FREE AGENCY 2024

[PDXKnight]

According to Marang (his annoying personality aside, he does have legit connections to people in the league), picks are the one thing right now both Portland and LA are negotiating over with a JG trade.

He also said that as of right now, he's not convinced Simons will be on the roster to start the year either... but sounded a bit more like a tossup.

Marang is like the biggest Ant cheerleader in the local media. If he's not convinced Simons is on the team at the start of the year..

I HAVE FAITH! HOPE! (Seriously this is no slight to Ant at all, great kid, I think he'd make a great sixth man on a contender.. just wrong timeline, wrong position for us imo).

I think cronins post draft comments are the most telling to me. Zero mention of grant or ant almost as if to advertise they’re on the market

[BlazersBroncos]

Reportedly the GSW are going to pivot to Lauri. Perhaps the loser of GSW/LA ends up with
Grant

GSW has a much better bucket of assets than LAL.

Kuminga for starters is the type of youngster a rebuild team would love to add when moving a win-now guy like Lauri.

Kuminga + GPIII + picks is FAR better than anything LAL can offer. Hell, Mooney + Looney + GPIII + picks is better as well.

LA could offer Rui and picks in 29, 31 and swaps. GSW can offer a similar pick package but far more attractive youngsters.

[The Sebastian Express]

Reportedly the GSW are going to pivot to Lauri. Perhaps the loser of GSW/LA ends up with
Grant

GSW has a much better bucket of assets than LAL.

Kuminga for starters is the type of youngster a rebuild team would love to add when moving a win-now guy like Lauri.

Kuminga + GPIII + picks is FAR better than anything LAL can offer. Hell, Mooney + Looney + GPIII + picks is better as well.

LA could offer Rui and picks in 29, 31 and swaps. GSW can offer a similar pick package but far more attractive youngsters.

They can offer more picks too, right?

[Norm2953]

It'll be interesting to see if the trade talks with LA over Grant either fail or get done by the soft
Saturday deadline.

Lebron could still sign his deal to keep the Lakers $1 under the second apron but one has to wonder
if Portland feels there will be better offers either at the trade deadline or even next summer.

Personally I would wait unless the deal can be crafted to satisfy what Portland wants. They don't have
to do anything

[Walton1one]

I’d rather deal Grant, and likely Simons, sooner rather than later, if this off-season has shown anything, it is that the teams that know they are not going to be competing are unloading their veteran players to improve their 25’ odds, last thing Portland needs is to be a middling team and hoping that they jump up like HOU/ATL did this year, which I bet is unlikely to happen.

[Norm2953]

It will now be interesting if Portland agrees to take back filler equal to Grant's salary in order
to get Grant out of town,

I wouldn't worry about needing to do much to improve their lottery odds. Chauncey is still in town
and will be held back if both Scoot/Sharpe continue to struggle. I really think they will be a 35 win
team this season, a mid lottery level team

[PDXKnight]

It will now be interesting if Portland agrees to take back filler equal to Grant's salary in order
to get Grant out of town,

I wouldn't worry about needing to do much to improve their lottery odds. Chauncey is still in town
and will be held back if both Scoot/Sharpe continue to struggle. I really think they will be a 35 win
team this season, a mid lottery level team

35 seems super optimistic if we deal jerami and ant

[DaVoiceMaster]

It will now be interesting if Portland agrees to take back filler equal to Grant's salary in order
to get Grant out of town,

I wouldn't worry about needing to do much to improve their lottery odds. Chauncey is still in town
and will be held back if both Scoot/Sharpe continue to struggle. I really think they will be a 35 win
team this season, a mid lottery level team

35 seems super optimistic if we deal jerami and ant

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

[PDXKnight]

It will now be interesting if Portland agrees to take back filler equal to Grant's salary in order
to get Grant out of town,

I wouldn't worry about needing to do much to improve their lottery odds. Chauncey is still in town
and will be held back if both Scoot/Sharpe continue to struggle. I really think they will be a 35 win
team this season, a mid lottery level team

35 seems super optimistic if we deal jerami and ant

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

Lol that's what I'm hoping for. And it probably is more realistic especially if we deal away major contributors

[DaVoiceMaster]

35 seems super optimistic if we deal jerami and ant

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

Lol that's what I'm hoping for. And it probably is more realistic especially if we deal away major contributors

And it's easier to stomach since the Blazers play on Root Sports and I refuse to pay for that channel so I don't have to watch them play. I only saw one game last year... Lillard's return to Portland because it was on ESPN.

[PDXKnight]

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

Lol that's what I'm hoping for. And it probably is more realistic especially if we deal away major contributors

And it's easier to stomach since the Blazers play on Root Sports and I refuse to pay for that channel so I don't have to watch them play. I only saw one game last year... Lillard's return to Portland because it was on ESPN.

The Blazers have missed on tons of streaming pr/ views that Phil knight would capitalize from day 1.

[Jsun947]

As of right now, worst teams in the NBA?

Tier 1
Brooklyn
Washington
Detroit

Tier 2
Chicago
Portland
Charlotte
San Antonio
Utah
Toronto
Atlanta

You could make a case that we could be the anywhere from the 4th to 10th worst team in the league, assuming we try

[PDXKnight]

^Take our best 2 players out of the equation and we probably are right up in the top 3-5 handily. It's not about hitting the worst record anymore odds are about the same

[Norm2953]

It will now be interesting if Portland agrees to take back filler equal to Grant's salary in order
to get Grant out of town,

I wouldn't worry about needing to do much to improve their lottery odds. Chauncey is still in town
and will be held back if both Scoot/Sharpe continue to struggle. I really think they will be a 35 win
team this season, a mid lottery level team

35 seems super optimistic if we deal jerami and ant

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

If one takes a look at the 2025 mock drafts, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are really good prospects but no
more so than most drafts.

