New Simons/Grant/Ayton/Williams scenario build...

[Tim Lehrbach]

I think everybody is finally coming around to agreement that the Blazers' veterans will not draw draft capital, better veterans, hot prospects, or massive salary relief in trade. So, I'm looking for new ideas and thought of the following parameters: give us your busts or odd kids out who are under contract for at least one more year, plus any contracts you want. The only requirement is to include any player under 25 with at least one more year under contract and RFA rights thereafter.

Famously bad GM John Nash called free agency following the expiration of rookie deals the "second draft," a chance to strike gold (or bronze, at least) with a player who didn't work out for the team that drafted or first signed him. No, it didn't work for Nash, either, but I like the idea for a desperate franchise presently investing big money in exactly the wrong kinds of players, and that's Portland.

Yes, these parameters open us up to deals the franchise would not accept for financial reasons. I want to see them, anyway. A successful deal would replace the veterans with some long shot prospects whom Portland can give tryouts to next year and then have under team control if a miracle happens and they end up good. Ideally, payroll doesn't increase dramatically over the coming seasons, but the Blazers are in such a deep hole that they likely won't be worrying about saving room for max extensions for a good while, anyway.

The premise here is similar to my "Ayton, Grant, and Simons for anything?" thread at the Blazers board: a test of how desperate we are to move off these guys. It may be that standing pat and letting them expire is the best option available. Let's find out.

(If the general premise of trading for these dudes is just stale altogether by now, no worries. Just move along and let this thread sink like Portland's hopes for the future.)

[Skybox]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

[Tim Lehrbach]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

Obvious yes for Portland, but can Orlando take on Simons with only these three outgoing? Too lazy to check the numbers.

[Godaddycurse]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

Obvious yes for Portland, but can Orlando take on Simons with only these three outgoing? Too lazy to check the numbers.

yes they can

[Tim Lehrbach]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

Obvious yes for Portland, but can Orlando take on Simons with only these three outgoing? Too lazy to check the numbers.

yes they can

Heck, lock it up, then. The Blazers are beyond desperate for backcourt keepers, and this brings in not one, not two, but three applicants for the jobs and saves money.

[Tim Lehrbach]

BTW, getting out ahead of one possible criticism -- that the Blazers could obtain long shot prospects from the G-League or undrafted free agents instead of trading for former draftees attached to unwanted contracts: well... true. I'm not saying the Blazers will do any deals that might come out of this thread. The idea is not that this is a likely to succeed method for acquiring young talent. The reason for accumulating even questionable ideas here is to survey what alternatives exist to keeping these veterans until they expire (Ayton, Simons, Williams) or are closer to expiring (Grant) that could make sense for this team in its deep rebuild. I have not seen many deals that fit this mold, so I thought we could try it out.

So, I'd ask Blazers fans: please don't express disgust if an offer comes in that combines a long, ugly contract with a draft bust. I'm literally asking for it! Let's just see what the options are. If making the best of this bad situation is letting our guys expire, so be it. For me, that option is so bleak that I'd like to look under every stone first. (But, FWIW, I do think that is the likely scenario.)

[Myth]

So, I'd ask Blazers fans: please don't express disgust if an offer comes in that combines a long, ugly contract with a draft bust. I'm literally asking for it! Let's just see what the options are.)

I’ll see what the options are, but if there is a proposal I don’t like, I’m obviously going you express my opinion.

[Velocity7777]

I am for the above trade for Orlando, we need another scorer badly. I also however think we need another bench big because of all out ongoing injuries. Would the blazers add doup reath to that trade? Or is he a definite part of the blazers future?

[Myth]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

I’d push for a couple 2nds but otherwise I’m fine with the basic proposal.

[Myth]

I am for the above trade for Orlando, we need another scorer badly. I also however think we need another bench big because of all out ongoing injuries. Would the blazers add doup reath to that trade? Or is he a definite part of the blazers future?

He’s definitely not part of the future. The only reason Portland may opt to keep him is if they trade either Ayton or RWIII, they may need a playable C for the games the remaining centers miss.

[Tim Lehrbach]

So, I'd ask Blazers fans: please don't express disgust if an offer comes in that combines a long, ugly contract with a draft bust. I'm literally asking for it! Let's just see what the options are.)

I’ll see what the options are, but if there is a proposal I don’t like, I’m obviously going you express my opinion.

Oh yeah, please do. My post came across wrong. I'm not trying to stifle or police discussion, but encourage people to post ideas freely, even if they seem to be a stretch. That will be easier if our reactions are gentler, is all.

[cucad8]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

I'd definitely want a pick coming back. The players do little for me.

[babyjax13]

I could see Chicago doing something dumb and pivoting to trying to make the playoffs. Something like Ball and PWill for Grant and RWill? Salaries might not be quite right, but should be able to be balanced.

