Zach Lavine?

[BigGameDamian]

Even if Lavine wants to play with the Blazers, Jody is cheap so it won’t happen at all

Well if Jody is gonna be a cheapskate, As long as Dame is here he won’t ever see a championship ring on his finger.

 

[Tince]

Maybe Ant gets trade in this scenario?

I would be open to an Ant for Lavine trade as long as there wasn't much else included on our end. We get the better player, Chicago gets the guy with slightly better upside for less money. Not sure if we could do a Lavine + Filler for Ant + Bledsoe. Cap experts would have to chime in on that. Also, this only works if Lavine has made it clear he doesn't want to stay and Chicago is trying to get something of value in return.

 

[illmatic99]

LaVine has no business being one of our targets given his size, lack of defense, injury history (and upcoming knee surgery), lack of playoff success, and salary expectations. This is regardless of if we involve Ant in the deal too. If we use all our pseudo flexibility on getting LaVine while also losing Hart, Cronin can F straight out.

 

[wizenheimer]

Kind of have to read the whole context of the conversation. I'm not sure just getting a rookie to help the team become a contender (Which is what i assume we are all looking for) is going to put them in that position.
Getting a good pick 1-4 5,6, and getting Grant might help a bunch but still not sure?
It's where the team is right now so we wait and see while continue to hope for the best.

ok....I see the disconnect now, thanks

my take: becoming a contender was NEVER going to be a quick 1-2 step process. It was always going to take time, like a couple of seasons, and going into the trade deadline the Blazers absolutely were in the position of having to take 2-3 steps back before they could move forward. They were way too deep into the dead-end alley of olshey-vision

a rookie player in his 1st or 2nd season, no matter how good, would not make Portland a contender by himself. But, he could be an integral part of the puzzle if Portland makes follow-up moves and has some good luck

and yes, losing the chance at the Pels pick was a setback. If that could have been used for Grant and the Blazers got lucky and landed a great wing with their own pick that could have really elevated their upside

 

[Fairly-Hard]

ok....I see the disconnect now, thanks

my take: becoming a contender was NEVER going to be a quick 1-2 step process. It was always going to take time, like a couple of seasons, and going into the trade deadline the Blazers absolutely were in the position of having to take 2-3 steps back before they could move forward. They were way too deep into the dead-end alley of olshey-vision

a rookie player in his 1st or 2nd season, no matter how good, would not make Portland a contender by himself. But, he could be an integral part of the puzzle if Portland makes follow-up moves and has some good luck

and yes, losing the chance at the Pels pick was a setback. If that could have been used for Grant and the Blazers got lucky and landed a great wing with their own pick that could have really elevated their upside

We agree here probably 2-3 years at best. It's only fair to give Chauncey Billups 3 years at least. I kind of have a problem that he wasted his first but that's just my take on it.
Then we need to think about Lillard. This needs to happen in 2-3 years. So yeah it kind of needs to be quickly now.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Sad trombone noise:

 

[cheesehoff]

After watching some video of Lavine in Chicago from last year, two things stick out. I would not consider a ZL & Dame backcourt to be too small, especially with Lavine's long arms and athleticism. And, I would love to be able to get Caruso to come off the bench. He was involved in a lot of the highlights and does a bunch of the things that don't show up in the stats.

 

[Scalma]

LaVine is from Washington? Thats pretty interesting. If hes got his mind set on Portland could a sign and trade involving Ant be in play?

 

[Cugel]

I mean if he wants to be in the PNW, Portland's FO should make it so.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I mean if he wants to be in the PNW, Portland's FO should make it so.

I'm sure that what he wants is to get paid; I doubt he cares where.

 

[illmatic99]

the only seattle products i want in portland this summer are either Banchero or Eason

 

[HoopsFanAZ]

I prefer the theory from Jacked Ramsays -- Lavine rumors are about jacking up his next contract and Portland is playing along by staying silent. The Blazers doing Lavine (and his agency) a solid with a bigger contract from Chicago. Then the Blazers get help with getting Grant. Agencies and players wielding clout especially with teams like Portland and Detroit that aren't big-time, free agent destinations but which keep good relations with agencies in order to make trades. THIS is something Olshey did not do and current management MAY be doing. It's a reasonable theory, IMHO.

 

[hoopsjock]

I prefer the theory from Jacked Ramsays -- Lavine rumors are about jacking up his next contract and Portland is playing along by staying silent. The Blazers doing Lavine (and his agency) a solid with a bigger contract from Chicago. Then the Blazers get help with getting Grant. Agencies and players wielding clout especially with teams like Portland and Detroit that aren't big-time, free agent destinations but which keep good relations with agencies in order to make trades. THIS is something Olshey did not do and current management MAY be doing. It's a reasonable theory, IMHO.

This was pretty obvious and discussed in this thread, so it's not a new theory from them.

For the record, Olshey actually did this a lot. Where he struggled was cashing in on those favors. There's a reason for his long list of "near misses" for signings from him dating all the way back to Roy Hibbert, Greg Monroe, Enes Kanter, Chandler Parsons, etc.

 

[Mediocre Man]

What would make you angrier……

Adding another ball dominant no defense playing SG like Lavine, who is a good offensive player

or adding a two way playing combo forward who isn’t really great at anything, like Grant?

