too conservative with this offseason and at the trade deadline was we were probably far too protective of our draft pick and our trade exceptions and the tools we had to continue to build the roster long-term,” Olshey said. “And maybe lost sight of the fact that the first round was going to be more competitive than we expected.”
If he is to be believed, lol, then Portlands pick is definitely in play. Whether it’s to dump a contract remains to be seen, but I personally think they would. As long as it’s heavily protected (top 20) I wouldn’t lose sleep over it, even if I’m against it. I like the financial breathing room it would provide.
Finally, say we traded Moe, Leonard, and a first for Jabari. We would also open up a roster spot for a buyout guy. Woj mentioned a couple weeks ago that there will be more activity on the buyout market this year than in years past. Maybe we pick up a Wes Matthews for the playoffs.