FREE AGENCY 2024

[Walton1one]

G - Scoot Henderson / Anfernee Simons / Dalano Banton
G - Anfernee Smons / Shadeon Sharpe / Dalano Banton
F - Deni Avdija / Matisse Thybulle / Kris Murray / Rayan Rupert
F - Jerami Grant / Jabari Walker JR / Duop Reath
C - DeAndre Ayton / Robert Williams III / Donovan Clingan

I sure hope they don't go into the season as the roster is now, what a crap show that would be.

3rd year of Sharpe and he is coming off the bench still (him or Scoot)?
#7 draft pick\Clingan can barely get any minutes on the floor b\c they are being sucked up by Ayton\Williams?
Reliving the Ant\Scoot don't fit well together experiment that most people can see, but somehow POR mgmt is blind to?
Wasting any minutes playing Thybulle instead of younger guys?
Simons & Grant still chucking up 34 attempts a game taking shots away from Scoot\Sharpe\Avdija?

[dckingsfan]

What do you think the depth chart will look like?

This isn't what I would do, but what I think the FO will roll with -

G - Scoot Henderson / Anfernee Simons / Dalano Banton
G - Anfernee Simons / Shadeon Sharpe / Dalano Banton
F - Deni Avdija / Matisse Thybulle / Kris Murray / Rayan Rupert
F - Jerami Grant / Jabari Walker JR / Duop Reath
C - DeAndre Ayton / Robert Williams III / Donovan Clingan

I guess this goes back against what Billups will do as well.

It does set-up some trades at the trade deadline if someone needs a push over the top at any of the positions really.

[Pattycakes]

We’re not keeping Jerami guys dw

DA at power forward and Cling at 5 is inevitable

[zzaj]

G - Scoot Henderson / Anfernee Simons / Dalano Banton
G - Anfernee Smons / Shadeon Sharpe / Dalano Banton
F - Deni Avdija / Matisse Thybulle / Kris Murray / Rayan Rupert
F - Jerami Grant / Jabari Walker JR / Duop Reath
C - DeAndre Ayton / Robert Williams III / Donovan Clingan

I sure hope they don't go into the season as the roster is now, what a crap show that would be.

3rd year of Sharpe and he is coming off the bench still (him or Scoot)?
#7 draft pick\Clingan can barely get any minutes on the floor b\c they are being sucked up by Ayton\Williams?
Reliving the Ant\Scoot don't fit well together experiment that most people can see, but somehow POR mgmt is blind to?
Wasting any minutes playing Thybulle instead of younger guys?
Simons & Grant still chucking up 34 attempts a game taking shots away from Scoot\Sharpe\Avdija?

Agreed, this would be a pretty massive fail. I actually think that Scoot will come off the bench if Cronin stands pat with the roster, but fit wise:

Simons
Sharpe
Deni
Grant
Ayton

...is pretty awful. That's 5 people that need the ball in their hands to be their most effective, and only one of those that really impacts games without the ball in his hands, in Deni.

The sooner the Blazers whittle it down to:

Scoot/Banton
Sharpe/Banton
Deni/Camara
PFOTF/Walker (I guess)
Clingan

...the better, even though I prefer having Ayton another year to buffer Clingan's entry into the NBA.


The Blazers don't have a PG on their SL roster, and apparently Rupert is going to be playing facilitator. THAT should be interesting...

[Walton1one]

Did not know that about Rupert, that should be....interesting

I looked at POR summer league roster yesterday and all I could think of was, what in the heck are they thinking?

Outside of Clingan, Murray & Rupert the rest of the roster looks filled with a bunch of random bodies.

Maybe Kennedy Chandler? He was the 38th pick in 2022, although he hasn't really lit up the G League the last few years

Terquavion Smith shot 37% from 3pt LY in the G-League, 6-4 SG? Haven't we seen that before? Better versions?

Alex Reese played for the Remix LY and shot 41% from 3pt, at least he has some size (6'9)?

Kendric Davis put up 20.5ppg in the G-League LY, but is 25, 5'11 and shot 31" from 3pt?

Both Quinn Ellis & Jacky Cui played overseas, both worked out for POR, both are young (21). I didn't see anything that stood out about either one of them.

