It’s time to blow it up......

[d-train]

GTJ is likely going to be matched regardless of offer. He might be the only soon to be free agent that
would be matched for Zach might not get a qualifying offer if the team doctors give the team a
negative report.

Wouldn't that put you guys way over the luxury tax?

It would depend on how much GTJ gets and where he is on our priorities. We have 7 players locked in next year at $110M. We have at least $27M to sign 7 more players. Players we will probably want to re-sign are DJJ, GTJ, Zach, Kanter, Melo, and Giles. DJJ can make himself top priority just by exercising his option, but I expect DJJ will elect free agency. GTJ will be our 1st or 2nd priority. $27M is more than enough to handle our top 2 priorities. I expect we will be over the tax by the time we fill the next 5 roster openings, especially if we use our $5.9M TP-MLE.

This is the current status. Things could change because I'm sure Olshey is looking for trade opportunities that will make our options even better. I am certain sending a player near the top of our priority list to Orlando isn't the opportunity Olshey is looking for.

[d-train]

Real chance Portland would listen to offers for CJ if they extended GTJ.

Much more likely Olshey would listen to offers for GTJ. The real chance is, he will do neither.

[BlazersBroncos]

I strongly believe that GTJ will get offers 15M and above this upcoming offseason. I think the best move would be to get him more minutes at SF and see if he can viably be a starter there. He is a bit small, but the chances of replacing him with a SF of similar talent and ideal size is extremely low. If he cant hang at SF he is gone because we cant afford a 15M+ backup SG. He actually only really needs to play 50% of his minutes at SF as he can still eat all the backup SG minutes.

Keep RoCo at PF and slide him in at SF when we go against teams w/ jumbo guys there. Find a cheap PF (Potentially Collins) to play that spot when RoCo has to slide up to SF. Something like:

SG - CJ McCollum (35) / Gary Trent Jr (13)
SF - Gary Trent Jr (17) / Robert Covington (12) / Nassir Little (20)
PF - Robert Covington (20) / Zach Collins (24) / Nassir Little (4)

Move on from DJJ and Melo. I would try this experiment the second CJ proves healthy again.

[Wizenheimer]

I strongly believe that GTJ will get offers 15M and above this upcoming offseason.

if he keeps playing like he has been playing, and shooting like he has been shooting, he may get a lot more than 15M/year. Might be over 20M

but, IMO, he is not nearly as good at SF as he is at SG. He's worse on both offense and defense

http://www.82games.com/1920/19POR5.HTM

If Trent is making 20M+, I don't see how Portland can afford him, keep CJ, and not pay repeater tax. And I'm convinced Olshey got instructions from Seattle to stay out of the tax anyway. Portland would be a disaster if they were paying 90-100M for three guys under 6'4.5".

[BlazersBroncos]

if he keeps playing like he has been playing, and shooting like he has been shooting, he may get a lot more than 15M/year. Might be over 20M

I can definatley see NYK paying him 20M or so. He fits their timeline, shores up some shooting and they have tons of money to play with.

I just hate losing a guy as good as GTJ for nothing. It just sucks, but I think its more likely than not.

[d-train]

Whether we sign, trade, or let GTJ walk is not what is important. We have options to wisely spend $27M, or more, over the cap. The options to build a good team with money exceeding the salary cap doesn't come automatically. GTJ is a developed option. We have other good developed options. We have some equity with skilled veterans like Melo and Kanter. This equity expands our credibility with other veterans.

I would like to see Olshey continue the team building management that brought us to this point and continue developing better options. What becomes of GTJ should depend on a cost benefit analysis.

[basketballRob]

No need for POR to downgrade talent.
DJJ has slight negative value as does Hood. Trent has positive value.

Both Ross and Aminu have negative value. Who cares if they’re signed if they stink?

ORL FRP makes the value closer but this doesn’t help POR make the playoffs.

I think Ross has very good value for his contract. He usually get double teamed, because of our lack of scorers. He's also from Portland and graduated from there. He led Jefferson high school to 3 straight state championships.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

[JRoy]

No need for POR to downgrade talent.
DJJ has slight negative value as does Hood. Trent has positive value.

Both Ross and Aminu have negative value. Who cares if they’re signed if they stink?

ORL FRP makes the value closer but this doesn’t help POR make the playoffs.

I think Ross has very good value for his contract. He usually get double teamed, because of our lack of scorers. He's also from Portland and graduated from there. He led Jefferson high school to 3 straight state championships.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

None of that makes this package worth an FRP.

