Rumor: Potential move with Ezeli pending?

[basketballwacko2]

How bad is he hurt if people are speculating he might retire?

His knees are pretty shot. I'd imagine his knees were probably red-flagged over the summer which would explain why no one went after him very hard in FA when much less talented C's were getting PAID. It also would stand to reason Portland probably knew the serious risks his knees were given the contract they ended up signing him to which was pretty clearly a "we have no confidence in this, but lets take a chance and at least we have a trade chip" sorta contract.

He had started to show signs of playing this year in early December. He played in a few shootarounds and immediately was shut down after that with setbacks in his knees. Combine this with the fact he's had major knee issues every year he's been in the league and it's not crazy to think he may be a guy who calls it a career really early.

So yeah, that's a long way to say that if anyone is trading for him, they're doing it for his expiring contract.

Too bad the NBA needs more guys named Festus. Is his 2nd year not guaranteed?

[Brandon-Clyde]

How bad is he hurt if people are speculating he might retire?

His knees are pretty shot. I'd imagine his knees were probably red-flagged over the summer which would explain why no one went after him very hard in FA when much less talented C's were getting PAID. It also would stand to reason Portland probably knew the serious risks his knees were given the contract they ended up signing him to which was pretty clearly a "we have no confidence in this, but lets take a chance and at least we have a trade chip" sorta contract.

He had started to show signs of playing this year in early December. He played in a few shootarounds and immediately was shut down after that with setbacks in his knees. Combine this with the fact he's had major knee issues every year he's been in the league and it's not crazy to think he may be a guy who calls it a career really early.

So yeah, that's a long way to say that if anyone is trading for him, they're doing it for his expiring contract.

Too bad the NBA needs more guys named Festus. Is his 2nd year not guaranteed?

Partially guaranteed to the tune of $1 million iirc

[DusterBuster]

I don't know what you're finding shocking about that? Hit shooting percentages back up that he's one of the best pure shooters in the game. He's at a virtual tie with JJ Redick at #6 in terms of best 3pt shooters in the whole league. I know you want to **** on him because he's not a huge scorer, but he's productive in what he does and with 3pt shooting being at a premium, it's not unthinkable to believe that Crabbe would be more valuable than Biyombo.

Biyombo is a 1 way player in a league where not being able to score whatsoever allows other teams to play 5 on 4 on the defensive end. If he was id want him to be a 15-20mpg backup, not a 72 million dollar player. At least with Crabbe you could start him and get decent production from a normally weak shooting guard spot. Wings are a premium in todays NBA.

Yep exactly. Fat chance convincing a lot of fans here to accept Crabbe's contract in proposals, but I suspect there's a handful of team that would in real life. I think Atlanta, Philly and Sac are on that short-list of teams.

[Dame Lizard]

I don't know what you're finding shocking about that? Hit shooting percentages back up that he's one of the best pure shooters in the game. He's at a virtual tie with JJ Redick at #6 in terms of best 3pt shooters in the whole league. I know you want to **** on him because he's not a huge scorer, but he's productive in what he does and with 3pt shooting being at a premium, it's not unthinkable to believe that Crabbe would be more valuable than Biyombo.

Biyombo is a 1 way player in a league where not being able to score whatsoever allows other teams to play 5 on 4 on the defensive end. If he was id want him to be a 15-20mpg backup, not a 72 million dollar player. At least with Crabbe you could start him and get decent production from a normally weak shooting guard spot. Wings are a premium in todays NBA.

Yep exactly. Fat chance convincing a lot of fans here to accept Crabbe's contract in proposals, but I suspect there's a handful of team that would in real life. I think Atlanta, Philly and Sac are on that short-list of teams.

I don't think Crabbe's $18M contract is anywhere near as bad as some people talk it up to be, given this crazy new-look salary cap situation. Watch some of this next offseasons deals helping to somewhat 'normalise' it. What is the killer for me is his 15% trade kicker.

