RealGM

Ill offer this idea based on
-The Pelicans are over tax apron and have a need for a starting 5
-The Blazers are rebuilding and have Williams + Clingan to play the 5

Based on that ill offer a straight swap with picks

To New Orleans
-DeAndre Ayton (2 years, $69.5 million)

To Portland
-Brandon Ingram (1 year, $36 million)
-2028 1st round pick (some form of protection)

Why?
-The Pelicans add a starting calibre 5 to round out starting 5 while they get under tax apron.
-The Blazers create more cap flexibility in summer of 2025 while picking up a 1st and letting Williams become starter while Clinton develops.

That first is going the wrong way.

Bentley1225 wrote:Ill offer this idea based on
-The Pelicans are over tax apron and have a need for a starting 5
-The Blazers are rebuilding and have Williams + Clingan to play the 5

Based on that ill offer a straight swap with picks

To New Orleans
-DeAndre Ayton (2 years, $69.5 million)

To Portland
-Brandon Ingram (1 year, $36 million)
-2028 1st round pick (some form of protection)

Why?
-The Pelicans add a starting calibre 5 to round out starting 5 while they get under tax apron.
-The Blazers create more cap flexibility in summer of 2025 while picking up a 1st and letting Williams become starter while Clinton develops.

Portland says yes based on value.... and immediately trade Grant elsewhere.

BI and Grant are too similar to tie up that much money for both.

Portland doesn't have a big enough interest where they would SEND a pick with DA for BI

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

Yeah... Of course that isn't really the direction Portland is trying to go but even with no pick involved this is a cant say no deal for us.

I don't really understand what is going on with NOP and Ingram. If I were them I would be looking to move CJ instead and try to keep Ingram.

So maybe something more like CJ+pick for Ayton or maybe get RW3 involved instead? I dunno, tough time of year for trades everyone wants to see what they have first.

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

Laughable that POR would send a FRP.

NOP can just let Ingram expire if they choose not to pay him and make a move for Ayton that does not include FRP.

DeBlazerRiddem wrote:

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

I don't really understand what is going on with NOP and Ingram. If I were them I would be looking to move CJ instead and try to keep Ingram.

.

Agreed. Wonder how much Portland wants to move Ayton? With Portland having no free agents for next year (Jabari Walker only player on expiring contract), would Portland extend goodwill and swap McCollum/Mil 25 FRP for Ayton.
Reasoning: Portland money is already spent whether it be Ayton or McCollum. McCollum drops to $30m next year when Ayton goes up to $35.5, so a financial savings is met. Unlikely Ayton is resigned, and McCollum can finish where he started.

louc1970 wrote:

DeBlazerRiddem wrote:

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

I don't really understand what is going on with NOP and Ingram. If I were them I would be looking to move CJ instead and try to keep Ingram.

.

Agreed. Wonder how much Portland wants to move Ayton? With Portland having no free agents for next year (Jabari Walker only player on expiring contract), would Portland extend goodwill and swap McCollum/Mil 25 FRP for Ayton.
Reasoning: Portland money is already spent whether it be Ayton or McCollum. McCollum drops to $30m next year when Ayton goes up to $35.5, so a financial savings is met. Unlikely Ayton is resigned, and McCollum can finish where he started.

I understand the reasoning, but cannot see POR wanting a CJ reunion tour. A decade straight of tiny offense only guards is enough.

louc1970 wrote:Agreed. Wonder how much Portland wants to move Ayton?

I'd say it's neutral. Portland is not looking to move Ayton, but would not say no to a good deal.

louc1970 wrote:would Portland extend goodwill and swap McCollum/Mil 25 FRP for Ayton.
Reasoning: Portland money is already spent whether it be Ayton or McCollum. McCollum drops to $30m next year when Ayton goes up to $35.5, so a financial savings is met. Unlikely Ayton is resigned, and McCollum can finish where he started.

Negative.
I don't see this as a good deal for Portland.
CJ does absolutely nothing for the Blazers at this point. The ~$5M in savings isn't worth this trade

Ayton's contract is a negative asset, Portland would have to pay for someone to take it off their hands. So of course Pelicans won't give up a better player on an expiring deal PLUS a first for him, that's just ridiculous value. I understand Blazers not giving up picks to get rid of a bad contract at this point in their rebuild, but value wise definitely the first is going the wrong way and just one may not be enough.

If the Pelicans trade for Ayton, they better be sure he's the answer at the 5 as it's going to be next to impossible for them to upgrade Ayton down the road due to his salary.

JRoy wrote:

louc1970 wrote:

DeBlazerRiddem wrote:

I don't really understand what is going on with NOP and Ingram. If I were them I would be looking to move CJ instead and try to keep Ingram.

.

Agreed. Wonder how much Portland wants to move Ayton? With Portland having no free agents for next year (Jabari Walker only player on expiring contract), would Portland extend goodwill and swap McCollum/Mil 25 FRP for Ayton.
Reasoning: Portland money is already spent whether it be Ayton or McCollum. McCollum drops to $30m next year when Ayton goes up to $35.5, so a financial savings is met. Unlikely Ayton is resigned, and McCollum can finish where he started.

I understand the reasoning, but cannot see POR wanting a CJ reunion tour. A decade straight of tiny offense only guards is enough.

Also, CJ is too good to bench, and our young guards need minutes to develop.