 

[hoopsjock]

What would make you angrier……

Adding another ball dominant no defense playing SG like Lavine, who is a good offensive player

or adding a two way playing combo forward who isn’t really great at anything, like Grant?

If I just got to pick between the two I'd rather have Lavine than Grant.

Given what it would likely take to make room or trade for Lavine though, that would make me angrier.

Although if we give up our lotto pick for Grant, that could change it back to that.

I don't know, good question, ha ha.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

What would make you angrier……

Adding another ball dominant no defense playing SG like Lavine, who is a good offensive player

or adding a two way playing combo forward who isn’t really great at anything, like Grant?

Lavine, because it would require a sign and trade which would hard cap us, as well as recreating the same roster imbalances that February's fire sale was allegedly intended to correct. At the very least, even if Grant is overrated and overpaid, he fills a gap in the roster.

 

[HansenYang]

What would make you angrier……

Adding another ball dominant no defense playing SG like Lavine, who is a good offensive player

or adding a two way playing combo forward who isn’t really great at anything, like Grant?

Depends upon the acquisition cost.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Depends upon the acquisition cost.

Assume it’s the same

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Assume it’s the same

Lavine signing for a deal that would fit into our TPE would indicate major concerns about his knee health, so that would trouble me as well.

 

[Hoopguru]

Crazy all this talk about Lavine when Ant’s going to be resigned at less money. And we have Hart.
If we draft a legit big forward or bpa, and fill with a few more vets, we could make a nice step if we dont have huge injuries.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Fucking hell you people overthink things

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Fucking hell you people overthink things

Perhaps, but the fact is that the TPE being the vehicle by which Grant could be acquired is about the only thing that would make him palatable. Taking that fact into consideration is not unreasonable, given the parameters you gave.

 

[Hoopguru]

What would make you angrier……

Adding another ball dominant no defense playing SG like Lavine, who is a good offensive player

or adding a two way playing combo forward who isn’t really great at anything, like Grant?

adding Lavine. We already have what he'd be bringing. We currently have much less production at the 3/4 position.

 

[blazerkor]

Fucking hell you people overthink things

I would say that part of the problems we've been having for a decade is the last guy underthought a lot of things and just tried to grab some talent for the cheapest price and then overpaid them when he could extend them without thinking how all of those pieces fit together. LeVine is a bad fit for this team and Grant is a good fit. If either one of them is acquired and it takes our first rounder to do it, that would mean that they will be the only meaningful addition of the offseason and I will be furious either way.

 

[Mediocre Man]

adding Lavine. We already have what he'd be bringing. We currently have much less production at the 3/4 position.

THANK YOU

 

[Mediocre Man]

I would say that part of the problems we've been having for a decade is the last guy underthought a lot of things and just tried to grab some talent for the cheapest price and then overpaid them when he could extend them without thinking how all of those pieces fit together. LeVine is a bad fit for this team and Grant is a good fit. If either one of them is acquired and it takes our first rounder to do it, that would mean that they will be the only meaningful addition of the offseason and I will be furious either way.

THANK YOU

 

[Scalma]

Fischer:


Few teams outside of Chicago can offer LaVine both the maximum salary and the alpha dog scoring role he is said to covet, but sign-and-trade options could deliver him to any number of destinations.

Along with Atlanta, Portland is most often mentioned as a top LaVine suitor. LaVine is a Seattle native, just a few hours' drive north of the Trail Blazers' facilities, and shares a relationship with Damian Lillard from their Team USA days.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...z-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more

 

[illmatic99]

Fischer:


Few teams outside of Chicago can offer LaVine both the maximum salary and the alpha dog scoring role he is said to covet, but sign-and-trade options could deliver him to any number of destinations.

Along with Atlanta, Portland is most often mentioned as a top LaVine suitor. LaVine is a Seattle native, just a few hours' drive north of the Trail Blazers' facilities, and shares a relationship with Damian Lillard from their Team USA days.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...z-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more

More leverage plays by FAs I think.

Also mentioned:
If the Suns let Ayton walk, league officials expect Phoenix to try and engineer a sign-and-trade for some frontcourt help. That would require tricky cap calculations and possibly a third team.

Perhaps Portland, where free-agent center Jusuf Nurkic is expected to command far less than Ayton on the open market, could be a trade partner. Detroit's longstanding willingness to discuss Jerami Grant could provide a window for Phoenix to nab a versatile frontcourt defender in return.

 

[Scalma]

More leverage plays by FAs I think.

Also mentioned:
If the Suns let Ayton walk, league officials expect Phoenix to try and engineer a sign-and-trade for some frontcourt help. That would require tricky cap calculations and possibly a third team.

Perhaps Portland, where free-agent center Jusuf Nurkic is expected to command far less than Ayton on the open market, could be a trade partner. Detroit's longstanding willingness to discuss Jerami Grant could provide a window for Phoenix to nab a versatile frontcourt defender in return.

LaVine makes a lot more sense than Ayton does. He’s a bigger Simons and fits better next to Dame, theoretically (not saying Ant is necessarily a bad fit)

 

[calvin natt]

I’m surprised how down people are on Lavine. I have no idea about this scoping of his knee but outside of that, I always thought a 27 year old 6’5’ 25-5-5 freak would be fun. Maybe a change of scenery would elevate his game, going back to the NW and playing with Lillard who everyone knows has a huge sense of urgency to win now. Im thinking it’s like a Derozen type growth year for him.