The trade kicker, combined with the fact that Portland needs Crabbe's 3 PT skillset, makes me want to not include Crabbe in any proposal, just because he has a lot more value to Portland than he does for other teams. It was definitely a silly contract to match though given what Portland had already spent on back-court players (Dame, CJ, Turner), but I don't want to bring up that corpse of a discussion again!

[DusterBuster]

Biyombo is a 1 way player in a league where not being able to score whatsoever allows other teams to play 5 on 4 on the defensive end. If he was id want him to be a 15-20mpg backup, not a 72 million dollar player. At least with Crabbe you could start him and get decent production from a normally weak shooting guard spot. Wings are a premium in todays NBA.

Yep exactly. Fat chance convincing a lot of fans here to accept Crabbe's contract in proposals, but I suspect there's a handful of team that would in real life. I think Atlanta, Philly and Sac are on that short-list of teams.

I don't think Crabbe's $18M contract is anywhere near as bad as some people talk it up to be, given this crazy new-look salary cap situation. Watch some of this next offseasons deals helping to somewhat 'normalise' it. What is the killer for me is his 15% trade kicker.

The trade kicker, combined with the fact that Portland needs Crabbe's 3 PT skillset, makes me want to not include Crabbe in any proposal, just because he has a lot more value to Portland than he does for other teams. It was definitely a silly contract to match though given what Portland had already spent on back-court players (Dame, CJ, Turner), but I don't want to bring up that corpse of a discussion again!

I agree for the most part. I think his 'untradeability' based on RealGM's general consensus probably doesn't really reflect the general norm of what actual GM's think. Certainly there'll be some teams that won't take him because of his contract, but as the cap continues to rise and big contracts like that become more and more common among teams, he won't be looked at as the immovable albatross may here paint him as.

The trade kicker does suck, but if you're committing to a guy for 18mil, you obviously better damn well believe in him. So at that point, the difference between 18mil and a couple mil more after the TK probably isn't as big a factor as everyone here wants to scream from the hilltops that it is. This is another one of those things RealGM as a whole LOVES to fret over but in real life never seems to be a major issue, that being differences of a couple mil plus or negative here or there. Certainly in FA negotiations it's huge and if a team is in or near the luxury tax, it can have an effect on negotiations. But if you got a team with loads of cap space and they aren't a destination at the moment (I.E. Philly, Brooklyn, Sacramento, etc), the idea that a trade kicker for a few mil more per season is gonna put the brakes on a deal is kinda silly imosho.

Again, that's not to say teams are gonna be knocking down Portland's door to get him, but he's got a clear skill that's in demand and it's a skill Portland still needs to boot. So there's no real rush to trade him for crap or salary savings that won't amount to cap room anyway. If a fair deal comes along, take a look at it, if not, I don't see why Portland can't be happy keeping Crabbe.

[vincecarter4pres]

Going to suggest Brook Lopez would be the most logical swap for Harkless/Ezeli. Brooklyn gets a young guy who's still improving, and they're so stranded for so long that they can afford to take on Ezeli, whether he's on and off the court for years or retires.

Unless Blazers are adding a couple of future picks... Maybe one of them lottery protected... I dont see why the heck Nets would trade their best player for a couple of role players.

They make think Harkless has a higher ceiling than roleplayer - & it trims their payroll.

I'm with 1UPZ.

Has to be something like:

Brook Lopez
Bogdanovic

for

Harkless
Davis
Ezeli
2017 Portland 1st
2017 Cleveland 1st


Billy King doesn't run the Nets anymore. Harkless is a solid young player, but the 1st's in this draft would be mandatory.

[Dame Lizard]

Unless Blazers are adding a couple of future picks... Maybe one of them lottery protected... I dont see why the heck Nets would trade their best player for a couple of role players.

They make think Harkless has a higher ceiling than roleplayer - & it trims their payroll.

I'm with 1UPZ.

Has to be something like:

Brook Lopez
Bogdanovic

for

Harkless
Davis
Ezeli
2017 Portland 1st
2017 Cleveland 1st


Billy King doesn't run the Nets anymore. Harkless is a solid young player, but the 1st's in this draft would be mandatory.