[Skybox]

ORL sends: Cole Anthony, age 24, one more year, then TO
Jett Howard, age 21, 6'6 sweet shooter, emerging playmaker, getting very little PT in ORL increasingly tight rotation
Caleb Houstan, age 21, 6'8 sweet shooter, single-tool guy(so far) but really quick and willing release from 3

POR sends: Simons

I'd definitely want a pick coming back. The players do little for me.

Personally, I'd add the lesser valued of ORL 25 and DEN 25 frp...or all of the srps forever (ORL notoriously kicks them away anyway )

a couple of srps seems right.

[Mavrelous]

Lakers send:
D'Lo
Vincent
JHS
2 2nds

Lakers get:
Grant
Reath
Rupert or Walker

Add a scoring big wing and backup big.
Clippers send:
PJT
Hyland

Clippers get:
Vincent
Wlaker or Rupert
Clippers 25 2nd back

Drop below tax
Add 3&D guard on the bench
Add a 2nd
For the prixe of Taking on salary next year

Blazers send Grant, Reath, Walker and Rupert they get DLo, PJT, JHS and Hyland

Dump Grant, get a 2nd rd pick, get 2 failing prospects for redemption.

[Ell Curry]

Lakers - Jerami Grant, Davion Mitchell, TOR 2nd
Raptors - Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent, Thybulle, Lakers 1st rounder
Blazers - RJ Barrett, Hachimura, Max Christie

Raptors hit the tank hard this year, get a 1st rounder, a backup center and take on 23M in bad money for one year which is fine, still leaves 28M to sign a couple minimum guys (Chomche and Battle), extend Agbaji (8-10M more than his 6M option) and pay their 2 draft picks (say 11M combined if they pick 5th and 35th). The #5 pick will probably be an offensively talented perimeter player who takes RJ's role. 35M in expiring money to make a trade of Olynyk + Vincent + Thybulle + firsts for someone at the deadline if the team is good and there's a fit, or let them all expire and use cap space, or trade those expirings for a neutral value big money guy expiring in 2027 and make a run at SGA.

Lakers get an upgrade at forward and a defensive center.

Portland gets a 26, 24 and 21 year old for Grant.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I'm still not given up hope of getting a 1st round back for Grant and maybe Ant, even if we have to kick in some extra value and/or take back bad contracts.

But if we cannot I would rather just go for expiring contracts. If money is that tight for teams maybe the days of getting assets for taking on bad contracts will return. I worry if we go for other players that we will end up in this same situation next season of wanting to move players and no one offering very much because they know we want to move them.

[Myth]

Lakers - Jerami Grant, Davion Mitchell, TOR 2nd
Raptors - Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent, Thybulle, Lakers 1st rounder
Blazers - RJ Barrett, Hachimura, Max Christie

Raptors hit the tank hard this year, get a 1st rounder, a backup center and take on 23M in bad money for one year which is fine, still leaves 28M to sign a couple minimum guys (Chomche and Battle), extend Agbaji (8-10M more than his 6M option) and pay their 2 draft picks (say 11M combined if they pick 5th and 35th). The #5 pick will probably be an offensively talented perimeter player who takes RJ's role. 35M in expiring money to make a trade of Olynyk + Vincent + Thybulle + firsts for someone at the deadline if the team is good and there's a fit, or let them all expire and use cap space, or trade those expirings for a neutral value big money guy expiring in 2027 and make a run at SGA.

Lakers get an upgrade at forward and a defensive center.

Portland gets a 26, 24 and 21 year old for Grant.

Blazers absolutely cut Raptors out and take the LA 1st

[Myth]

Lakers send:
D'Lo
Vincent
JHS
2 2nds

Lakers get:
Grant
Reath
Rupert or Walker

Add a scoring big wing and backup big.
Clippers send:
PJT
Hyland

Clippers get:
Vincent
Wlaker or Rupert
Clippers 25 2nd back

Drop below tax
Add 3&D guard on the bench
Add a 2nd
For the prixe of Taking on salary next year

Blazers send Grant, Reath, Walker and Rupert they get DLo, PJT, JHS and Hyland

Dump Grant, get a 2nd rd pick, get 2 failing prospects for redemption.

I’m too anti-Laker to give them Grant without real value we want coming back.

[Myth]

I'm still not given up hope of getting a 1st round back for Grant and maybe Ant, even if we have to kick in some extra value and/or take back bad contracts.

But if we cannot I would rather just go for expiring contracts. If money is that tight for teams maybe the days of getting assets for taking on bad contracts will return. I worry if we go for other players that we will end up in this same situation next season of wanting to move players and no one offering very much because they know we want to move them.

Same, especially with Grant. One reason I think the Magic trade structure is fine is we get cheaper plus Jett. Just cheaper and I balk. Same contacts but with Jett, I balk. Cheaper plus Jett and we have something to talk about, and even then I mentioned pushing for 2nds.