(Premature) Mid Season Trade Targets

[BlazersBroncos]

I think the OP is underrating the value of both Blake and Covington.

I like aiming lower. Aldridge is my hope. If SAS stumbles, and IMO this year of all the Pop years is the most likely, then PDX is almost certainly the destination he will prefer. I can see Whiteside playing at a near all-star level (18/12/2.5 type) and PDX cashing in on his recouped value. The Blazers cant afford Hassan and Nurkic, especially since both are only Centers. So making a move using a flourishing Hassan for the more versatile Aldridge would be a textbook sell high move, the type that is hard to pull off as Whiteside is going to be a fan favorite, but also the type you just have to make when looking long term. I would even add Little or a protected FRP.

A big rotation of Nurkic / Aldridge / Collins is much more balanced than Nurkic / Whiteside / Collins.

[Pattycakes]

My gut tells me we should steer clear of LA's mental weaknesses...but if he's changed somehow for the better maybe it wouldn't be the WORST idea to bring him back. I always loved his game, but taking him back now would be like settling for a disloyal ex imo.

[BlazersBroncos]

The way Adlridge left town should be water under the bridge. If a player will help, you add them. Aldridge is a perfect fit. He can play PF and C, he can space the floor for cutting players, he can create for himself when we need a bucket, he can defend the paint well and, arguably most importantly, his contract expires before the Damian/McCollum extensions kick in. Then, at his age, we could likely retain him for a Pau Gasol in San Antonio type contract. Something like 14-15M.

Blake will cost Zach or Simons and will create huge cap issues moving forward. Love shouldn't cost more than Little or a FRP, but will cause huge cap issues moving forward. Otto Porter is seen as part of the CHI core moving forward and likely isn't available IMO.

I think Aldridge and Gallo are the most realistic targets to help the team take the 'jump' but also retain some semblance of cap responsibility.

[JasonStern]

We have this conversation repeatedly. The Spurs are likely a lower seed playoff team. They have zero reason to trade away an all-star big for scraps. Dozens of other teams would beat that kind of offer. And as the Spurs demonstrated by trading Kawhi to the Raptors, they're going to do what is in the best interest of their franchise - not whatever a player wants, presuming Aldridge even wants out, of which there is zero evidence of.

[Jingles2]

I really like Nurkic, but suspect it will take 2 years from the injury for him to be back where he was. I think Portland should go all in next 2 years and really go for it. I think Kevin Love still has at least a couple good years left . Cleveland is rebuilding and could use a good young center like Nurkic. My trade idea is Nurkic, Bazemore, and Trent for Love, Zizic, and Windler. Not sure who would say no to that...probably both teams.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y4nxfrlv

[Dame Lizard]

I really like Nurkic, but suspect it will take 2 years from the injury for him to be back where he was. I think Portland should go all in next 2 years and really go for it. I think Kevin Love still has at least a couple good years left . Cleveland is rebuilding and could use a good young center like Nurkic. My trade idea is Nurkic, Bazemore, and Trent for Love, Zizic, and Windler. Not sure who would say no to that...probably both teams.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y4nxfrlv

A strong no from me I'm afraid.

Reason being that Nurk's contract is one of the best value in the league, and he still has 3 years left on it.

Given Dame's super max is @ approx $50M per year, Nurk's contract is a great counterbalance.

Meanwhile, Love is paid fairly at best (if not overpaid) for what he brings to the table.

[BNM]

I really like Nurkic, but suspect it will take 2 years from the injury for him to be back where he was. I think Portland should go all in next 2 years and really go for it. I think Kevin Love still has at least a couple good years left . Cleveland is rebuilding and could use a good young center like Nurkic. My trade idea is Nurkic, Bazemore, and Trent for Love, Zizic, and Windler. Not sure who would say no to that...probably both teams.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y4nxfrlv

I'm 100% sure who would say no to that. Me, for one, and not just no but HELL NO! I wouldn't trade Nurk for Kevin Love straight up even if the salaries matched. Nurk is the better player (just compare their impact metrics). Nurk is a plus player on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. Love is a huge minus on the defensive side and doesn't nearly make up for it on the offensive side, not any more.

