We got the #3 pick. Discuss the possibilities. (3 Viewers)

[e_blazer]

look....I have not said Miller is guilty of anything EXCEPT, unsatisfactory interviews as far as Portland and Charlotte were concerned. I'm not going to adjudicate the legal case. It's just about how Portland and Charlotte supposedly reacted to the interviews. It could have been the content of answers about the incident, or lack of; it could have been the answers, or the lack of, to questions only tangentially related to the investigation that would not have placed Miller in any legal jeopardy at all; it could have been Miller's conduct in the interviews. Or a combination of any or all of those. All we really have is Givony saying that the two teams left the interviews unhappy with what Miller said

Like Givony said, on one hand Miller's representatives are saying he's free & clear and did nothing wrong; on the other hand they are saying they can't talk about it. That's a huge gulf that has no satisfactory solution when the draft is less than a month away and the teams are deciding with which prospect they are willing to guarantee 20M with

keep in mind there is some loosely related context for this decision with the issues Ja Morant is having with guns

I’m with you pretty much across the board. I just wanted it made clear in our conversations about this that there’s reason to believe he didn’t do anything that was illegal. If the police had found anything in their interviews or the text records that showed he had knowledge of what was going to happen, he’d have been charged by now. Any attorney worth his salt is going to tell his client not to speak about the case because you might inadvertently say something that would draw a prosecutor to question that position. Any team thinking of drafting him has to be comfortable that he’s in the clear legally and that there’s nothing that’s going to happen to change that. Unless the Blazers get more out of him and their own investigations than we’ve heard so far, I think they should give him a pass.

 

[BIG Q]

With the Miller case, or lack of one whichever it may be (I think he is beyond legal jeopardy) he will be sued by the murdered girls family civilly. Right or wrong, they always go after the money. At some point the authorities will clear him criminally if they can't make an airtight case and know he will at least be sued.

 

[wizenheimer]

With the Miller case, or lack of one whichever it may be (I think he is beyond legal jeopardy) he will be sued by the murdered girls family civilly. Right or wrong, they always go after the money. At some point the authorities will clear him criminally if they can't make an airtight case and know he will at least be sued.

good point....I hadn't really considered that. I'll bet NBA teams will consider it though, and that can be a process that takes a long time and gets lots of bad PR

 

[Kell]

Smoke screen city this time of year, all is to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[Predator]

that's pretty different than the Miller situation, according to police. Miller's friend texted Miller to get the gun and bring it to him at a street location outside a sports bar, after midnight. The reporting sure makes it seem Miller had to be monumentally naive to think he was delivering a gun for innocent reasons

https://www.al.com/news/2023/02/dar...o-kill-jamea-jonae-harris-police-testify.html

I understand it's innocent until proven guilty, but this is pretty substantial baggage Miller has to carry and a team that drafts him has to disregard

I believe there was a story at some point that said he was led to believe that it was for self-defense purposes and his friend was scared for his life or something like that.

 

[Predator]

You serious man? If I was in his position I wouldn’t say a fucking thing. Anything he says publicly could be used against him by the law. If they decided to charge him he could do real time. I don’t blame him at all for not wanting to speak on the subject. I would speak privately with teams and that’s it.

Yup, a lot of *innocent* people aren’t recommended to testify in their own case!

Anything you say can be twisted and manipulated.

 

[TBpup]

how bad do they want a PG and how much do they know about Simons?

Ant for Alex Caruso + Patrick Williams + future 1st + all of Portland's pick obligations extinguished?

Ant + Little for DeRozan + future 1st + all of Portland's pick obligations extinguished?

other than something like that, no

Ant for Alex Caruso + Patrick Williams + future 1st + all of Portland's pick obligations extinguished? I would have to give that a lot of consideration. Williams has been MONEY from '3' and has good SF size. Only 21 and might be ready for a break out year.

 

[cheesehoff]

It's such a gray area with it because if he's already going to do that and then the second text comes in, at what point can Miller say no? Right there. So it's weird. It's a super quick decision and probably really difficult in the moment, on top of him presumably not knowing he was gonna use it then and there. But it's based off the knowledge he had no knowledge of the gun, and there's nothing to say he did or didn't know. Or, in court, reasonable doubt is rather easy on that.

You are giving Miller way, way too much benefit of the doubt.

 

[cheesehoff]

Any team thinking of drafting him has to be comfortable that he’s in the clear legally and that there’s nothing that’s going to happen to change that.

And that he doesn't normally hang with guys that commit murders. Or believe he's so naive to not actually know there was a gun in the car that his buddy needed immediately outside a club. Or that he can't sense it in the guys tone or words that he just got in an altercation that pissed him off so much he's about to kill somebody.
So, all this stuff will be impossible to prove in court, but I don't need a guilty verdict to know this isn't a one time involvement in this kind of shit and him never being seriously considered for arrest and prosecution will only reinforce that he's untouchable.
Whoever drafts him better understand that for the next several years they shouldn't be shocked to get a phone call at 2 am that he's been arrested in Salt Lake City for some stupid shit.

 

[cheesehoff]

Ant for Alex Caruso + Patrick Williams + future 1st + all of Portland's pick obligations extinguished? I would have to give that a lot of consideration. Williams has been MONEY from '3' and has good SF size. Only 21 and might be ready for a break out year.

Williams is great but I personally would be more excited about what Caruso will give this team. He's very underappreciated imo.

 

[Strenuus]

You are giving Miller way, way too much benefit of the doubt.

I don't doubt it, im also ignorant past the "they found text message" portion so I do need to research more, so that was my fault.