[whatchaknow]

No need for POR to downgrade talent.
DJJ has slight negative value as does Hood. Trent has positive value.

Both Ross and Aminu have negative value. Who cares if they’re signed if they stink?

ORL FRP makes the value closer but this doesn’t help POR make the playoffs.

I think Ross has very good value for his contract. He usually get double teamed, because of our lack of scorers. He's also from Portland and graduated from there. He led Jefferson high school to 3 straight state championships.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

Not to be rude but I don’t believe that’s right. I think Ross only won 1 of the state championships. I think he left the state as a junior and then came back but was ineligible his senior year

[basketballRob]

No need for POR to downgrade talent.
DJJ has slight negative value as does Hood. Trent has positive value.

Both Ross and Aminu have negative value. Who cares if they’re signed if they stink?

ORL FRP makes the value closer but this doesn’t help POR make the playoffs.

I think Ross has very good value for his contract. He usually get double teamed, because of our lack of scorers. He's also from Portland and graduated from there. He led Jefferson high school to 3 straight state championships.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

Not to be rude but I don’t believe that’s right. I think Ross only won 1 of the state championships. I think he left the state as a junior and then came back but was ineligible his senior year

Yeah is misread it. He led them to the first one and won the 5A player of the year.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

[d-train]

No need for POR to downgrade talent.
DJJ has slight negative value as does Hood. Trent has positive value.

Both Ross and Aminu have negative value. Who cares if they’re signed if they stink?

ORL FRP makes the value closer but this doesn’t help POR make the playoffs.

I think Ross has very good value for his contract. He usually get double teamed, because of our lack of scorers. He's also from Portland and graduated from there. He led Jefferson high school to 3 straight state championships.

I like Hood better than Ross, and Blazers should trade or bench Hood. Aminu hasn't done a thing since he left Portland. And, the last thing he did here was lose his minutes in the WCF's. The only player Magic has with skills useful to us is Jonathan Isaac and I see he has a PPP. Basically, you have nothing, sorry. Go ahead and ink GTJ to 4-years $50M, this summer.

[Norm2953]

It will be an interesting off season, more interesting than this odd empty seat NBA season.

Most of us are in agreement the solution is to trade CJ and go with the the 22 year old GTJ. Hopefully they
will be able to sign him on their terms instead of an offer sheet with a poison pill.

[Village Idiot]

It will be an interesting off season, more interesting than this odd empty seat NBA season.

Most of us are in agreement the solution is to trade CJ and go with the the 22 year old GTJ. Hopefully they
will be able to sign him on their terms instead of an offer sheet with a poison pill.

I don't think Olshey or Dame are in agreement though

[Wizenheimer]

It will be an interesting off season, more interesting than this odd empty seat NBA season.

Most of us are in agreement the solution is to trade CJ and go with the the 22 year old GTJ. Hopefully they
will be able to sign him on their terms instead of an offer sheet with a poison pill.

I don't think Olshey or Dame are in agreement though

from all the reports and rumors, Olshey wouldn't even consider trading CJ for Paul George, or Kawhi, or Butler, or Harden. So it's hard seeing any CJ trade he'd go for. I think he's 100% ego-invested in the Dame/CJ back court. Which means Portland is solidly locked on an Olshey built treadmill while Dame's prime burns away. Dame turns 31 this summer

meanwhile, we have to suffer thru nightly Melo testimonials by Blazer broadcasting and boring repetitive Melo-iso. And also suffer thru the Jordan-Kent/Lamar-Hurd snooze-fest. I miss Mike & Mike

[zzaj]

It will be an interesting off season, more interesting than this odd empty seat NBA season.

Most of us are in agreement the solution is to trade CJ and go with the the 22 year old GTJ. Hopefully they
will be able to sign him on their terms instead of an offer sheet with a poison pill.

I don't think Olshey or Dame are in agreement though

from all the reports and rumors, Olshey wouldn't even consider trading CJ for Paul George, or Kawhi, or Butler, or Harden. So it's hard seeing any CJ trade he'd go for. I think he's 100% ego-invested in the Dame/CJ back court. Which means Portland is solidly locked on an Olshey built treadmill while Dame's prime burns away. Dame turns 31 this summer

meanwhile, we have to suffer thru nightly Melo testimonials by Blazer broadcasting and boring repetitive Melo-iso. And also suffer thru the Jordan-Kent/Lamar-Hurd snooze-fest. I miss Mike & Mike

This x1000

I know it's easy to get stuck in what-ifs on an internet forum, but what we are looking at is the reality of we've had and what we will continue to have while Olshey is guiding the Blazers. IMHO, it's silly to think otherwise.