Love is also 6 years older, makes 2.5 times as much and is just entering year 1 of a 4 year, $120 million extension.

Nurk made huge strides last year. He was 5th among centers in RPM and 21st among all players. The four centers above him were Jokic, Embiid, Gobert and Horford. Go look up how much those guys make and tell me Nurk at $12 million is not one of the biggest bargains in the entire NBA. Trading him now would be the very definition of selling low (due to the injury), which is never a good thing, especially for an overpaid 31-year old has been.

Paul George was back playing in NBA games 8 months post injury and was playing at his pre-injury All NBA level 13 moths post injury. As with most clean bone breaks, George has suffered no long term negative impact due to his injury. 8 months post injury for Nurk would be late November. 13 months would be late April - 1st round playoff time. All reports are that he's on, or ahead of schedule. Since we have Whiteside manning the middle, I think they will be cautious and bring him back slowly, but I think he will be at, or near, pre injury production in the playoffs. The idea that it will take 2 full years is extremely pessimistic and would only be likely if he had also suffered nerve, tendon and/or ligament damage. He didn't. It was a clean break.

[Showdown]

I think that Whiteside wont get traded and that both Olshley and casual Portland's fans would rather trade Nurkic than him. Just look comments on that article about comparasion between Nurkic and Whiteside on BlazersEdge and you will see hive mind about Whiteside how aggresive they are and how they are disrespecting Nurkic and all those comments are green which means that majority of the people agree with them . For example comparasion shows that Nurkic is better almost every impact stats and then comment from guy "two roy's" how" it looks pretty thin because Nurkic is just a better passer and has better on off stats and he had Meyers as backup so it isn't big thing and that Whiteside will be better" and that comment is green which means that lot of people recomended it . That's a lie because RPM and BPM among others aren't just on off stats and if someone is better at every impact stat that means he impact game much more than the other guy. If you look lower on the comments same guy says that Nurkic will have just 3 more healthy years in his career. Other guy "KennyMoore" says that Whiteside is more talented player and Nurkic was more productive but that was only because he played in Stotts system and that Whiteside will be much better . This comment is also green and this guy also has negative comments about Nurkic's future after injury , how "it was great trauma for his lower body and he'll never be the same player" . (i see a patern here) We had similar comments on this board where people saying " unpopular opinion" about keeping Whiteside and trading Nurkic too. People complain about Simmons hype but thing with Whiteside is much bigger, it's closer to hysteria .

Olshey wanted to sign him in 2016 and he likes his players so he will try to keep him no matter how much it cost. My prediction is that Whiteside will be untouchable in trade talks just like CJ,Collins and Simmons and then Olshey will use fact that there is no many good FA's on the market to give him contract bigger than Nurkic's, 15-18 milions per year and then will try to convince Nurkic to be backup because he has backup center contract. If Nurkic accept he will have two headed monster for long time and if he refuse he will trade him in the offseason or at the deadline. If Whiteside perform bad so this kind of deal isn't possible, he will try to get Cousins,M.Gasol or Howard to give them new contract to be Blazers starting center in years to come.

[BNM]

I think that Whiteside wont get traded and that both Olshley and casual Portland's fans would rather trade Nurkic than him. Just look comments on that article about comparasion between Nurkic and Whiteside on BlazersEdge and you will see hive mind about Whiteside how aggresive they are and how they are disrespecting Nurkic and all those comments are green which means that majority of the people agree with them . For example comparasion shows that Nurkic is better almost every impact stats and then comment from guy "two roy's" how" it looks pretty thin because Nurkic is just a better passer and has better on off stats and he had Meyers as backup so it isn't big thing and that Whiteside will be better" and that comment is green which means that lot of people recomended it . That's a lie because RPM and BPM among others aren't just on off stats and if someone is better at every impact stat that means he impact game much more than the other guy. If you look lower on the comments same guy says that Nurkic will have just 3 more healthy years in his career. Other guy "KennyMoore" says that Whiteside is more talented player and Nurkic was more productive but that was only because he played in Stotts system and that Whiteside will be much better . This comment is also green and this guy also has negative comments about Nurkic's future after injury , how "it was great trauma for his lower body and he'll never be the same player" . (i see a patern here) We had similar comments on this board where people saying " unpopular opinion" about keeping Whiteside and trading Nurkic too. People complain about Simmons hype but thing with Whiteside is much bigger, it's closer to hysteria .