Ughhh that is horrible for Portland.

[Roy The Natural]

They make think Harkless has a higher ceiling than roleplayer - & it trims their payroll.

I'm with 1UPZ.

Has to be something like:

Brook Lopez
Bogdanovic

for

Harkless
Davis
Ezeli
2017 Portland 1st
2017 Cleveland 1st


Billy King doesn't run the Nets anymore. Harkless is a solid young player, but the 1st's in this draft would be mandatory.

Ughhh that is horrible for Portland.

Totally laughable attempt at fleecing Portland.... It's cool though, the Nets have been one of the worst run franchises in all of sports for some time, why stop now.

[Andrew McCeltic]

I know the Nets aren't badly run now, but they're going nowhere, Lopez' game is as out of fashion as you can get, and opening up cap flexibility never hurts. Last rumor I heard was that they wanted two first-rounders.

[vincecarter4pres]

I'm with 1UPZ.

Has to be something like:

Brook Lopez
Bogdanovic

for

Harkless
Davis
Ezeli
2017 Portland 1st
2017 Cleveland 1st


Billy King doesn't run the Nets anymore. Harkless is a solid young player, but the 1st's in this draft would be mandatory.

Ughhh that is horrible for Portland.

Totally laughable attempt at fleecing Portland.... It's cool though, the Nets have been one of the worst run franchises in all of sports for some time, why stop now.

How is that totally laughable?

The Portland pick would be somewhere between say 13 and 20, the Cleveland pick 28 to 30.

Ed Davis is decent, but essentially salary filler.

Ezeli is exactly that.

Harkless is a solid young player with some remaining potential.

Seems like exactly what Marks is rumored to be looking for and pretty much on par with Lopez's likely real life value.

Bogdanovic is a nice throw in as well, he's probably worth the Cleveland pick on his own.


Myers Leonard could replace Ed Davis if Portland liked, I just assumed they'd prefer to keep him over Davis.

[DusterBuster]

Ughhh that is horrible for Portland.

Totally laughable attempt at fleecing Portland.... It's cool though, the Nets have been one of the worst run franchises in all of sports for some time, why stop now.

How is that totally laughable?

The Portland pick would be somewhere between say 13 and 20, the Cleveland pick 28 to 30.

Ed Davis is decent, but essentially salary filler.

Ezeli is exactly that.

Harkless is a solid young player with some remaining potential.

Seems like exactly what Marks is rumored to be looking for and pretty much on par with Lopez's likely real life value.

Bogdanovic is a nice throw in as well, he's probably worth the Cleveland pick on his own.


Myers Leonard could replace Ed Davis if Portland liked, I just assumed they'd prefer to keep him over Davis.

Replacing Leonard with Davis would get a lot of traction from Portland fans... trust me lol.

All in all though, I think Blazers fans main gripe (at least for me personally) is just that Lopez isn't a good fit for Portland. He's pretty much the textbook definition of the opposite thing Portland needs out of a C. He's a low rebounding, offensive minded C that leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end. He gets blocks, but he's not even in the Top 40 for DRPM for C's in the league (granted, not a fool proof stat by any means, but it certainly doesn't put his defensive prowess in a good light).

I'm just not excited to go about giving up a ton of assets to get him.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Ughhh that is horrible for Portland.

Totally laughable attempt at fleecing Portland.... It's cool though, the Nets have been one of the worst run franchises in all of sports for some time, why stop now.

How is that totally laughable?

The Portland pick would be somewhere between say 13 and 20, the Cleveland pick 28 to 30.

Ed Davis is decent, but essentially salary filler.

Ezeli is exactly that.

Harkless is a solid young player with some remaining potential.

Seems like exactly what Marks is rumored to be looking for and pretty much on par with Lopez's likely real life value.

Bogdanovic is a nice throw in as well, he's probably worth the Cleveland pick on his own.