I'd hate to sit through another 15-20 win season in the hopes of luck in the lottery. Didn't help the Pistons
who have had a top 3 position in the last 3 drafts and ended up finished fifth. Team doesn't need help to
lose and might be better than most think if Scoot/Sharpe make major improvements in their games. That's
a big if however

[The Sebastian Express]

35 seems super optimistic if we deal jerami and ant

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

If one takes a look at the 2025 mock drafts, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are really good prospects but no
more so than most drafts.

I'd hate to sit through another 15-20 win season in the hopes of luck in the lottery. Didn't help the Pistons
who have had a top 3 position in the last 3 drafts and ended up finished fifth. Team doesn't need help to
lose and might be better than most think if Scoot/Sharpe make major improvements in their games. That's
a big if however

This is just false. Cooper Flagg is considered one of the top, if not the best, American born prospect since LeBron/KD/Oden. He is considered, at this point, a franchise talent.

There is little reason to try to make the playoffs this year. It is a terrible decision.

[Jsun947]

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

If one takes a look at the 2025 mock drafts, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are really good prospects but no
more so than most drafts.

I'd hate to sit through another 15-20 win season in the hopes of luck in the lottery. Didn't help the Pistons
who have had a top 3 position in the last 3 drafts and ended up finished fifth. Team doesn't need help to
lose and might be better than most think if Scoot/Sharpe make major improvements in their games. That's
a big if however

This is just false. Cooper Flagg is considered one of the top, if not the best, American born prospect since LeBron/KD/Oden. He is considered, at this point, a franchise talent.

There is little reason to try to make the playoffs this year. It is a terrible decision.

I agree, and in 2026 Cam Boozer is way up there as a prospect as well along with AJ. And considering wings are the hardest position to get franchise talent at tanking the next two seasons should be the team’s top priority.

If we could come out of 2026 with Flagg, Boozer, have some future first as trade assets, a clean cap sheet, and some real development under Scoot, Sharpe, and Clingan that’s how you end up with the cornerstone of a future Portland title contender.

We should absolutely be moving Grant, Simons, Ayton, Williams, and Thybulle for value immediately.

[Walton1one]

Six legit prospects in 25’ draft IMO & could be a few more:

Cooper Flagg
Ace Bailey
VJ Edgecombe
Nolan Traore
Dylan Harper
Hugo Gonzalez

[tester551]

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

If one takes a look at the 2025 mock drafts, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are really good prospects but no
more so than most drafts.

I'd hate to sit through another 15-20 win season in the hopes of luck in the lottery. Didn't help the Pistons
who have had a top 3 position in the last 3 drafts and ended up finished fifth. Team doesn't need help to
lose and might be better than most think if Scoot/Sharpe make major improvements in their games. That's
a big if however

This is just false. Cooper Flagg is considered one of the top, if not the best, American born prospect since LeBron/KD/Oden. He is considered, at this point, a franchise talent.

There is little reason to try to make the playoffs this year. It is a terrible decision.

Agreed. I haven't really dug into the '26 class, but the '25 has a chance to be special.

I think if you combine the last 2 drafts & the 2025 draft class - you'd come up with the following:
1) Wemby ('23)
2) Flagg ('25)
3) Bailey ('25)
4) Harper ('25)
5) Traore ('25)
6) Edgecombe ('25)
7) Miller ('23)
8) Scoot ('23)
9) Amen ('23)
10) Risacher ('24)... maybe?

[Norm2953]

Six legit prospects in 25’ draft IMO & could be a few more:

Cooper Flagg
Ace Bailey
VJ Edgecombe
Nolan Traore
Dylan Harper
Hugo Gonzalez

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/way-too-early-2025-nba-mock-draft-dukes-cooper-flagg-bucks-trend-goes-no-1-ahead-of-rutgers-ace-bailey/

[Norm2953]

Frankly, 15-20 wins sounds acceptable if the 2025 draft is going to be that good.

If one takes a look at the 2025 mock drafts, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are really good prospects but no
more so than most drafts.

I'd hate to sit through another 15-20 win season in the hopes of luck in the lottery. Didn't help the Pistons
who have had a top 3 position in the last 3 drafts and ended up finished fifth. Team doesn't need help to
lose and might be better than most think if Scoot/Sharpe make major improvements in their games. That's
a big if however

This is just false. Cooper Flagg is considered one of the top, if not the best, American born prospect since LeBron/KD/Oden. He is considered, at this point, a franchise talent.

There is little reason to try to make the playoffs this year. It is a terrible decision.

HIs NBA comparison is AK47 but its a bit of a reach to place him in the Lebron level and unfair to place a
burden on Cooper to live up to the mantle of the next great player. Perhaps closer to an Anthony
Davis than a Lebron.

As I wrote, I doubt Portland can make the playoffs this season unless both Scoot/Sharpe make major
improvements in their game. Team with Deni and Donovan will be better but not that much better
to get them into the play in round. It's a team that is in transition, for they need more than just the first pick
in the 2025 draft for if Scoot continues to struggle, they might need to start over again with the French
PG who has been mocked to be going to Portland.