Cronin Gets Extension

[Wizenheimer]

All that to say, Cronin never should have said what he said publicly about “going all in”. Even if he wanted to do it, the trade landscape was pretty barren that summer.

it's pretty clear he was telling Dame the same thing, and that's probably why Dame felt 'betrayed' by Cronin. Might have made him listen to his agent and Pat Riley when they tried to maneuver Cronin into accepting a low-ball offer with hard-ball tactics

[Norm2953]

Cronin has some pieces in place and just needs to find the next Wesley Matthews in the next step in the
team's development.

I'm curious what you think the next step in the team's development is and how a Wesley Matthews level player gets them there.

Team needs a sniper and having a big, strong defensive minded SG who can make his open shots would be a major plus.

It's another step but hardly the last step for adding such a player might mean the team could get to .500. Developmentally
the team at .500 would need a lot of development to get to 45 wins. I think its all about adding pieces to the younger core
for its unlikely a superstar level player but good players can be found at picks 9-12 for in 2022, the Thunder drafted Jalen
Williams at 12 and in 2023 the Mavs ended up with Dereck Lively. The Bulls drafted Matas at pick 11 in 2024. Let's hope if its
Newell, Kasparas, Queen, Jace, Colin or someone else, those guys will be able to help in 2025/2026.

[HoopsFanAZ]

At 9/10, still wanting a big swing taken — Essengue and Demin. Outliers positionally.
Trades have to happen to clean the team salary ledger of guys with bigger $$$ who will be passed up (if not already) by the younger 5.
Cronin is already on the clock for a big summer.

[zzaj]

At 9/10, still wanting a big swing taken — Essengue and Demin. Outliers positionally.
Trades have to happen to clean the team salary ledger of guys with bigger $$$ who will be passed up (if not already) by the younger 5.
Cronin is already on the clock for a big summer.

I don't think swings are going to be taken in this draft. I think they'll go for more of a polished product.

As a matter of fact, I think Cronin is drinking his own Kool Aid and is thinking, "...just wait until we add Ayton and Simons and are at full strength."

The goal last season was a Chauncey put it, "...just try and get better."

For this coming season Cronin said in the presser, "The playoffs are the goal next year"...and "we can be more diligent about the specific type of player we're adding...as a front office we don't feel the pressure to keep taking swing after swing to try and hit on the next up and coming guy...we're starting to feel more comfortable with our talent base, that we can be more diligent about adding specific types of guys..."

to me that signals a shift from a development to a "play now" focus.

[JasonStern]

All that to say, Cronin never should have said what he said publicly about “going all in”. Even if he wanted to do it, the trade landscape was pretty barren that summer.

it's pretty clear he was telling Dame the same thing, and that's probably why Dame felt 'betrayed' by Cronin. Might have made him listen to his agent and Pat Riley when they tried to maneuver Cronin into accepting a low-ball offer with hard-ball tactics

I doubt this logic. Look at the Luka trade and how it came out of nowhere. I imagine for every leaked trade rumor or player wanting to be traded, there are 99 that are proposed or happen behind closed doors that the public never hears about unless the deal goes through. KG to the Celtics was another out of nowhere trade at the time. Far more likely the asking prices for any big name players were simply too high, and the other options would be your Bradley Beal tier players - which wouldn't really help the Blazers' significantly flawed roster at the time.

[PDXKnight]

All that to say, Cronin never should have said what he said publicly about “going all in”. Even if he wanted to do it, the trade landscape was pretty barren that summer.

it's pretty clear he was telling Dame the same thing, and that's probably why Dame felt 'betrayed' by Cronin. Might have made him listen to his agent and Pat Riley when they tried to maneuver Cronin into accepting a low-ball offer with hard-ball tactics

I doubt this logic. Look at the Luka trade and how it came out of nowhere. I imagine for every leaked trade rumor or player wanting to be traded, there are 99 that are proposed or happen behind closed doors that the public never hears about unless the deal goes through. KG to the Celtics was another out of nowhere trade at the time. Far more likely the asking prices for any big name players were simply too high, and the other options would be your Bradley Beal tier players - which wouldn't really help the Blazers' significantly flawed roster at the time.

Maybe cronin knew what he was doing, or maybe he didnt. Seems like we have a huge pile of evidence that autopilot and indecision is the preferred route. Or quite possibly the final call was made by Bert Kolde to deal Dame and Cronin was 'convinced' to play along

[Wizenheimer]

All that to say, Cronin never should have said what he said publicly about “going all in”. Even if he wanted to do it, the trade landscape was pretty barren that summer.

it's pretty clear he was telling Dame the same thing, and that's probably why Dame felt 'betrayed' by Cronin. Might have made him listen to his agent and Pat Riley when they tried to maneuver Cronin into accepting a low-ball offer with hard-ball tactics

I doubt this logic. Look at the Luka trade and how it came out of nowhere. I imagine for every leaked trade rumor or player wanting to be traded, there are 99 that are proposed or happen behind closed doors that the public never hears about unless the deal goes through. KG to the Celtics was another out of nowhere trade at the time. Far more likely the asking prices for any big name players were simply too high, and the other options would be your Bradley Beal tier players - which wouldn't really help the Blazers' significantly flawed roster at the time.

what does the Luca trade have to do with what Cronin told Dame?....easy answer: not a thing

Dame implicitly talked about being "lied to" about Portland's intentions. Kind of obvious he was referring to what Cronin had told him. And again, if Cronin was saying the same things to Dame he was saying publicly, then Dame had a foundation for his disenchantment. Yeah, it could have been a case that there was a communication breakdown; but Cronin said, many times, he was trying to build a contender around Dame. Dame was 30-31; you don't build a 1-2 year wondow contender by drafting two 19 year old guards, back-to-back, who didn't even have one minute, combined, of NCAA experience; especially when one was a 'backup' PG

we never heard one credible rumor that the Blazers ever really looked at trading those picks.

