RealGM

So much for some luck. Hopefully, Keegan Murray drops to #7. If he doesn't, I'm leaning towards Jeremy Sochan...but what the hell do I know? Select Sochan and sign Deandre Ayton and I think we're in pretty good shape going into the 2022-2023 season.

I know....I was really fine with the #6 spot. I was hoping for Murray or Sharpe but that is less likely now.

Wonder if we can get 13 and 15 for 7? Eason and Mark Williams?

This draft was Murray or bust for me. I really like Mathurin as well but there's a chance they'll both be gone
On the other hand, maybe Sharpe and Griffin jump and Murray falls. Idk... Trading down with Charlotte and using those picks in trades seems like most likely course now.

Unfortunately this will open the path for Cronin to trade #7 for Grant (another bad deal) and set us firmly on the play-in treadmill for the next 2 years until Dame finally gets fed up and asks out.

Brutal night, In the end it doesn't matter than Cronin did the right thing in trading CJ, he didn't get the job done ensuring enough assets to build around Dame. That is all that matters.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I'd be okay with taking Jalen Duren with the 7th pick.

He's going to be a good player but just not next year. Once more Portland goes out and tries
to pick their big man of the future for only LA has had a long, productive career as a big guy
in the 50 year history of the franchise

jebdrbhjb wrote:So much for some luck. Hopefully, Keegan Murray drops to #7. If he doesn't, I'm leaning towards Jeremy Sochan...but what the hell do I know? Select Sochan and sign Deandre Ayton and I think we're in pretty good shape going into the 2022-2023 season.

We can only sign Ayton if we let everyone walk.

I strongly, strongly, strongly dont believe Ayton is better than Nurkic + Ant.

#7 for Grant is an overpay, but it seems like a lock at this point. Cronin kind of backed himself into a corner. And he has repeatedly proven that he is more than willing to give up value in trade deals. So while it seems like something else should come back, Detroit also has to know the position Cronin put himself in.

BlazersBroncos wrote:We can only sign Ayton if we let everyone walk.

I strongly, strongly, strongly dont believe Ayton is better than Nurkic + Ant.

He might be. But more importantly, the Blazers would need to renounce rights on both to make an offer on a restricted free agent. Imagine letting Simons and Nurkić walk and then having Phoenix match. Don't see that happening.

Case2012 wrote:This draft was Murray or bust for me. I really like Mathurin as well but there's a chance they'll both be gone
On the other hand, maybe Sharpe and Griffin jump and Murray falls. Idk... Trading down with Charlotte and using those picks in trades seems like most likely course now.

I'd be shocked if Sharpe isn't drafted before Murray.

I've been convinced for some time that Murray is incredibly likely to be drafted at #6.

Dame Lizard wrote:

Case2012 wrote:This draft was Murray or bust for me. I really like Mathurin as well but there's a chance they'll both be gone
On the other hand, maybe Sharpe and Griffin jump and Murray falls. Idk... Trading down with Charlotte and using those picks in trades seems like most likely course now.

I'd be shocked if Sharpe isn't drafted before Murray.

I've been convinced for some time that Murray is incredibly likely to be drafted at #6.

Sharpe is the kind of guy that will either have a Nassir like slide or someone will fall in-love with him and draft him in the top 4. My guess is he's well gone before the Blazers pick. If he fell to the Blazers he would be the type of high upside wing you take a big swing @ 7.

Well this ain't moving the needle for anybody, most of all Dame? What now?

Just trade Dame and pick Sharpe if available at 7. He and Simons will be a superstar duo:

Simons
Sharpe
Little
_____
Ayton


And we can tank one more year and get Victor

I don't think #7 for Grant is a sure thing.

The reality is because if Cronin trades #7 for Grant and Portland disappoints next season, then Cronin has dug himself a huge hole, and it'll be traceable directly back to Cronin. Say Dame asks out and we rebuild, we'll have given our 7th pick away for nobody (as resigning Grant on a big deal obviously isn't a rebuilding move). Dame's value likely won't be as high, if he's a year older and Portland is coming off a poor season.

I think everything is on the table for Cronin now.