 

[illmatic99]

Where are you seeing the hype from?

the post above mine had him at 3 ahead of miller.

this guy whose reviews i enjoy watching also had him at 3 above miller:



Givony had him at 4 and was singing praises on the Woj Pod last week:




etc, etc. hearing his name way more in the past two weeks. i'm still questioning the validity of taking this guy top 10, much less top 3.

 

[illmatic99]

Like Givony said, on one hand Miller's representatives are saying he's free & clear and did nothing wrong; on the other hand they are saying they can't talk about it.

this conversation is playing a role in me continuing to lean towards trading the pick. it just doesn't sit well with me and feels like a distraction he will deal with much of his career.

not sure his game is worth the hassle where we can just sweep under the rug.

 

[Strenuus]

this conversation is playing a role in me continuing to lean towards trading the pick. it just doesn't sit well with me and feels like a distraction he will deal with much of his career.

not sure his game is worth the hassle where we can just sweep under the rug.

Especially in this small market. We saw the distraction for Billups. This would be way worse imo

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

this conversation is playing a role in me continuing to lean towards trading the pick.

Agreed, I’m pretty sure SA will trade #1 for Ant & 3. They may push for more so I’d also throw in Little…

 

[illmatic99]

Especially in this small market. We saw the distraction for Billups. This would be way worse imo

You know Quick is already cracking his knuckles thinking up a hit piece on Miller's issues. The Oregonian already decided to evoke the "jail blazers" term in their primer last week.

I do also think charlotte is about to get some unwanted attention after bringing back Bridges. Unsure of their appetite to invite more light into this space with Miller.

 

[HailBlazers]

2023 Extended Mock Draft 5.1

Its tough to see all this height and length, meanwhile drafting a 6'2 guard.

 

[Strenuus]

You know Quick is already cracking his knuckles thinking up a hit piece on Miller's issues. The Oregonian already decided to evoke the "jail blazers" term in their primer last week.

I do also think charlotte is about to get some unwanted attention after bringing back Bridges. Unsure of their appetite to invite more light into this space with Miller.

Damn that's a point about Charlotte I didn't think about.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

I dont see this. There's no consensus on him being the #2 pick right now. Take Wemby out and it doesn't change anything

Disingenuous. The only reason there's even a question is because the second team in the draft has LaMelo Ball who plays the same position.

 

[HailBlazers]

Disingenuous. The only reason there's even a question is because the second team in the draft has LaMelo Ball who plays the same position.

Disagree.

 

[HansenYang]

Disingenuous. The only reason there's even a question is because the second team in the draft has LaMelo Ball who plays the same position.

Is that why Miller started showing up in mock drafts in January & February?
Because everyone KNEW that Charlotte was going to be picking #2 4 months ahead of time?

 

[blazerkor]

For everyone talking about Brandon Miller's value... his legal stuff doesn't seem like it's going to cost him. So what we are left with is the guy's game and it is fucking great. If I were in the trade Dame camp I would want to draft Miller to put with Ant and Shae. I think it's still a three player draft (an obvious 1, a 2a and 2b followed by a lot of other guys). I do think the valuation on Scoot v Miller is very close. So I think we will either get a lot of value for that pick or use it and see what happens with Dame.

If the Hornets take him which I think is a very real possibility then we will either have to trade Scoot or both Dame and Ant.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Whispers that Charlotte will move back in the draft to 4

Portland has had some underwhelming offers for both 3 and our other assets…including Dame

Portland DOES NOT want to use the pick, and teams know it

In talks with Chicago to remove future pick obligations. No idea how it’s going

Toronto asking for pick + for Siakam. OG hasn’t been talked about

Blazers have reached out to Brooklyn, but thus far have been turned down

Sharpe has so far been a non starter in talks

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Whispers that Charlotte will move back in the draft to 4

Given Smith and Eason in last year's draft, I have to assume that if Houston moves up to 2, it's for Scoot.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Given Smith and Eason in last year's draft, I have to assume that if Houston moves up to 2, it's for Scoot.

100%

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Nurk + Nas + 3 + 23 = Wendell Carter + Franz Wagner +6 + 11

Magic should also give us Paolo and a future first.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

A reminder


Lillard told reporters on April 9 he's "not interested" in having the Blazers draft another young player who will likely take multiple years to develop into a serious contributor on a winning team.

"I want a chance to go for it," Lillard said. "And if the route is to (draft youth), then that's not my route."

Lillard also wanted to play his whole career for Stotts, thought Neil was a great GM, loved playing with CJ, wanted his cousin on the roster, and said similar statements last year at #7 plus the year prior at the Olympics.

Blazers need to make the best choice for the franchise at #3 and let Dame make up his own mind if he still wants to stay or go.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Teams that draft Miller at #2, #3 or elsewhere in the lottery need to be comfortable with his lack of involvement in the murder, and possible civil case.

That doesn't mean we will hear any of those details. It can be private conversations with NBA teams and Miller representatives. So we might not hear any reports or updates.

 

[TBpup]

the post above mine had him at 3 ahead of miller.

this guy whose reviews i enjoy watching also had him at 3 above miller:



Givony had him at 4 and was singing praises on the Woj Pod last week:




etc, etc. hearing his name way more in the past two weeks. i'm still questioning the validity of taking this guy top 10, much less top 3.

Amen is the flash because he plays PG, but Ausar seems to have the much more developed skills. Much better shooter, better defender, even averaged more assists. Ausar is the one who was the 2x MVP and although he hasn't played PG like his brother, he is not without playmaking ability. Amen is the slightly more explosive athlete, but Ausar is certainly no slouch.

 

[inconceivable]

https://bullswire.usatoday.com/2023/05/28/chicago-bulls-believe-lonzo-ball-wont-ever-play-again/

If this is true, hornets will pick scoot