RETURN OF THE GREATNESS - Caleb Swanigan is back to Portland

[red_power]

Read on Twitter

[Roy The Natural]

Read on Twitter

Quite possibly the worst move imaginable. Ariza is washed. Blazers save money this year but cut into any available cap space next year. Give up two 2nd round picks in the process. Ouch. Oh well. This clearly signals the tank is on.

[red_power]

This is obviously a pathetic salary dump but I managed to notice few silver linings anyway.

1. Bazemore was pure trash on this team. Tolliver's addition was a completely pointless right from the start to anyone not named Neil.
2. Ariza's deal is non guaranteed next summer so it may Blazers some flexibility during 2020 offseason.
3. Seems like we've brought one of the biggest prospects from 2017 NBA draft back and that's really good news. Because it's important to have a guy on your roster Neil Olshey can believe into - otherwise he may consider bringing Meyers Leonard back.

Your thoughts fellas?

[DusterBuster]

Read on Twitter

Quite possibly the worst move imaginable. Ariza is washed. Blazers save money this year but cut into any available cap space next year. Give up two 2nd round picks in the process. Ouch. Oh well. This clearly signals the tank is on.

Don’t really see this as a tank signal deal. Ariza has lost a step, but Bazemore wasn’t exactly a worldbeater. He was actually one of my bigger disappointments from the new guys this year. It’s honestly probably a wash from a talent standpoint. Maybe he will regain some of his form from last season in Washington with a bigger and more clearly defined role than he was getting in Sacramento.

[Waynearchetype]

Swanigans PER is currently as Thanos level.

Perfectly balanced at 0.0.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

It was right on the line before but Ariza makes it so we functionally wont have capspace next summer, as the MLE is bigger than our available capspace. Which probably means we are bringing back Skal (would have had to let him walk to get a few million more than the MLE).

Giving up the two second rounders makes this from an understandable cost-cutting move to a slightly poor one.

[Effigy]

We can’t be trusted with cap space. The only players who will come for it are the ones we don’t want. Ariza will have value as a trade chip next year.

[Roy The Natural]

Read on Twitter

Quite possibly the worst move imaginable. Ariza is washed. Blazers save money this year but cut into any available cap space next year. Give up two 2nd round picks in the process. Ouch. Oh well. This clearly signals the tank is on.

Don’t really see this as a tank signal deal. Ariza has lost a step, but Bazemore wasn’t exactly a worldbeater. He was actually one of my bigger disappointments from the new guys this year. It’s honestly probably a wash from a talent standpoint. Maybe he will regain some of his form from last season in Washington with a bigger and more clearly defined role than he was getting in Sacramento.

It clearly signals the tank because it clearly signals the Blazers are standing pat. They're either not moving Whiteside now, in which case this team remains garbage. Or they are moving Whiteside, in which the team is probably remaining garbage.

Bazemore was the expiring player to package with picks to send out for an improvement. That has been morphed into Ariza. Ariza allows Portland to either pick up his option and make him next year's Bazemore, or waive him and have $10M for another player in the offseason.

Any improvement this makes for the team will by negligible. In the meantime, probably until about Thursday the Blazers are down two more players in Bazemore and Tolliver. Since the trade won't go down until Tuesday. I think this clearly signals the Blazers are standing pat. Which pretty clearly signals they're aiming for a lottery pick. This team isn't winning games with this roster, and all the injuries.

[DusterBuster]

Quite possibly the worst move imaginable. Ariza is washed. Blazers save money this year but cut into any available cap space next year. Give up two 2nd round picks in the process. Ouch. Oh well. This clearly signals the tank is on.

Don’t really see this as a tank signal deal. Ariza has lost a step, but Bazemore wasn’t exactly a worldbeater. He was actually one of my bigger disappointments from the new guys this year. It’s honestly probably a wash from a talent standpoint. Maybe he will regain some of his form from last season in Washington with a bigger and more clearly defined role than he was getting in Sacramento.

It clearly signals the tank because it clearly signals the Blazers are standing pat. They're either not moving Whiteside now, in which case this team remains garbage. Or they are moving Whiteside, in which the team is probably remaining garbage.

Bazemore was the expiring player to package with picks to send out for an improvement. That has been morphed into Ariza. Ariza allows Portland to either pick up his option and make him next year's Bazemore, or waive him and have $10M for another player in the offseason.

Any improvement this makes for the team will by negligible. In the meantime, probably until about Thursday the Blazers are down two more players in Bazemore and Tolliver. Since the trade won't go down until Tuesday. I think this clearly signals the Blazers are standing pat. Which pretty clearly signals they're aiming for a lottery pick. This team isn't winning games with this roster, and all the injuries.

I guess we just have very different definitions of what is “signaling a tank”. I think this was mostly a financial / flexibility move, won’t make the team better but doesn’t make them worse either. When I think of a deal that “signals a tank”, I think of a trade that’s clearly designed to make them worse off. That’s not this trade.

[DusterBuster]

We can’t be trusted with cap space. The only players who will come for it are the ones we don’t want. Ariza will have value as a trade chip next year.

If he’s able to rebound from his bad season for a few weeks, Portland could flip him again to another team in the playoff hunt for a low first rounder or something marginal like that.