Dame
Anfernee
Nassir
Grant
Nurkic

Hart
Winslow
Etc.

That is not a championship roster unfortunately. I'm happy to test a Dame + Simons backcourt, but ultimately I see it only being a small improvement over Dame + CJ (Simons won't rely on iso as much and is a better playmaker, although CJ may have a slight edge on defense?).

As unfortunate as it is, Olshey has wasted Dame's prime, and with the assets that we have + Portland not being a premier free agency destination, I think it's time to focus on the future.

We SHOULD ask Dame whether he wants to stick around and try to compete here, noting that we won't be trading #7 for Grant etc, or whether he prefers to be traded to a contender. And then we should honour his preference and focus on the future.

jebdrbhjb wrote:So much for some luck. Hopefully, Keegan Murray drops to #7. If he doesn't, I'm leaning towards Jeremy Sochan...but what the hell do I know? Select Sochan and sign Deandre Ayton and I think we're in pretty good shape going into the 2022-2023 season.

I also agree that we should pick Jeremy Sochan. I know nothing about him as a player or a person. But as a picture on an nbadraft.net profile he has fun hair. Like my family has been saying for generations "Drafteth he who hast the funnest hair."

There's no way we trade the 7th for Grant. Most likely we trade down with Charlotte and trade the 13th and keon for him. We could then take sochan, Daniels, ogchai, Mark Williams, Eason or whoever slides down with the 15th.

My dream scenario as I've explained before would be using that pick and the Milwaukee pick plus bledsoe for Miles Turner. If we could, I would s&t Simons for a wing but I doubt it happens. My first choice would be Lavine but he costs a lot of money. My second would be Mikal Bridges. A 3 and d defensive player of the year runner up would be ideal next to Dame, Hart, Grant, and Turner. That team would be top 5 in defense imo and be perfect in billups system.(Phoenix does this to move on from Paul and build around Booker, Ayton, Johnson and Simons. Doubtful I know)

Maybe we could follow that up with a sign and trade of Nurkic for Oubre to come off the bench with Nas, Winslow, Watford, Eubanks, and Dunn? Charlotte gets their center and out of Oubre's deal.

I really think these moves are possible with the few assets we have, but given what Cronin had shown, he's not the guy to get it done. Still nice to think about though.

Dame/Dunn
Nas/ Hart
Bridges/ Oubre
Grant/ Winslow
Turner/Watford

CHAMPIONS.

I have a hard time believing that Lavine is a better player than what Anfernee can become. Are we really trading Anfernee for what ends up a worse player just because he might play better with Lillard for the next few years?

We will look like the dumbest team in the league if Anfernee continues his trajectory and becomes a perennial all-star talent next year. Lavine is also a pretty damn bad defender so he doesn't really solve any problem the Blazers have.

Case2012 wrote:There's no way we trade the 7th for Grant. Most likely we trade down with Charlotte and trade the 13th and keon for him. We could then take sochan, Daniels, ogchai, Mark Williams, Eason or whoever slides down with the 15th.

I'd probably be ok with this, provided the top 6 (Banchero, Jabari, Chet, Ivey, Sharpe, Murray) are off the board by #7.

Someone suggested the 7th for Dort + the 12th and then turning the 12th into Grant. I could accept this. It isn't sexy, but that's at least two versatile defenders for the seventh pick rather than just Grant which would be.. upsetting.

The Sebastian Express wrote:Someone suggested the 7th for Dort + the 12th and then turning the 12th into Grant. I could accept this. It isn't sexy, but that's at least two versatile defenders for the seventh pick rather than just Grant which would be.. upsetting.

If we are sticking with Dame, this wouldnt be the worst move. Would mean Hart is the full time starter at SF though, some height issues still, but he is much more a SF than Norm ever was.

Love the attitude that Dort brings.

G - Damian Lillard / Anfernee Simons
G - Anfernee Simons / Lou Dort
F - Josh Hart / Nas Little
F - Jerami Grant / Justice Winslow
C - Jusuf Nurkic / ???

If the hope is to build a team of 2 scoring guards surrounded by versatile, high motor defenders the above is about as close to that as one could ask given what we have to work with asset wise.