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

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What are you hoping for with this pick?

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Freshtown said:
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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."
 
Mediocre Man said:
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."
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I think most people are aware. Explains why this thread is approaching 100 pages in such little time. People are discussing all sorts of scenarios. The truth is, if we did not get somewhat lucky to jump in this draft, the only avenue for us to improve is by using future picks plus Ant and/or Nurk. Now that we have #3, it is now possible to improve w/o using future picks, or if future picks are used as well, the return will be greater. I think future picks will be needed to really go for it. I just hope whatever Cronin does it's not a desperate move.
 
Pinwheel1 said:
Looks like the Bulls really want a PG. Scoot would fit perfectly there. Too bad they don't have anything to offer the Blazers:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/chicago-bulls-privately-believe-lonzo-110056924.html
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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
 
wizenheimer said:
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
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I think an ant for dd/caruso package where you’re not sending out #3 is one of the better frameworks I’ve seen.
 
Samuel said:
I think an ant for dd/caruso package where you’re not sending out #3 is one of the better frameworks I’ve seen.
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I like the idea of Ant+Little+Keon for DDR+Caruso, but only if Portland's pick obligation to Chicago is extinguished

I wouldn't want to include the 23rd pick, but maybe it would be worth it to get rid of Olshey's dumbass trade

Ant fans will hate it though, and it does take a lot of Portland's trading salary leverage off the table. But it may be enough to satisfy Dame's desire for veterans while allowing the Blazers to use the 3rd pick. So, I guess the trade-Dame fans will hate it too
 
wizenheimer said:
there is always a highly rated player who falls way down the draft order. Seems to be a rule. This year's falling prospect may very well be Miller. Lots of questions about this guy
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This is why i'm so leery of the Blazers drafting him. Sure, the authorities say he's not a suspect, Now, but what if that changes. In some ways it's par for the course. The Blazers get a lucky draft position, and one of the two guys has a potential bad situation lingering. I'm hoping the Hornets go all in. But if Miller is copping tude on this, not good. If you're truly innocent of any responsibility, show that in the interviews. Don't be a "ask my lawyer" douche.
 
wizenheimer said:
I like the idea of Ant+Little+Keon for DDR+Caruso, but only if Portland's pick obligation to Chicago is extinguished

I wouldn't want to include the 23rd pick, but maybe it would be worth it to get rid of Olshey's dumbass trade

Ant fans will hate it though, and it does take a lot of Portland's trading salary leverage off the table. But it may be enough to satisfy Dame's desire for veterans while allowing the Blazers to use the 3rd pick. So, I guess the trade-Dame fans will hate it too
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DeRozan is still at the top of his game. Plus he's a free throw magnet. His mid range game is top notch.
 
tykendo said:
This is why i'm so leery of the Blazers drafting him. Sure, the authorities say he's not a suspect, Now, but what if that changes. In some ways it's par for the course. The Blazers get a lucky draft position, and one of the two guys has a potential bad situation lingering. I'm hoping the Hornets go all in. But if Miller is copping tude on this, not good. If you're truly innocent of any responsibility, show that in the interviews. Don't be a "ask my lawyer" douche.
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While it's certainly not great from a PR or team perspective, I can't fault the guy for being careful with this situation. It's what his lawyers are advising him to do, because any errant comment could potentially negatively impact his life in a massive way. That's not something you mess around with.

I don't think that should be taken as 'tude or being an "ask my lawyer" douche, so much as a frustrating biproduct of the situation. Honestly, I think you could look at it as possibly a sliver of hope that Miller is learning from mistakes and showing signs of maturity. That might be giving him too much credit, but THE biggest questions around the entire gun situation (beyond the obvious "was this dude involved in a murder?" part) is his decision making, and, while again, frustrating, showing this kind of restraint and appreciation for the seriousness of the situation could be looked at as a good sign.

Here's what I can say for sure, each of these teams have 7+ figure contracts with investigation firms digging into this. Feels pretty obvious that EVERYBODY involved wishes he could walk in and openly and honestly declare his complete innocence and clearance, but these teams are going to know damn near as much as law enforcement and Miller's representation by the time the draft rolls around. Doesn't always guarantee a positive outcome, but knowing a little bit about how this process goes, I wouldn't worry too much about this bit...
 
glazeduck said:
While it's certainly not great from a PR or team perspective, I can't fault the guy for being careful with this situation. It's what his lawyers are advising him to do, because any errant comment could potentially negatively impact his life in a massive way. That's not something you mess around with.

I don't think that should be taken as 'tude or being an "ask my lawyer" douche, so much as a frustrating biproduct of the situation. Honestly, I think you could look at it as possibly a sliver of hope that Miller is learning from mistakes and showing signs of maturity. That might be giving him too much credit, but THE biggest questions around the entire gun situation (beyond the obvious "was this dude involved in a murder?" part) is his decision making, and, while again, frustrating, showing this kind of restraint and appreciation for the seriousness of the situation could be looked at as a good sign.

