Thunder | Blazers

[sonictecture]

I don't see this scenario as some big gift to the Thunder. The Thunder are going to be contending for championships with or without LMA.

Portland on the other hand is trying to pick up the pieces and build around LMA. Good luck if it takes less than 5 years perhaps we can see the value of LMA in a playoff setting. Hopefully LMA won't be stricken with the heart ailment that seems to diagnosed every other year or won't suffer some other injury like the one keeping him out of the Olympics this summer.

[slick_watts]

What does Aldridge do for the Thunder better than Ibaka and Harden besides score? I think he fits into the offense better than Harden does with Durant and Westbrook since he is not sharing their space as much. But is he going to see 27 USG on OKC? Doubtful. He'd be a 2nd option most nights at best.

I think if OKC was to consider a consolidation trade with Harden and Ibaka as centerpieces the conversations would start at a player like Aldridge but they'd ultimately want someone who can effect the game in more areas besides scoring, since they have Durant and Westbrook to do that (and Harden already does fairly well at it). If Aldridge were not so soft on the boards, and hit or miss on defense I think this would be a very convincing consolidation move if OKC chose that route. But the more I think of it the more lack luster I feel about this trade.

[WillyJakkz]

Aldridge getting disrespected by an OKC my bad Seattle mod, go figure.

[Devilanche]

What does where they come has to do with this?
Aldridge is an inside option that we'll never get from our existing big, but we'll still end up playing with 1 ball so the usage concern is valid.

While the draft pick may turn out to be nothing, without the draft pick it's too much of an overpay that OKC will probably pass if it's a pure Aldridge for Harden+ Ibaka swap.

[Agenda42]

This Blazer fan turns down the offer even if you drop the #11 from the trade. Harden and Ibaka are going to be in that awkward pay range where they will get big money, but not max money, and you do not want to build around that level of player in the new CBA.

What, you mean like Aldridge?

When Aldridge signed his contract, he was one of those guys. Were he a free agent today, I think he'd be a max player. His game has rather surprisingly developed a lot since he signed that contract.

I'd much rather build around Aldridge than around Harden and Ibaka, simply because the Harden/Ibaka pairing are going to cost almost twice as much. If you build around Harden/Ibaka, you'll never beat teams built around LeBron/Wade or Durant/Westbrook, because they're just so much more money efficient than you are.

[N.O.R.E.]

You think a championship team can be built around Aldridge?
I only agree with you if they had some other equally as good non-star at another position, and a perfect supporting cast, otherwise, Aldridge ain't carrying you to the promised land.

[Josephpaul]

LMA Is to much of a injury risk.

[RoyalWun]

No thank you.
Not that the value is bad or whatever, but Portland is re-tooling. You can't really re-tool by trading your best player (and a big at that) AND a lottery pick. The idea is to get someone to PAIR with LMA. Plus Harden and Ibaka are about to get a major payday. And then trading your best player to a division rival certainly doesn't help the situation.

With this trade, I see Portland getting worse a bit and OKC getting a lot better.

[Agenda42]

You think a championship team can be built around Aldridge?
I only agree with you if they had some other equally as good non-star at another position, and a perfect supporting cast, otherwise, Aldridge ain't carrying you to the promised land.

I think Aldridge can be the second best player on a championship team. I don't think he's good enough to be the #1 guy.

I'm not really sure that Harden or Ibaka can be either the #1 or #2 guy on a championship team. I think they have the upside to get there.

Under the previous CBA, I definitely would make this trade because having a bunch of good players and running an $80M payroll was a viable path to the championship. With the new CBA, I think you really have to lean hard on the max contract and the MLE if you want to win a title.

None of the paths the Blazers can take look very promising, to be sure.

[marsblazer]

...
I think if OKC was to consider a consolidation trade with Harden and Ibaka as centerpieces the conversations would start at a player like Aldridge but they'd ultimately want someone who can effect the game in more areas besides scoring, since they have Durant and Westbrook to do that (and Harden already does fairly well at it). If Aldridge were not so soft on the boards, and hit or miss on defense I think this would be a very convincing consolidation move if OKC chose that route. But the more I think of it the more lack luster I feel about this trade.

...thats fine, i dont think harden and ibaka are good enough to get a better player than aldridge though. K.Love=no P.Gasol=maybe(but is he better?for how long?) B.Griffin=no...as a blazer fan i would pass though, even though harden is my favorite non-blazer. i think harden is really good but not max contract good(i mean even OP thinks they can draft someone at 11 to fill his role) and ibaka is a good role player on a good team...basically we SHOULD be able to get similiar players at 6&11 and still have aldridge

[Oden2]

You think a championship team can be built around Aldridge?
I only agree with you if they had some other equally as good non-star at another position, and a perfect supporting cast, otherwise, Aldridge ain't carrying you to the promised land.

I think Aldridge can be the second best player on a championship team. I don't think he's good enough to be the #1 guy.

I'm not really sure that Harden or Ibaka can be either the #1 or #2 guy on a championship team. I think they have the upside to get there.

