Gary Trent Jr. - Offseason contract, trade value?

[cjmcallist]

Hello POR fans - wondering what's going to happen this offseason with GTJr. POR went into the tax last year. This year I don't think they can (hard cap). But, Trent's deal will certainly push them into the tax next year, and the repeater tax afterwards.

Current projected salary = $124m, excluding deals for Collins and Trent.

How high do you think POR will go to keep Trent? Will they match at all costs? If not, would POR entertain a trade? If so, what would you be looking for back?

[cjmcallist]

Damn - just saw a long convo on this topic in the "It's Time to Blow It Up" thread. Lock this bad boy down, if needed. And apologies for mucking up the board.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Damn - just saw a long convo on this topic in the "It's Time to Blow It Up" thread. Lock this bad boy down, if needed. And apologies for mucking up the board.

You good bro, its good to pull this out as its own discussion, one that is not in the context of blowing it up.

Portland definitely has a tough choice to make. Our team has generally liked to reward players that develop here, even to our own detriment (Leonard, Crabbe, etc) so I would imagine that one of the best shining examples of a player putting in the work and developing here will be rewarded.

I do think if a team offers something well over 20 million/year that would put us in a bind and we might have to just congratulate Gary on his success but short of that Portland will probably go into the luxury tax to keep him if we can.

[cjmcallist]

Well givens OKCs situation, I’d be willing to pay him $20m plus. We will be below the salary floor next offseason, if we want to be.

Any chance of a trade? If we can get his bird rights, it would help our offseason flexibility. Something like 2 protected FRP? Or Hill + lightly protected FRP?

[monopoman]

I really don't think Portland can lose GT Jr. in the off-season, he is pretty easily the best pick this team has made since CJ and he could easily end up as good as CJ or better in his prime.

Now if some decent trade comes up before the off-season maybe that works out, but losing him for nothing would really sting.

I think this is the time where the team takes their tax lumps with GT Jr. on the roster and tries to compete. Lillard is in his peak right now clearly if this team has any chance at making the NBA Finals it is in the next 2-3 years period. I really think it will send the wrong message to Lillard if they start saving money in his final years of his peak.

[d-train]

Hello POR fans - wondering what's going to happen this offseason with GTJr. POR went into the tax last year. This year I don't think they can (hard cap). But, Trent's deal will certainly push them into the tax next year, and the repeater tax afterwards.

Current projected salary = $124m, excluding deals for Collins and Trent.

How high do you think POR will go to keep Trent? Will they match at all costs? If not, would POR entertain a trade? If so, what would you be looking for back?

We have 7 players under contract next year not counting DJJ for $110M. If DJJ opts in, we have 8 players under contract for $119.7M. We have to re-sign GTJ, Kanter, and Collins. The rest are probably VM contracts, unless we use our $5.9M MLE. If DJJ opts out, we have a $10.7M exception to re-sign him. Hood's contract is 100% unguaranteed. Hood will be traded or waived to avoid his salary, which is a reasonable salary but this money will go to other priorities. The only players that could be poached are DJJ and Giles.

The tax threshold next year is around $137M. We have $27M under the tax. Blazers will spend all that and likely more next season. Re-signing GTJ is our 1st or 2nd priority, so there is no chance we don't re-sign him. We also aren't going to trade GTJ or CJ. We might trade Hood. It's even possible we trade DJJ, but I doubt it.

[BlazersBroncos]

I think he gets contract offers in the 18M+ AV range. He is going to make a ton of money this summer.

If we dont pay him because we have so much money tied up in Dame / CJ the team will take a step back, and paying Dame / CJ only makes sense if you want to compete, so it would be silly to take a step back to save money. We are already paying truck loads, if we pinch on GTJ we might as well not be paying Dame / CJ to being with.

[JRoy]

Some team is likely to bust in FA and overpay for roleplayers.

GTJr seems a likely target.

[cjmcallist]

Great breakdown d-train.

I had hoped that POR wouldn’t want to spend too much money on one position. But, SG isn’t a bad place to do it. Once CJ comes back it will be really interesting to watch the team evolve. If anything changes, hit us up. OKC would love to send a couple picks for GTJ.

[cjmcallist]

Some team is likely to bust in FA and overpay for roleplayers.

GTJr seems a likely target.

I agree. His age makes it doubly true.

Normal RFAs aren’t that young. But he fits both “win now” teams and rebuilding teams.

[JRoy]

Some team is likely to bust in FA and overpay for roleplayers.

GTJr seems a likely target.

I agree. His age makes it doubly true.

Normal RFAs aren’t that young. But he fits both “win now” teams and rebuilding teams.

If we want to keep him the cost will hurt.

[d-train]

Some team is likely to bust in FA and overpay for roleplayers.

GTJr seems a likely target.

I agree. His age makes it doubly true.

Normal RFAs aren’t that young. But he fits both “win now” teams and rebuilding teams.

If we want to keep him the cost will hurt.

The cost isn't going to hurt me. Jody can't afford an NBA team if it hurts her.

This is not a problem. It's a good thing that Blazers have opportunities to spend money on great value.