The rest, I don't see anything as to why they are on this roster. Glad we traded #40\#52 for cash.....

[Walton1one]

and POR just signed Bryce McGowans to a 2-way contract. He played in California Classic with CHA this week, put up 29 vs SAC

43% from the field, 20% from 3pt, got to the line 28 times in 3 games. 6'6 size, only 21yrs old, intriguing at least.

[BlazersRizing]

and POR just signed Bryce McGowans to a 2-way contract. He played in California Classic with CHA this week, put up 29 vs SAC

43% from the field, 20% from 3pt, got to the line 28 times in 3 games. 6'6 size, only 21yrs old, intriguing at least.

love the move !

especially with how by midseason the Blazers have been playing so many random players the past few seasons.

[zzaj]

Did not know that about Rupert, that should be....interesting

I looked at POR summer league roster yesterday and all I could think of was, what in the heck are they thinking?

Outside of Clingan, Murray & Rupert the rest of the roster looks filled with a bunch of random bodies.

Maybe Kennedy Chandler? He was the 38th pick in 2022, although he hasn't really lit up the G League the last few years

Terquavion Smith shot 37% from 3pt LY in the G-League, 6-4 SG? Haven't we seen that before? Better versions?

Alex Reese played for the Remix LY and shot 41% from 3pt, at least he has some size (6'9)?

Kendric Davis put up 20.5ppg in the G-League LY, but is 25, 5'11 and shot 31" from 3pt?

Both Quinn Ellis & Jacky Cui played overseas, both worked out for POR, both are young (21). I didn't see anything that stood out about either one of them.

The rest, I don't see anything as to why they are on this roster. Glad we traded #40\#52 for cash.....

As others have said, most SL players are on rosters to either fill out a Gleague team or are favors to agents. I typically don't read too much into the tea leaves of SL rosters. I do think that the Blazers have a commitment to "good" guys, and likely want to fill out their Gleague with those types of players. For whatever it's worth, it does feel a bit more "family" the past few seasons...

[JasonStern]

Rupert is raw as hell. Not his fault. But he has all of the athletic abilities you would want. Trying to develop him into a point forward isn't the worst use of a 2nd round pick that will hit or miss. But the Blazers aren't winning the summer league - something Neil Olshey pulled off and was his crowning achievement.

[Goldbum]

In my opinion the 'fail' was not putting a playmaking, rim pressure, developing shooter at PG to get a better feel for how these guys would play with Scoot. Not knowing what they can do with a real PG feels like a missed opportunity. We should be looking at a guy like that with our last 2-way in my opinion but who knows... (not me).

[Walton1one]

What about moving Grant or Ant to DEN in sort of a depth package that would net a 1st & MPJ back who then could be rerouted to another team for a 1st?

DEN finished 2nd in the west LY, lost KCP, need depth at PG\SG & C, which POR can provide some or all of. There has been talk that DEN should break up MPJ contract into several players, a combination of Ant\Thybulle\Reath could work or Grant\Reath\Walker, lots of permeations could work, just need to find the right combination of players that would work for DEN.

[zzaj]

What about moving Grant or Ant to DEN in sort of a depth package that would net a 1st & MPJ back who then could be rerouted to another team for a 1st?

DEN finished 2nd in the west LY, lost KCP, need depth at PG\SG & C, which POR can provide some or all of. There has been talk that DEN should break up MPJ contract into several players, a combination of Ant\Thybulle\Reath could work or Grant\Reath\Walker, lots of permeations could work, just need to find the right combination of players that would work for DEN.

Yeah, my spidey sense tells me you’re on to something here…

A trade with DEN certainly checks off a few of the boxes—namely, Cronin wanting to send players to winning situations, and DEN’s needs…

Rerouting MPJ is likely tricky, though…in the same ways simply trading Grant is tricky.

[BlazersBroncos]

I dont think DEN adds a pick to a MPJ for Grant or Simons swap.

I would do it w/o the pick just based on MPJs age and IMO his 3PT centric skillset makes him a better SF fit next to Scoot / Sharpe.