Here's what I can say for sure, each of these teams have 7+ figure contracts with investigation firms digging into this. Feels pretty obvious that EVERYBODY involved wishes he could walk in and openly and honestly declare his complete innocence and clearance, but these teams are going to know damn near as much as law enforcement and Miller's representation by the time the draft rolls around. Doesn't always guarantee a positive outcome, but knowing a little bit about how this process goes, I wouldn't worry too much about this bit...
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If you were innocent of being an accessory to a crime, wouldn't you come out and vehemently voice your innocence. I surely would. I'd look everyone in the eye and passionately state my case.
 
tykendo said:
If you were innocent of being an accessory to a crime, wouldn't you come out and vehemently voice your innocence. I surely would. I'd look everyone in the eye and passionately state my case.
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To me, "talk to my lawyer" is like stating the 5th when you've got something to hide.
 
tykendo said:
If you were innocent of being an accessory to a crime, wouldn't you come out and vehemently voice your innocence. I surely would. I'd look everyone in the eye and passionately state my case.
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I'd want to, of course, but any good lawyer would tell me to keep my mouth shut until the process is completely resolved.

Think about it this way, sure you'd want to passionately state your case, but imagine if you even slightly misrepresented something or something you said got leaked and changed the trajectory of the case resulting in a more negative outcome for you -- was it worth it??? The investigation is still going on and as a future multi-millionaire, there's also civil liabilities that he could be opening himself up to.

Again, I'm not disagreeing that it's a frustrating situation, but these things aren't as simple as stating your innocence and calling it a day.
 
glazeduck said:
While it's certainly not great from a PR or team perspective, I can't fault the guy for being careful with this situation. It's what his lawyers are advising him to do, because any errant comment could potentially negatively impact his life in a massive way. That's not something you mess around with.

I don't think that should be taken as 'tude or being an "ask my lawyer" douche, so much as a frustrating biproduct of the situation. Honestly, I think you could look at it as possibly a sliver of hope that Miller is learning from mistakes and showing signs of maturity. That might be giving him too much credit, but THE biggest questions around the entire gun situation (beyond the obvious "was this dude involved in a murder?" part) is his decision making, and, while again, frustrating, showing this kind of restraint and appreciation for the seriousness of the situation could be looked at as a good sign.

Here's what I can say for sure, each of these teams have 7+ figure contracts with investigation firms digging into this. Feels pretty obvious that EVERYBODY involved wishes he could walk in and openly and honestly declare his complete innocence and clearance, but these teams are going to know damn near as much as law enforcement and Miller's representation by the time the draft rolls around. Doesn't always guarantee a positive outcome, but knowing a little bit about how this process goes, I wouldn't worry too much about this bit...
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that may or may not be all true; probably mostly true

but that's not all this is about. Teams are really trying to gauge the character and trustworthiness of players they are about to invest a lottery pick on; in Miller's case a top lottery pick

so it isn't just about the content of his answers, it's his conduct in the interviews. Him being cagey or evasive or non-responsive doesn't have to connect directly, or indirectly, to legal advice. It's conduct that will be used to gauge his value compared to his peers. Teams don't want to go all-in on a player they think may be hiding something or have a connection, however tangentially, to bad behavior

and let's not forget the situation: Miller was allegedly present at the scene of a murder. Maybe not the room where it happened, but at the address. And, allegedly, he may have supplied the weapon. At the very least that goes directly to his judgment. Maybe there's new exculpatory evidence I haven't heard about; I read about this quite a while ago
 
from the link above:

upload_2023-5-28_9-55-58.png

telling teams they "don't need to know anything else than what's on this sheet of paper" when there's murder and a gun involved is problematic. I don't think any team will accept that
 
wizenheimer said:
that may or may not be all true; probably mostly true

but that's not all this is about. Teams are really trying to gauge the character and trustworthiness of players they are about to invest a lottery pick on; in Miller's case a top lottery pick

so it isn't just about the content of his answers, it's his conduct in the interviews. Him being cagey or evasive or non-responsive doesn't have to connect directly, or indirectly, to legal advice. It's conduct that will be used to gauge his value compared to his peers. Teams don't want to go all-in on a player they think may be hiding something or have a connection, however tangentially, to bad behavior

and let's not forget the situation: Miller was allegedly present at the scene of a murder. Maybe not the room where it happened, but at the address. And, allegedly, he may have supplied the weapon. At the very least that goes directly to his judgment. Maybe there's new exculpatory evidence I haven't heard about; I read about this quite a while ago
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100% with all of this, and without getting into too much detail, have worked pretty closely with some of the parties in these sorts of things in the past so definitely well aware of all of the components that are being considered here.