[B0naf1d3]

Sacramento presented an opportunity to cut the lux tax bill in half, and Olshey took it. Ariza contract is only $1.8 guaranteed next year, so those contracts are valuable trade pieces in the offseason. Small price to pay to save 12+ million from business/team perspective. Gabriel could end up being a good player. Wouldn't be surprised if he's an "Olshey guy."

You guys think Olshey is done? Does he try to get under the tax by trading Whiteside? Still hoping for a Whiteside + Trent/Hezonja for Covington + Dieng deal.

[BlazersBroncos]

This is a cost saving move disguised as a trade for a Harkless / Aminu replacement.

I hate it. Don't think it improves out team, dislike having no second rounders for the next decade and think Ariza is absolutely washed. He may be able to stand in front of bigger guys than Kent on defense, but he really isn't anything special.

I have no idea who replaces Tolliver. Ariza can play PF, but Tolliver was seeing 50% of his minutes at C. You would think we at least would try for Giles over Swanagain to get some center minutes. Because Caleb simply isn't an NBA player. He cant see the floor.

Just really disappointed. I kept fooling myself into thinking we would use Kent's EC on a player upgrade. Seems Jodie has seen enough and wants to save money. How quick, after backing the brinks truck up to Damian and CJ this offseason.

I am excited to see d-train's take on this. After waxing poetic on Kent and Tolliver, the spin to justify this as a great Neil move should be amusing. That will be my favorite part of this deal.

[d-train]

This trade doesn't change our cap situation next year. Ariza is only guaranteed $1.8M next year and Kings declined the option on Swanigan. The big change financially is Blazers save on taxes and salary this year. We might also be in reach of getting under the tax this year with another deal.

[JRoy]

Looking forward to Calebs unconvincing pump fake followed by getting his shot crushed.

I hoped he might be a player during his draft but he is terrible.

[d-train]

We never had any practical cap room next year. This trade subtracts $1.8M from nothing. Our cap space next year was $9.9M MLE and $3.9M BAE and that remains the same after this trade.

[red_power]

I think there is a great chance Whiteside will stay at Portland till the end of the season, mostly due to his mammoth deal, but trade scenarios involving him are definitely being explored.
Meanwhile, it's not going to be a pure lopsided salary dump trade. Cause when your ship is led by healthy Dame and Carmelo you are going to do anything to prevent a riot on a board.

[Showdown]

1) Saving money for owner and preparing to resign Whiteside, Melo and Scal = standing pat in Lillard's prime.

2) Ariza is 3 and D guy so he is player archetype that Blazers need plus he is taller than Bazemore so starting SF won't be undersized anymore and he is probably better shooter so he will be upgrade over him and team will improve slightly but he needs to play like he played in his best days or Blazers need to get wing that can score without being ball dominant, guys like Tobias Harris , Aaron Gordon or Galinari , in every other scenario bringing him doesn't make Blazers closer to winning NBA title .

3) Giving up two second round picks makes this trade worse because it is too much for Ariza.

Overall this trade is pretty meh.

[d-train]

I am excited to see d-train's take on this. After waxing poetic on Kent and Tolliver, the spin to justify this as a great Neil move should be amusing. That will be my favorite part of this deal.

It's not great for continuity.

We trade a defensive player for a slightly bigger defensive player. The biggest damage will be tonight. We are going to be short handed.

We give up a veteran big for 2 younger bigs that might have trade value.

The 2 2nd round picks can be purchased for less money than we are saving.

I would say this trade might signal that NO is preparing for the possibility of not making the playoffs by making a move to get under the tax this year. There is not any change long term because of this trade. Short term, our loss is continuity.

[Roy The Natural]

I am excited to see d-train's take on this. After waxing poetic on Kent and Tolliver, the spin to justify this as a great Neil move should be amusing. That will be my favorite part of this deal.

It's not great for continuity.

We trade a defensive player for a slightly bigger defensive player. The biggest damage will be tonight. We are going to be short handed.

We give up a veteran big for 2 younger bigs that might have trade value.

The 2 2nd round picks can be purchased for less money than we are saving.

I would say this trade might signal that NO is preparing for the possibility of not making the playoffs by making a move to get under the tax this year. There is not any change long term because of this trade. Short term, our loss is continuity.

Trade can't be completed until Tuesday. We'll have 2 rough games. Thursday might be rough as well.

[DusterBuster]

I am excited to see d-train's take on this. After waxing poetic on Kent and Tolliver, the spin to justify this as a great Neil move should be amusing. That will be my favorite part of this deal.

It's not great for continuity.

We trade a defensive player for a slightly bigger defensive player. The biggest damage will be tonight. We are going to be short handed.

We give up a veteran big for 2 younger bigs that might have trade value.

The 2 2nd round picks can be purchased for less money than we are saving.

I would say this trade might signal that NO is preparing for the possibility of not making the playoffs by making a move to get under the tax this year. There is not any change long term because of this trade. Short term, our loss is continuity.

Continuity went out the window in the first week of the season when the injuries started piling up. That was derailed regardless.

I’m not sure why people are pointing to the playoffs as the impetus to get under the tax or not. I have to imagine this is a type of deal they would have done regardless. Even if they make the playoffs, they clearly are not of the same caliber as last year, so paying this much in tax for at best a .500 team doesn’t make sense - regardless of playoffs one way or another.