[HoopsFanAZ]

what does the Luca trade have to do with what Cronin told Dame?....easy answer: not a thing

Dame implicitly talked about being "lied to" about Portland's intentions. Kind of obvious he was referring to what Cronin had told him. And again, if Cronin was saying the same things to Dame he was saying publicly, then Dame had a foundation for his disenchantment. Yeah, it could have been a case that there was a communication breakdown; but Cronin said, many times, he was trying to build a contender around Dame. Dame was 30-31; you don't build a 1-2 year wondow contender by drafting two 19 year old guards, back-to-back, who didn't even have one minute, combined, of NCAA experience; especially when one was a 'backup' PG

we never heard one credible rumor that the Blazers ever really looked at trading those picks.

There has been enough chatter about other teams wanting both Sharpe and Scoot in their draft years. No deals.

Other GMs knew Portland’s stated goals in the 2 years prior to Dame wanting out and understandably wanted to win trades. No deals for the picks.

Grant was specifically brought in to build around Dame and was (for too many years) extended independent of Dame staying but not to the exclusion.

Plenty of chatter involved Toronto wanting to seriously win any trades of their forwards (who were mentioned as helpers for Dame), the Raptors overpriced them, and eventually sold at a much lower price.

This is not a defense of Cronin or to settle who if anyone “lied” or misled or …

The result remains the same that Dame did not get the help, asked out, wasn’t kept in the loop after his agent went scorched earth, and got a great landing spot. No one did Dame wrong, IMHO.

The irony is this is a team Dame wanted when he was a Blazer. Water under the bridge.

[Walton1one]

I think Cronin may have had the intention to "build around Dame" initially, but then when he went to see what he could get for the #3 pick, he could not pull the trigger (or Kolde would not let him) b\c what was being offered back was not acceptable to him, you look back at rumors of NO being interested in Scoot, but the deal was centered around picks and not players.

So I think Cronin pivoted and drafted Scoot (BPA) and probably hoped Dame would come to accept it and he didn't, and thus Dame was traded. It makes you wonder though, If CHA had not taken Miller and POR did, would Dame still be on this roster? There is a good chance that he might have been.

[Norm2953]

BE is reporting three of the assistant coaches contracts are not being renewed which is curious when HC just
got his extension.

Curious the team is not bring back his Assistants with other teams like Phoenix looking for a head coach and I wonder
if Chauncey may yet be headed out of town

[DusterBuster]

BE is reporting three of the assistant coaches contracts are not being renewed which is curious when HC just
got his extension.

Curious the team is not bring back his Assistants with other teams like Phoenix looking for a head coach and I wonder
if Chauncey may yet be headed out of town

I think this can simply be chalked up to the Blazers being cheap. Billups may want a stronger bench now that he's got a long-term deal vs being in limbo.

[Norm2953]

BE is reporting three of the assistant coaches contracts are not being renewed which is curious when HC just
got his extension.

Curious the team is not bring back his Assistants with other teams like Phoenix looking for a head coach and I wonder
if Chauncey may yet be headed out of town

I think this can simply be chalked up to the Blazers being cheap. Billups may want a stronger bench now that he's got a long-term deal vs being in limbo.

Unknown for Nate Bjorkgren is still around and not renewing 3 coaches means they have to find some more assistant
coaches. Presumably Chauncey will be allowed to pick his new assistant coaches with Bjorkgren being Chauncey's lead
assistant but if not, perhaps he may yet want to pursue other jobs before the ink is dry on his extension

[PDXKnight]

BE is reporting three of the assistant coaches contracts are not being renewed which is curious when HC just
got his extension.

Curious the team is not bring back his Assistants with other teams like Phoenix looking for a head coach and I wonder
if Chauncey may yet be headed out of town

I think this can simply be chalked up to the Blazers being cheap. Billups may want a stronger bench now that he's got a long-term deal vs being in limbo.

Unknown for Nate Bjorkgren is still around and not renewing 3 coaches means they have to find some more assistant
coaches. Presumably Chauncey will be allowed to pick his new assistant coaches with Bjorkgren being Chauncey's lead
assistant but if not, perhaps he may yet want to pursue other jobs before the ink is dry on his extension

We can only hope

[Sinobas]

Seeing the Pacer success is a bit painful, knowing that team was built by Blazer executive castoffs Kevin Prichard and Chad Buchanan.

Since they left, our team "success" can be attributed almost entirely to Damian Lillard...a guy reportedly selected by Chad just before Olshey arrived.

[Wizenheimer]

Seeing the Pacer success is a bit painful, knowing that team was built by Blazer executive castoffs Kevin Prichard and Chad Buchanan.

Since they left, our team "success" can be attributed almost entirely to Damian Lillard...a guy reportedly selected by Chad just before Olshey arrived.

well, reportedly, KP cut his own throat with Paul Allen with his 'underhanded' maneuvering to get Tom Penn a raise and new job title. He was dead man waling by 2016

But yeah, Chad Buchanen was the interim GM who made the most consequential move over the last 15 years by trading Gerald Wallace for the pick that was used on Lillard. Paul Allen's biggest mistake may have been letting Buchanen go and replacing him with Olshey