[JRoy]

I agree. His age makes it doubly true.

Normal RFAs aren’t that young. But he fits both “win now” teams and rebuilding teams.

If we want to keep him the cost will hurt.

The cost isn't going to hurt me. Jody can't afford an NBA team if it hurts her.

This is not a problem. It's a good thing that Blazers have opportunities to spend money on great value.

Can’t see us both get and CJ long term. Too much money tied up in the same position for non all star guys.

[d-train]

If we want to keep him the cost will hurt.

The cost isn't going to hurt me. Jody can't afford an NBA team if it hurts her.

This is not a problem. It's a good thing that Blazers have opportunities to spend money on great value.

Can’t see us both get and CJ long term. Too much money tied up in the same position for non all star guys.

Lillard and CJ are the same position, scoring combo guards. GTJ is a 2/3 or a SF/wing. CJ can play wing too, but that's a tribute to CJ's versatility. Blazers would be a model of a bad franchise if they didn't spend money the were able to spend well.

[Norm2953]

I do think we need to see things from a cap management POV for Jroy is correct in that hamstringing the
teams salary structure is what the team did in 2016. The well run franchises spend money when they
must but leave a bit of room to make moves when opportunities arise.

Right now the team has a superstar PG in Dame and a pair of very promising 22 year old guards in GTJ
and Simons who with consistent PT are playing well. It's not so much about money but building a team
that is built to compete in playoff time for the playoff contenders are able lock teams defensively and
execute in the half court sets. Team will have to get bigger and stronger to really challenge either LA
team and Jazz for their PF has missed two NBA seasons and Nurk wasn't playing well before he got hurt.

Now if ZC somehow got healthy enough to play and play well, Portland would have a lot of financial
decisions to make. If they only had to write check to field a team with their 4 guards, DJJ/Roco,
and Nurk, Kanter and ZC , that team would be complete leaving only the willingness to stomach LT
but alas ZC and Nurk are now question marks.

[cjmcallist]

I do think we need to see things from a cap management POV for Jroy is correct in that hamstringing the
teams salary structure is what the team did in 2016. The well run franchises spend money when they
must but leave a bit of room to make moves when opportunities arise.

Right now the team has a superstar PG in Dame and a pair of very promising 22 year old guards in GTJ
and Simons who with consistent PT are playing well. It's not so much about money but building a team
that is built to compete in playoff time for the playoff contenders are able lock teams defensively and
execute in the half court sets. Team will have to get bigger and stronger to really challenge either LA
team and Jazz for their PF has missed two NBA seasons and Nurk wasn't playing well before he got hurt.

Now if ZC somehow got healthy enough to play and play well, Portland would have a lot of financial
decisions to make. If they only had to write check to field a team with their 4 guards, DJJ/Roco,
and Nurk, Kanter and ZC , that team would be complete leaving only the willingness to stomach LT
but alas ZC and Nurk are now question marks.

This is why I thought Trent might be gettable for OKC via trade - especially if we overpaid a little bit.

It would give you guys some extra currency to find someone at a position of more need. Though, admittedly, I don't know who that would be (H Barnes, A Gordon, L Nance, ....J Randle?...Iggy...geez). Plus, the hard cap this year throws a wrench in everything. Getting that player this season will be difficult with the hard cap.

[Waynearchetype]

Diamond hands

[BlazersBroncos]

Portland isnt moving GTJ for some package of future assets. They want to win now and will wait and see how the market goes in the summer.

Moving GTJ, a win now piece despite his age, for a future FRP or some untested youth sends an awful message to Dame. We are 18-10. We should deal with this later.

Hood / GTJ for Gordon is about the only option I would consiter, but at this point I am pretty convinced GTJ ends up better long term than AG. The benefit of having another mobile, 6'8+ forward to deal w/ the Wests elite big forwards is pretty enticing. At the same time, I trust GTJ to develop into a consistent, playable playoff caliber rotation guy by this year in a way that I dont trust Simons and making this type of move, losing two guards, would mean alot is put on Anfernee. I think the intensity and physicality of a playoff game just isnt going to end well for him at this point. GTJ on the other hand plays like a man.

[JasonStern]

Have to imagine Hood and Collins are likely either gone this offseason or signed for much lower contracts, freeing up $15M to retain Trent. The real risk is another team offering Trent a Crabbe-like contract.

I'm fine selling high on Trent, but it would need to be an upgrade and not just a move out of fear for losing him in the off-season. Not sure how many players make sense there that would be available.

[Norm2953]

I do think Portland will have to match all offers for GTJ for no NBA team would allow a 22 year old player with
his entire future ahead of him to get away. Team decisions will have to be made on team salary structure for the
obvious solution for everyone but NO is to finally trade CJ and balance out the roster for the team will have a
real need up front after DJJ opts out on his deal and Hood/Collins are allowed to walk unless Collins can make it
back this season and demonstrate he's finally healthy.

Let's see how the team plays after CJ makes it back, hopefully followed by Nurkic for I've given up waiting for
Zach Collins to ever get healthy for the guy seems like a prototypical Blazer big who is always hurt for the
only Blazer big who had a long, productive career was LA.