Olshey wanted to sign him in 2016 and he likes his players so he will try to keep him no matter how much it cost. My prediction is that Whiteside will be untouchable in trade talks just like CJ,Collins and Simmons and then Olshey will use fact that there is no many good FA's on the market to give him contract bigger than Nurkic's, 15-18 milions per year and then will try to convince Nurkic to be backup because he has backup center contract. If Nurkic accept he will have two headed monster for long time and if he refuse he will trade him in the offseason or at the deadline. If Whiteside perform bad so this kind of deal isn't possible, he will try to get Cousins,M.Gasol or Howard to give them new contract to be Blazers starting center in years to come.

You wouldn't happen to be Whiteside's agent, would you?

Now that Magic Johnson no longer works for the Lakers, there isn't a single front office in the league that would make player personnel decisions based on comments on some fanboi forum web site. Seriously, you think Neil Olshey is going to dump Nurk and re-sign Whiteside based on the medical expertise of "KennyMoore" on BlazersEdge and because "two roy's" thinks Nurk's much better impact stats are overrated?

Nurk is a MUCH better player, younger and cheaper. Whiteside is a great stopgap replacement until Nurk comes back, but he's a rental, possibly even moved at the trade deadline if Nurk is back and looking decent.

Also, the idea that Neil will keep Whiteside because he likes "his guys" is out of date and just plain false. All of the guys he did sign in 2016 are gone: Crabbe, drafted and re-signed by Olshey = GONE; Turner, signed by Olshey = GONE; Meyers, drafted and re-signed by Olshey = GONE; Harkless, resigned by Olshey = GONE. Add in several other players Olshey drafted and/or signed (Connaughton, Layman, Will Barton, Swanigan, Aminu, Ed Davis, etc.) and has either traded or let walk and this narrative is blatantly false. Of the 14 players Olshey has drafted (including draft day trades) since coming to Portland, only 6 are on the current roster. Those 6 are Dame, C.J., Collins, Simons, Trent Jr. and Little. Of those, only Dame and C.J. are over the age of 21 and have been with the team longer than two seasons. The other 8, plus Aminu (who he also drafted for the Clippers) are all gone.

The Nurk trade is widely considered one of Olshey's best moves, and rightly so. One of his other best moves was re-signing Nurk to a very team friendly contract. He is much more invested in Jusuf Nurkic than he is in Hassan Whiteside.

I think it's great that Neil was able to get Whiteside. He's the perfect fill in until Nurk is back and playing well, but after that he's a huge expiring contract. Whiteside has lacked focus and motivation for most of his career. He seems to only maintain focus and motivation in a contract year. So, this is the perfect time to get him. Get his best performance until Nurk is back and then let someone else make the mistake of overpaying him next summer.

[Andre 2999]

Honestly, BNM's original trade ideas would be great it we could swing them. (Even though I would hate to give up Nassir before we have any insight into what his potential could be, but I guess that's the price you got to pay to be a contender.)

Like others have said, it could be that Detroit and Minnesota don't bite on those offers. If that's the case, my focus would turn to Aldridge and Otto Porter, both of whom I believe could be had for less than Blake and Covington. Blake is obviously younger and equally, if not more, talented than LMA. I would rate Otto above Covington in terms of skill, but Covington is on a super team-friendly contract, and I could see the rebuilding Bulls being more willing to give up Otto than the Timberwolves being willing to give up Covington while they are trying to build a winner with KAT.

If we could end up with a lineup of:

Dame / Ant
CJ / Hood / Ant
Otto / Hood / Hezonja
Aldridge / Collins / Tolliver
Nurkic / Collins / Gasol

I think that's a sure-fire contender...dangerous offensively, capable defensively, and with depth at every position (could also add a vet min PG for insurance).