I bet we could get a pick if the deal was expanded -

Jerami Grant + Matisse Thybulle + Duop Reath + Future SRP for Michael Porter JR + Zeke Nnaji + LP 2031 FRP

I think this roster for DEN is quite a bit better than what they have currently -

G - Jamal Murray / Vet Min / Jalen Pickett
G - Matisse Thybulle / Christian Braun / Julian Strawther
F - Jerami Grant / Peyton Watson / Julian Strawther
F - Aaron Gordon / Dario Saric / Vlatko Cancar / Hunter Tyson
C - Nikola Jokic / Duop Reath / DeAndre Jordan

IR - DaRon Holmes

[Walton1one]

Yeah I agree, MPJ is owed $36/$38/$41 on his contract, he is 2yrs younger than Grant though, obviously fits 3&D prototype, has playoff experience, not easy to move but certainly possible.

DEN has some young SF on their roster whom they like, Braun\Strawther\Watson, none of whom can totally replace MPJ initially. That is why my initial thought was Ant who could start alongside Murray and replace KCP shooting, Thybulle provides defense at SF and some 3pt (spotty)capability and then a guy like Reath (b/u center) and maybe Walker (adds some insurance at b/u forward)

[Wizenheimer]

I'm about 77% convinced that Cronin will magically find his way into the worst possible outcome for next season: winning enough games early in the season to eliminate a chance at a top-5 pick in the best draft in years. Then around the trade deadline, after firmly establishing that Portland's vets are all deeply flawed and further degrading their trade value, and after seeing that the play-in was a no-fly zone form the beginning, pivoting into another late season tank that will be too little, too late

last season, it took 46 wins to just get the 10th seed in the West. Does anybody believe that this roster can climb from 21 wins to 46 wins?

[Wizenheimer]

I'm not seeing any reason to trade Grant for Michael Porter Jr. It makes no sense to me. If he's an upgrade, it isn't by much and he makes 6M more a year. He's also already 26 with an extensive injury history

Portland needs to dump vets for future assets not trade vets for other vets

[zzaj]

I'm about 77% convinced that Cronin will magically find his way into the worst possible outcome for next season: winning enough games early in the season to eliminate a chance at a top-5 pick in the best draft in years. Then around the trade deadline, after firmly establishing that Portland's vets are all deeply flawed and further degrading their trade value, and after seeing that the play-in was a no-fly zone form the beginning, pivoting into another late season tank that will be too little, too late

last season, it took 46 wins to just get the 10th seed in the West. Does anybody believe that this roster can climb from 21 wins to 46 wins?

Yep. Agreed. This is by far the most likely scenario.

If anybody gets traded it would be Simons--based on his comments about wanting to win at this stage of his career, and Olshey openly leaving him out of the "future" in his offseason pressers. Of course the return will be piss-poor, largely because veteran, above average, undersized SGs who don't play defense are niche players, not starters.

But I think the Blazers will hope for a bit of success in the early part of the season, and this will of course backfire...further tanking both Simons' and Grant's value at the deadline.

And 100% the Blazers will tank the end of the season again, as they should. There's no real reason to try and be competitive if you're almost guaranteed to miss the POs and there are actual benefits to losing.

[Walton1one]

I'm not seeing any reason to trade Grant for Michael Porter Jr. It makes no sense to me. If he's an upgrade, it isn't by much and he makes 6M more a year. He's also already 26 with an extensive injury history

Portland needs to dump vets for future assets not trade vets for other vets

I agree, the thought is MPJ would be rerouted as part of the deal (or shortly after), he is an asset that would have value to another team, similar to how Cronin handled Jrue.

The reason for DEN would be to replace MPJ’s production (or improve it) and add some much needed veteran depth in the form of a combination or all of Thybulle\Reath\Walker.

This allows them to keep up in the loaded west and extend their championship window

[BlazersBroncos]

I dont see MPJ as an upgrade but I will take his age and skillset (Spotup shooter - taking less shots from the youngsters than Grant - better rebounder) over Grant given out timeline - and ya, he cost more but its not my money.

[Walton1one]

Westbrook traded to UTA, likely to be cut and then signed by DEN, or does Ainge try and pry some value from DEN? I would not put it past him to try.

Either way this makes a deal with POR probably unlikely? I guess there is a chance that they could still trade for Grant?