I think people see 4 centers on Portland and Ayton's money, and think that means they should get rid of him, but RWIII is unreliable with health, Clingan doesn't have experience to know how he handles big minutes, and Duop just isn't a good enough player. In a sense, I view the main rotation being Ayton and Clingan, with RWIII only getting minutes to re-coup value before a trade, and Duop being a 3rd string injury replacement guy.

JRoy wrote:

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

Laughable that POR would send a FRP.

NOP can just let Ingram expire if they choose not to pay him and make a move for Ayton that does not include FRP.

Well, Portland shouldn't trade picks - don't think anyone is arguing that - but on value I think Portland would owe whatever it takes to dump Ayton's last year (probably a first) plus whatever Ingram is worth (a first or two). But yah, Ayton is going to be a Blazer until he expires unless they can swap him for a different bad player.

babyjax13 wrote:

JRoy wrote:

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

Laughable that POR would send a FRP.

NOP can just let Ingram expire if they choose not to pay him and make a move for Ayton that does not include FRP.

Well, Portland shouldn't trade picks - don't think anyone is arguing that - but on value I think Portland would owe whatever it takes to dump Ayton's last year (probably a first) plus whatever Ingram is worth (a first or two). But yah, Ayton is going to be a Blazer until he expires unless they can swap him for a different bad player.

Not to POR it isn’t, especially for a phony star like Ingram.

Hard pass.

JRoy wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

JRoy wrote:
Laughable that POR would send a FRP.

NOP can just let Ingram expire if they choose not to pay him and make a move for Ayton that does not include FRP.

Well, Portland shouldn't trade picks - don't think anyone is arguing that - but on value I think Portland would owe whatever it takes to dump Ayton's last year (probably a first) plus whatever Ingram is worth (a first or two). But yah, Ayton is going to be a Blazer until he expires unless they can swap him for a different bad player.

Not to POR it isn’t, especially for a phony star like Ingram.

Hard pass.

Okay, well that's not really responding to what I said, which was that in a vacuum New Orleans is owed value but Portland isn't in a position where this kind of trade makes sense.

Bentley1225 wrote:Ill offer this idea based on
-The Pelicans are over tax apron and have a need for a starting 5
-The Blazers are rebuilding and have Williams + Clingan to play the 5

Based on that ill offer a straight swap with picks

To New Orleans
-DeAndre Ayton (2 years, $69.5 million)

To Portland
-Brandon Ingram (1 year, $36 million)
-2028 1st round pick (some form of protection)

Why?
-The Pelicans add a starting calibre 5 to round out starting 5 while they get under tax apron.
-The Blazers create more cap flexibility in summer of 2025 while picking up a 1st and letting Williams become starter while Clinton develops.

The value is off with the first.
I think given all the circumstances a protected first probably should be going the other way. Ingram is a higher impact, better player, higher upside than Ayton. If it’s only about cap flexibility for Portland then I get them not wanting to give up a first though.

gswhoops wrote:That first is going the wrong way.

Yup...

I have trouble seeing Ayton worth more than ingram.

A couple of things...

First off, the trade makes no sense from the Pels perspective. Ingram is a better player on a shorter contract, why would they include a first? I'd do Ingram for Ayton straight up but that's as far as I go. If the Pels are willing to give up a pick to ge a 5, they have other options that are less risky. I'm actually a big believer in Ayton's fit wiht the Pels but I realize there is a considerable amount of risk.

For those confused as to why the Pels haven't agreed to a deal for Ingram, you need to realize a)he's looking for 50 million a year and b) signing him makes it virtually impossible to resign Trey Murphy. Most people believe Trey is a better long term fit next to Z as he is a much more willing shooter. The problem is Ingram has more upside.

If Ingram can return to his 2019/2020 3 point usage then I'm good with resigning him. We are talking another 3 three pointers a game here. Heck if he had shot them last year he'd already have his money.

In this scenario Id def pull the trigger on a CJ plus a first for Ayton and try and trade Trey at the deadline for assets. That sounds crazy for most Pels fans but if BI is averaging 23-25 game and getting up 5 or 6 threes then hes a better fit for the team's upside than Trey.

If New Orleans really thinks they can resign Ingram; maybe they can send Trey Murphy to Portland for Donovan Clingan. Clingan is as NBA ready as any college player from last year, led his team to a title, and gives the defense (if not the outside game) that New Orleans is looking for. Portland does it despite Clingan being younger because they commit to Ayton and Murphy is the more valuable player in the league the way it exists today.

Get a commitment from Ingram first or ignore this whole idea of course.

penbeast0 wrote:If New Orleans really thinks they can resign Ingram; maybe they can send Trey Murphy to Portland for Donovan Clingan. Clingan is as NBA ready as any college player from last year, led his team to a title, and gives the defense (if not the outside game) that New Orleans is looking for. Portland does it despite Clingan being younger because they commit to Ayton and Murphy is the more valuable player in the league the way it exists today.

Get a commitment from Ingram first or ignore this whole idea of course.

POR has no business dealing Clingan for Murphy. Ayton likely has no long term future in the Rose City and Clingan hopefully will earn that.

Murphy is a fine player but he will be earning his first non-rookie contract soon and POR should not be in a hurry to add big salaries until Grant/Simons/DA can be offloaded.