Who decided to break up our starters; Neil or Aldridge?

[OneLifeToLive]

Who says he isn't?

There was a Twitter report from one of the insiders that said a sign and trade option was off the table.

In any case, what wiz said makes some sense but all it did was force the team to make a salary dump deal with another team which allows them to sign him out right.

 

[Red Rooster]

Basically, you set a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. The idea is this: if you don't accept sign and trades, then LMA must sign for less $$ unless he signs with us. Most FAs will take the $$. Once you have that policy in place and everyone knows that, then you reluctantly agree to a sign and trade at the end of negotiations and squeeze the team for all they're worth!

So yeah, if the Heat will give us their 2 young studs, Neil agrees and looks like a genius.

Ding-ding-ding. Winner!

 

[Mediocre Man]

Aldridge has wanted out for 2+ years.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Aldridge has wanted out for 2+ years.

Also Olshey is no dummy; he must have known this, and made plans accordingly. We either made the finals last season and stuck around, or we didn't and blew up, all players performing (hopefully) well enough to earn raises from the teams that picked them up.

 

[Blazer509]

At this point, I'm pretty sure he is gone. What I don't understand is why this general manager would reject a sign and trade scenario that would bring back assets. Something is better than nothing. If he's sold on Miami and are willing to give something up, get on the phone with them. I just don't get what goes in this thought process.

Because no one knows whether he's leaving. Chill out, he's taking his time.

 

[Draco]

Yeah I don't take any stock in the idea we're against sign and trades. Especially now with Wes, Rolo, Monroe elsewhere. Neil has probably said a lot of the things he's said just to help the Blazers strategically. I'm glad he knows how to play that game.

If Aldridge was under contract right now with all our other youth I bet we'd consider trading him.

I'm surprised LMA doesn't get a new meeting with the Knicks. They could setup sign and trades where we get Prozingas, Calderon and Bargani on a one year contract. I'd love to do that to get the rookie. LMA would get to play next to a center and become a legend in NYC.

 

[PCmor7]

I don't know, it might be a blessing in disguise in the long run. While extremely likable, the group probably wasn't a championship contender.

Yep. Not as comprised the last couple of years. That's what I'd been saying about falling in love with your own players ... this team would have been good but it probably wasn't going to win it all without either adding another key contributor somehow or a couple of other teams imploding. Because of the cap and things, it needed to be freshened up, IMO. It was at an evolutionary dead end. Had they been successful in keeping Aldridge and signing Monroe, I would have loved to see how it would have matched up with the Warriors ... I think pretty well.

 

[Natebishop3]

Also Olshey is no dummy; he must have known this, and made plans accordingly. We either made the finals last season and stuck around, or we didn't and blew up, all players performing (hopefully) well enough to earn raises from the teams that picked them up.

If he knew, he should have traded him a long time ago instead of holding onto hope.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

If he knew, he should have traded him a long time ago instead of holding onto hope.

I tend to agree here but Allen had to be breathing down his neck about not trading LA.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

If he knew, he should have traded him a long time ago instead of holding onto hope.

Everybody has a boss.

No, I think this was a clever plan given his obvious constraints. Why be mediocre with three lost starters (holding onto Dame and that guy you traded for who might be on the books for another year or two), when you can be bad and young when you blow it up?

Neil set the charges on every strut of the bridge, just in case. No sentimentality there. When he blows it up, he blows it up.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Yeah I don't take any stock in the idea we're against sign and trades. Especially now with Wes, Rolo, Monroe elsewhere. Neil has probably said a lot of the things he's said just to help the Blazers strategically. I'm glad he knows how to play that game.

If Aldridge was under contract right now with all our other youth I bet we'd consider trading him.

I'm surprised LMA doesn't get a new meeting with the Knicks. They could setup sign and trades where we get Prozingas, Calderon and Bargani on a one year contract. I'd love to do that to get the rookie. LMA would get to play next to a center and become a legend in NYC.

A meeting with the Knicks does make sense now, hadn't thought of that.

...and with Portzingis and Vonleh we could be the all-time best could, woulda, shoulda teams.

 

[magnifier661]

I tend to agree here but Allen had to be breathing down his neck about not trading LA.

I honestly think Aldridge was Allen's guy and Dame is Olshey's guy. I don't think Allen would accept Aldridge wearing another uniform.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Horseshit, If that's the case then I would bet that that Blazers team wasn't as tight as everyone thought.

Wait? You bought all of that PR bullshit, that they were all one big happy family? This is still a group of highly compensated professional athletes in a hired gun's profession right?

 

[barfo]

Wait? You bought all of that PR bullshit, that they were all one big happy family? This is still a group of highly compensated professional athletes in a hired gun's profession right?

You gonna give him the bad news about Santa Claus too?

barfo

 

[Nikolokolus]

You gonna give him the bad news about Santa Claus too?

barfo

What bad news is that? Is the fog gonna be too dense this year to lift off?

 

[stampedehero]

There is always another player that needs 25 mil.

 

[Rastapopoulos]