Under the previous CBA, I definitely would make this trade because having a bunch of good players and running an $80M payroll was a viable path to the championship. With the new CBA, I think you really have to lean hard on the max contract and the MLE if you want to win a title.

None of the paths the Blazers can take look very promising, to be sure.

To an extent I agree but that's why the Blazers have 2 chances to draft a suprise prospect in this draft or the chance to acquire a high caliber player in a trade with those picks. I personally do this trade b/c it makes us better imo but I agree that we still are far from being a completed product with or without this deal. That said having a big like LA is never gonna hurt your odds.

[WillyJakkz]

...
I think if OKC was to consider a consolidation trade with Harden and Ibaka as centerpieces the conversations would start at a player like Aldridge but they'd ultimately want someone who can effect the game in more areas besides scoring, since they have Durant and Westbrook to do that (and Harden already does fairly well at it). If Aldridge were not so soft on the boards, and hit or miss on defense I think this would be a very convincing consolidation move if OKC chose that route. But the more I think of it the more lack luster I feel about this trade.

...thats fine, i dont think harden and ibaka are good enough to get a better player than aldridge though. K.Love=no P.Gasol=maybe(but is he better?for how long?) B.Griffin=no...as a blazer fan i would pass though, even though harden is my favorite non-blazer. i think harden is really good but not max contract good(i mean even OP thinks they can draft someone at 11 to fill his role) and ibaka is a good role player on a good team...basically we SHOULD be able to get similiar players at 6&11 and still have aldridge

I think Terrence Ross could develop into Harden's role, maybe sooner (which I think) or maybe later, point is I said develop into what Harden's role is (meaning presently) which of course means Harden at age 22/ 23 should only continue to get better as Ross develops into what Harden currently is.

In a nutshell, Aldridge being better and having more of an affect on OKC than Harden/ Ibaka (imo) gives Thunder the leeway to allow Ross to develop while Sefalosha expands his current role somewhat, meantime Harden and Ibaka get to develop into more seasoned offensive options in Portland, instead of Portland w/ Aldridge waiting for Drummond and whoever they'd pick @ 11 to develop which may end up wasting some of Aldridge's prime years.

PG/ Harden/ Batum/ Ibaka/ Drummond or Harden/ Matthews/ Batum/ Ibaka/ Drummond
or
#11/ Matthews/ Batum/ Aldridge/ Drummond or PG/ #11/ Batum/ Aldridge/ Drummond

Both looks good to me, w/ Harden and Ibaka having Portlands window open longer. That's all.

[Texas Chuck]

did someone really say itt that Ibaka is more likely to be the #1 on a contender than LMA is? Give me a break, Agenda42. Ibaka simply isnt that kind of player. He a really nice player but good luck building a franchise around that.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

did someone really say itt that Ibaka is more likely to be the #1 on a contender than LMA is? Give me a break, Agenda42. Ibaka simply isnt that kind of player. He a really nice player but good luck building a franchise around that.

Stab in the dark, but I imagine he was saying Harden has the upside to be a #1 option.


I don't believe he is. He is no Wade or Kobe at the position. He might be a 1a or 1b player on a very deep, solid, veteran team with great chemistry (ala Pistons), but Aldridge is the same sort of player. I think Aldridge and Harden could maybe be that 1a/1b pairing that would work, but Harden/Ibaka no way.


Ibaka's upside is as a 4th/5th option starter with good defense (if he makes some leaps and bounds defending man to man, he still goes for big blocks over smart defense). He has no post moves, and his jumper is still inconsistent. Even if his jumper got way more consistent, he will never be a go-to scorer. If Ibaka is going to be one of your top 3 players, you will never make it out of the first round.

[Oden2]

did someone really say itt that Ibaka is more likely to be the #1 on a contender than LMA is? Give me a break, Agenda42. Ibaka simply isnt that kind of player. He a really nice player but good luck building a franchise around that.

Stab in the dark, but I imagine he was saying Harden has the upside to be a #1 option.


I don't believe he is. He is no Wade or Kobe at the position. He might be a 1a or 1b player on a very deep, solid, veteran team with great chemistry (ala Pistons), but Aldridge is the same sort of player. I think Aldridge and Harden could maybe be that 1a/1b pairing that would work, but Harden/Ibaka no way.


Ibaka's upside is as a 4th/5th option starter with good defense (if he makes some leaps and bounds defending man to man, he still goes for big blocks over smart defense). He has no post moves, and his jumper is still inconsistent. Even if his jumper got way more consistent, he will never be a go-to scorer. If Ibaka is going to be one of your top 3 players, you will never make it out of the first round.

If Ibaka were good enough to be a top 3 player on a contender OKC wouldn't touch this deal. While I agree that he's not that material I think he has a ton of potential on the defensive side of the ball and IF he can play center then this deal works out pretty well. This seems like the type of trade that could either go brilliantly for Portland or backfire, there's no in between. I think that risk is worth it but I can understand the side of it too considering that LA is clearly better than either player individually. At the very least this trade seems pretty even but obviously more than anything Ibaka's play would make or break this.