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So i thought this could be fun as each team gets knocked out. Especially at a time in which fans of said eliminated teams are thinking very clearly

So where does Portland go from here?

Nurkic quote was very eye opening

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Also Dame is basically asking for upgrades

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Players I’d keep- Dame and Covington

Everything else is fair game for the right deal

Dn4sty wrote:Players I’d keep- Dame and Covington

Everything else is fair game for the right deal

I don't know, it's not like there's evidence that the pieces don't fit or anything like that - they have both a lot of talent and not quite enough talent to be a fringe contender. Other than going all Billy King with the future picks, there's not really a magic solution to change that fact - every team wants to get more talent and it feels like the (smart) Ro Co and Powell deals mostly emptied the cupboard for the kind of future-for-present deals you make to try putting yourself over the top.

You can try CJ for another roughly CJ-level player, I guess, but it feels like this version of the team might have run its course.

Good assumption that Nurkic's quote is probably about Stotts, probably a bit about the perimeter defense and also his lack of touches.

If you watched the game tonight you would've seen cJ get several screens from Nurk, Nurk roll and be wide open, and CJ put up a shot 1v2 and miss. That was frustrating as a fan. I imagine insanely frustrating for the big man who cleans up CJ's defensive mistakes.

KP for CJ. Seems like a fair trade.

It's hard to find moves more around the periphery to meaningfully improve the squad, feels like they've tried a lot of different things.

The core 4 of Dame/CJ/Covington/Nurkic cover most bases and take up the entire cap. Nurk/Covington don't make enough for a big move in most circumstances.

Coaching or CJ (+picks) are the two somewhat reasonable moves, but the only piece that'd really fit over CJ is a wing that can score, and those guys don't come cheap. Maybe look at PG if Kawhi leaves the Clippers? Nobody else coming to mind, unless Kawhi says he wants to come. Anyone else come to mind?

need to consider Stotts IMO is VERY likely gone and perhaps Olshey as well - good riddance and can't happen soon enough for me

Portland is going to fire their coach (Stotts) and should fire GM Neil Olshey. Let's see who the
next coach will be and craft a team that coach can win with.

CJ and Stotts both need to go.

I guess there's the tried and true T&T CJ for Tobias that still makes some sense for both that could happen.

As a life long Blazers fan this is my take;

Blow it up. Full fire sale. You play to win rings. No one remembers who came in second.

As much as I love Dame, and trust I got a huge man boner for him; it's time to let him get his elsewhere.

Olshay is the true villain in this story. He is insanely incompetent at his job and should have been gone yeeeears ago.

elias808 wrote:As a life long Blazers fan this is my take;

Blow it up. Full fire sale. You play to win rings. No one remembers who came in second.

As much as I love Dame, and trust I got a huge man boner for him; it's time to let him get his elsewhere.

Olshay is the true villain in this story. He is insanely incompetent at his job and should have been gone yeeeears ago.

Nah.... I don't think so. Dame is next year. You make big moves, but you don't full fire sale it yet.

Trade #1

Portland out: C.J. McCollum, Derrick Jones Jr, 2022 1st (Unprotected, traded after draft)

Portland in: Jimmy Butler

Miami doesn't want to "Max" Jimmy. Miami does want to stay competitive and needs to add perimeter talent. They bring back a guy they loved in Derrick Jones Jr and gain a potential nice asset in 2023.

CJ played terribly this series and honestly needs to be traded at this point

To beat a dead horse: Surround Dame with defense. Covington stays. Powell can stay for the right price. Nurkic can stay if he is happy with Stotts being gone and getting more defenders. 2 of Melo, Simons, Kanter need to go (a defensive backup center is needed whether Kanter stays or goes). Shop CJ pretty hard but don’t take a bad trade just to get rid of him. Get more veteran defensive depth. Don’t leave a roster spot open because of money now that we will be entering tax anyway. Cut CJ Elleby to make room for a playable player. Little can stay but is expendable if needed to complete a trade. Hire a defensive minded coach.

Cj for Tobias would help both teams. Portland gets a reliable forward and Sixers get a backcourt creator who can help Embiid. Harris played really good this year but we need a clutch backcourt creator, Simmons will never be a shooter.

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Trade 1:
POR trades: CJ McCollum
POR receives: Gordon Hayward, Caleb Martin, Cody Martin
Portland adds a high caliber 2-way small forward and some wing defenders to throw out.

MIA trades: Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Precious Achiuwa
MIA receives: CJ McCollum
Miami adds a scoring guard to boost their offense and play with Butler/Bam.

CHA trades: Gordon Hayward, Caleb Martin, Cody Martin
CHA receives: Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Precious Achiuwa
Charlotte moves Hayward for youth.

Trade 2:
POR trades: Derrick Jones Jr., CJ Elleby
DET trades: Mason Plumlee
Portland adds a center who can defend and pass off the bench. Detroit adds some younger players to give a shot now that Stewart is clearly a starting caliber player.

Trade 3:
POR trades: Nassir Little
HOU trades: Danuel House
Portland adds a veteran wing. Houston adds some youth.

Trade 4:
POR trades: cash
NOP trades: 2021 WAS 2nd (43), 2021 DAL 2nd (53)
Portland has no draft picks and New Orleans has too many. This at least gives Portland a shot to find a depth piece in the draft.

Trade 5:
POR trades: Zach Collins (S+T)
SAC trades: Delon Wright
Sacramento gets a stretchy 5 to compliment Fox and maybe allow them some lineups with acceptable spacing when Bagley is on the court. Portland gets back some veteran guard depth.

Free Agency:
Retain - Norman Powell, Carmelo Anthony
Taxpayer MLE - Nemanja Bjelica

Depth chart:
Damian Lillard/Anfernee Simons
Norman Powell/Delon Wright/Cody Martin
Gordon Hayward/Danuel House/Caleb Martin
Robert Covington/Nemanja Bjelica/Carmelo Anthony
Jusuf Nurkic/Mason Plumlee

This team is much better defensively, has better ball movement, and better depth. Their top-end offensive talent is probably a little worse, but this team is just going to have a better chance of at least making it to the second round, and then Portland will have another year of being able to sign someone for the TPMLE, they'll have another draft pick, etc. and be able to make some moves. They are pretty stuck right now with a team that does not hang together at all.

Blazers in: Marcus Smart + Evan Fournier (signed and traded to the Blazers)
Celtics in: CJ McCollum

Imo, Smart is the 2nd most versatile/switchable guard defender in the NBA behind only Ben Simmons (who ain't exactly a guard to begin with). He'd be a nice fit next to Lillard.

Fournier would operate as a secondary shot creator. He can create his own shot. He can create shots for his teammates as well. He can ever run the PnR a little bit.

PG: Lillard
SG: Smart
SF: Fournier
PF: Covington
C: Nurkic

6th man: Powell

Problem is, the Blazers would become hard capped at the apron. If they cannot retain Powell (assuming he opts out), then it's a bad trade for them. Not sure what Powell and Fournier will command on the open market.

For the Celtics, they'd have to somehow dump Kemba (according to rumors, that's what they intend to do). I mean, Kemba and CJ playing together would be a defensive nightmare.

Maybe with Dallas, CJ McCollum for Kleber, Brunson, Powell and Burke

or

McCollum for Kleber, J. Richardson (opt in or s&t), WCS

They add starter 3&D power forward; guard and big men depth

Lillard
Powell
Covington
Kleber
Nurkic

Brunson (Richardson)
Simons
Jones jr.
Collins
Powell (WCS)