And yes, call it nostalgia, call it actually having the drunk uncle's opinion on the temperature of the product on the court...I miss Mike and Mike too. Rice offered actual game insight that no other announcer has been able to touch--drunk or not.

[Norm2953]

It will be an interesting off season, more interesting than this odd empty seat NBA season.

Most of us are in agreement the solution is to trade CJ and go with the the 22 year old GTJ. Hopefully they
will be able to sign him on their terms instead of an offer sheet with a poison pill.

I don't think Olshey or Dame are in agreement though

from all the reports and rumors, Olshey wouldn't even consider trading CJ for Paul George, or Kawhi, or Butler, or Harden. So it's hard seeing any CJ trade he'd go for. I think he's 100% ego-invested in the Dame/CJ back court. Which means Portland is solidly locked on an Olshey built treadmill while Dame's prime burns away. Dame turns 31 this summer

meanwhile, we have to suffer thru nightly Melo testimonials by Blazer broadcasting and boring repetitive Melo-iso. And also suffer thru the Jordan-Kent/Lamar-Hurd snooze-fest. I miss Mike & Mike

I do wonder however if the accountants and team ownership might order NO to put aside his ego for he's not the
person who has to write the checks to pay the luxury taxes. If it were Paul Allen perhaps, but we don't know how
much of an appetite ownership will indulge their GM for we all know big money contracts for Nurk and GTJ are on
the horizon in a league with universal declines in team revenues due to the virus. Either he has to do what team
ownership wants to do or gets fired.

[HoopsFanAZ]

It will be an interesting off season, more interesting than this odd empty seat NBA season.

Most of us are in agreement the solution is to trade CJ and go with the the 22 year old GTJ. Hopefully they
will be able to sign him on their terms instead of an offer sheet with a poison pill.

I don't think Olshey or Dame are in agreement though

from all the reports and rumors, Olshey wouldn't even consider trading CJ for Paul George, or Kawhi, or Butler, or Harden. So it's hard seeing any CJ trade he'd go for. I think he's 100% ego-invested in the Dame/CJ back court. Which means Portland is solidly locked on an Olshey built treadmill while Dame's prime burns away. Dame turns 31 this summer

...

1. Any report -- that isn't a direct quote from Olshey -- on not trading CJ for George, Kawhi, Butler, or Harden is not a report that passes the smell test. Speculation, frustration, hyperbole? ... sure. But actual mindset by Olshey? No.
2. Replacing Stotts? I'm on that bandwagon and have been for some time and for the same reasons as trading CJ.
3. The trades and signings from this last offseason were good. Singles and doubles. I still like getting Kanter as a back-up big who rebounds at both ends (especially on O) and who seems like a savant in traffic at the hoop for a guy who doesn't sky. RoCo is finding his way AND plays D. The fit in Stotts' defense is more the issue, but that's a Stotts' issue. Jones was a good signing. Again, not great signings and trades. Not homeruns. [Not drafting my favorites in Pokusevsky and Pritchard is annoying.]
4. Hood has been looking better than earlier this season which is not saying a ton, but he's coming around. Trade CJ and anyone not named Lillard or GTJ in a SERIOUS package for a SF/PF/big (Domantas Sabonis, a favorite); keep Hoodie and GTJ to man the 2.

Blow it up? If by that people mean Stotts and CJ? Then, yes. Nurkic and Collins, too, as part of a HUGE trade(s)? That's arguable. Health is #1. Knowing who and what are problems on D depend on actually playing starters together ... except for CJ and the chair he can't guard.

[JasonStern]

GTJ is likely going to be matched regardless of offer. He might be the only soon to be free agent that
would be matched for Zach might not get a qualifying offer if the team doctors give the team a
negative report.

Wouldn't that put you guys way over the luxury tax?

Not if Hood and Collins are renounced. That frees $15M in this year salary obligations.

The real fear with retaining Trent is if some team gives him an Allen Crabbe offer.

[Norm2953]

Team doctors will likely dictate what are Portland's options on what to do with Zach. If the guy
can't get back onto the court this season, nobody including the Blazers will offer him more than
the $7.3 million Portland would have to give him in a QO. Portland should be fine with matching
all offers GTJ gets as a RFA for DJJ will likely also opt out of his deal.

[BlazersBroncos]

The real fear with retaining Trent is if some team gives him an Allen Crabbe offer.

I really worry that NYK offers him 20M AV type. He is a great fit there and they have tons to spend.