As I said, it's not a good look and is certainly more work for the teams, and yes it speaks poorly to his decision making, etc. My point was more directly to the handling of this specific situation and how he's handling it. While frustrating, I promise you that these teams understand the situation and that he can't say more about it without putting himself at risk. It's a bad situation all around, to say the least, and they'll absolutley dig in more and want answers. I just don't think that handing teams a letter and not addressing it further (which is the RIGHT thing to do in an ongoing investigation), by itself, means he's giving teams attitude or being a "talk to my lawyer douche". He's following the advice of his lawyers and with a lack of a lot of other details, that could at least be seen as a sign of maturity. All I'm really saying...
 
tykendo said:
This is why i'm so leery of the Blazers drafting him. Sure, the authorities say he's not a suspect, Now, but what if that changes. In some ways it's par for the course. The Blazers get a lucky draft position, and one of the two guys has a potential bad situation lingering. I'm hoping the Hornets go all in. But if Miller is copping tude on this, not good. If you're truly innocent of any responsibility, show that in the interviews. Don't be a "ask my lawyer" douche.
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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.
 
wizenheimer said:
from the link above:

View attachment 55993

telling teams they "don't need to know anything else than what's on this sheet of paper" when there's murder and a gun involved is problematic. I don't think any team will accept that
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Without knowing specifically what the letter said, it's tough to make too many judgements about it this bit, since it's secondhand from a journalist (and very obviously trying to sensationalize thie story). If the letter really IS being evasive or telling teams they don't need to know more, then yeah that's an even worse look, but having known agents and plenty of lawyers, I'm guessing that bit's being a bit hyperbolic or vague. My best guess is it's something more along the lines of "here's as much as we can say on the matter at this time" -- that's a much more likely and standard approach than "nothing to see here".
 
glazeduck said:
Without knowing specifically what the letter said, it's tough to make too many judgements about it this bit, since it's secondhand from a journalist (and very obviously trying to sensationalize thie story). If the letter really IS being evasive or telling teams they don't need to know more, then yeah that's an even worse look, but having known agents and plenty of lawyers, I'm guessing that bit's being a bit hyperbolic or vague. My best guess is it's something more along the lines of "here's as much as we can say on the matter at this time" -- that's a much more likely and standard approach than "nothing to see here".
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Just to be super clear about my take on this this whole situation:
1. I prefer Scoot over Miller.
2. I prefer a decent number of trade scenarios over Miller.
3. I question how much ceiling Miller really has.
4. I have a LOT of concerns about Miller's decision making (guns almost NEVER make for good decisions and outcomes -- especially in the hands of 19 year olds) and I am definitely sketched out by this situation and his connection to a murder overall.
5. I also know a lot of lawyers, crisis management and PR types and have spent a lot of time with pro sports agents and GMs, so I have a pretty good gauge about how teams are actually approaching this internally. Unless the letter really said something fairly outlandish, I'm simply suggesting that this is much more of a nothing-burger or "no update, we're still digging" type of "insight" than something super explosive and revelatory...
6. I also think these kinds of things are unfair to someone who is simply following the advice to keep himself out of seriously deep trouble. In the grand scheme of things, even if he goes undreafted, if the outcome is him continuing his career instead of going to prison, I think he'd take that. Guilty, innocent, somewhere in-between or otherwise, if you were in his situation, you'd be doing what your advisors told you to do. Hard to judge him too harshly for that...
 
glazeduck said:
4. I have a LOT of concerns about Miller's decision making (guns almost NEVER make for good decisions and outcomes -- especially in the hands of 19 year olds) and I am definitely sketched out by this situation and his connection to a murder overall.
5. I also know a lot of lawyers, crisis management and PR types and have spent a lot of time with pro sports agents and GMs, so I have a pretty good gauge about how teams are actually approaching this internally. Unless the letter really said something fairly outlandish, I'm simply suggesting that this is much more of a nothing-burger or "no update, we're still digging" type of "insight" than something super explosive and revelatory...
6. I also think these kinds of things are unfair to someone who is simply following the advice to keep himself out of seriously deep trouble. In the grand scheme of things, even if he goes undreafted, if the outcome is him continuing his career instead of going to prison, I think he'd take that. Guilty, innocent, somewhere in-between or otherwise, if you were in his situation, you'd be doing what your advisors told you to do. Hard to judge him too harshly for that...
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here's the rub though...

all those mitigations may be valid to some degree...but if the reality is Miller still has serious legal exposure, which seems to be the situation, and he won't or can't answer questions in private interviews from teams in the position of guaranteeing at least 45M dollars to him over the life of a rookie contract, he's going to fall in the order. Charlotte has been seriously burned by the Miles Bridges situation; Portland has the Jail-Blazers era and has made a strong effort to draft squeaky clean prospects since. If those two teams have any significant questions about Miller's character and judgement, I can't imagine either investing a top-3 pick in him

this murder case is still apparently open and at the very least, Miller will likely be a material witness. A PR problem for his new team
 
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