Myers Leonard could replace Ed Davis if Portland liked, I just assumed they'd prefer to keep him over Davis.

That is way too much for Lopez. I doubt there are many suitors offering up 2 picks, let alone adding 2 solid players in their prime on under-valued contracts. I keep going back to this quote from a Brooklyn fan, which perfectly sums up why I don't want Lopez on Portland - not even taking into account his poor defensive fit.

Nets played at the leagues fastest pace in the preseason and again at a fast pace last night. lopez already struggled to play 32-34 minutes at a slower pace. and when he is gassed it effects his game. He just doesnt fit a space and pace system that requires fast ball movement and not having the ball stick. maybe he can become a 3 point shooter but even if he can he isnt suited for that pace

Taking into account his age and contract situation, plus where the Blazers are, I want nothing to do with that. At best it mortgages our summer so we can still lose to the Warriors in the 1st round. Personally I would rather pick up a lotto pick this year than struggle to make the 8th seed.

[Roy The Natural]

Totally laughable attempt at fleecing Portland.... It's cool though, the Nets have been one of the worst run franchises in all of sports for some time, why stop now.

How is that totally laughable?

The Portland pick would be somewhere between say 13 and 20, the Cleveland pick 28 to 30.

Ed Davis is decent, but essentially salary filler.

Ezeli is exactly that.

Harkless is a solid young player with some remaining potential.

Seems like exactly what Marks is rumored to be looking for and pretty much on par with Lopez's likely real life value.

Bogdanovic is a nice throw in as well, he's probably worth the Cleveland pick on his own.


Myers Leonard could replace Ed Davis if Portland liked, I just assumed they'd prefer to keep him over Davis.

That is way too much for Lopez. I doubt there are many suitors offering up 2 picks, let alone adding 2 solid players in their prime on under-valued contracts. I keep going back to this quote from a Brooklyn fan, which perfectly sums up why I don't want Lopez on Portland - not even taking into account his poor defensive fit.

Nets played at the leagues fastest pace in the preseason and again at a fast pace last night. lopez already struggled to play 32-34 minutes at a slower pace. and when he is gassed it effects his game. He just doesnt fit a space and pace system that requires fast ball movement and not having the ball stick. maybe he can become a 3 point shooter but even if he can he isnt suited for that pace

Taking into account his age and contract situation, plus where the Blazers are, I want nothing to do with that. At best it mortgages our summer so we can still lose to the Warriors in the 1st round. Personally I would rather pick up a lotto pick this year than struggle to make the 8th seed.

Not only that... Brook is hard to to fit into a smaller role because of his limitations outside of being a scorer. His rebounding is inexcusably abysmal. I mean 5 rebounds a game?... When you're competing with Trevor Booker for rebounds? He rebounds like Andrea Bargnani out there.

There's so much that is working against Brooklyn in trading Brook Lopez for significant assets.

- He's not a good defender, and is absolutely horrific at rebounding.
- He's had significant injuries to his feet, and as a big man that's always a risk those issues may crop up again.
- Brooklyn has almost no leverage, as they are DESPERATE for young talent, and have very little way to acquire it.

Brook Lopez is simply not a good enough player for teams to be in a rush to get, and overpay for... eventually Brooklyn will have to concede and move Lopez for whatever they can get, as he is OBVIOUSLY not a long term player for them.

[vincecarter4pres]

I would just like to remind people even Mozgov landed 2 1sts recently.

[Roy The Natural]

I would just like to remind people even Mozgov landed 2 1sts recently.

Cool, Mosgov does stuff centers are supposed to. The picks were heavily protected, and he was traded to a CONTENDING team, a team that was in the top 3 favored to win the title, using him to bolster their chances. Portland is not in that situation, and Brook Lopez isn't really a plug and play player for many contenders.

[DusterBuster]

I would just like to remind people even Mozgov landed 2 1sts recently.

I would also like to remind people that all Brook Lopez to Portland trades are coming from Nets fans or 3rd party teams fans, not Blazer fans.