Game 18 Portland vs Memphis 5:00pm Chargetv

[Tim Lehrbach]

I'm the biggest Sharpe fan on RealGM, but I am realistic enough to admit he's probably a number 2 option on a good team. I like Simons, but he's a six man of the year type of player.

I like Sharpe, but he hasn't established his worthiness of starter on a good team, let alone a second option. Simons could be 6MOY -- because that award frequently goes to the most voluminous chucker off the bench having a charmed season.

[Walton1one]

Everyone is being a bit too hard on the Baby Blazers.

Other than retaining Grant, I think that management has done a decent job with the rebuild. Ayton was a bad move in hindsight, but worth a chance that a change of scenery would bring back what made him be picked #1. Drafting Murray versus trading the pick made little sense due to the roster construction and roster limits, but I can't really fault management for hoping he would hopefully develop enough to catch up to his brother. The problem is that we're a team of role players. Some solid - I'm the biggest Sharpe fan on RealGM, but I am realistic enough to admit he's probably a number 2 option on a good team. I like Simons, but he's a six man of the year type of player. Yet either him or Grant are the team's number 1 option.

Jacking up 46 three pointers when the team lacks a single decent three point shooter is just laziness/incompetence on Billup's part.

Hat tip to Brandon-Clyde. Keep posting the GLBs and I'll keep checking the game threads, even when we're blown out by 30.

Good post, I agree with the sentiment on Sharpe and with the bizarre # of 3pt attempts\Billups.

Sharpe is only 21 but it sure appears to me that he is more of that #2 role type of player, capable of some big nights, maybe even a few in a row, but then back to inconsistency. Getting him to shoot more would be beneficial to him and the team to see what he is capable of if forced into more usage. His shot attempts are only up by 1 FG a game (a little less actually). so far this year.

Disagree about decent job on rebuild, Cronin has hung onto guys like Grant\Ant too long and should have offloaded them at last season's deadline or in the offseason but he hung onto them, added (2) players then ran it back with the same players, which is just baffling to me.

I can't decide if he is too close to his own players (values them more than he should) or too stubborn to recognize what their true value is. The problem is, the longer he waits the less value they have (particularly Ant\Ayton who are FA after next season, RW3 & Thybulle as well)

Not to mention they clog the roster and take valuable development time away from younger players.

[Walton1one]

What the heck is up with Ayton. Don't some players wrap up a finger injury and keep playing? How bad is it to miss multiple games. I suspect maybe we are already starting to milk injuries

I agree, out this long with a finger injury seems suspect. Would like to believe this is trade-related, but knowing Cronin, I doubt it.

[Dame Lizard]

My concern all along was that Grant's value was at its peak after last season where he had back to back very good 3 Pt shooting seasons on high scoring numbers.

Cronin has really missed on an opportunity there. Sad to see. Grant would be a good player on many teams, but his value must have been hurt significantly by this season's poor play.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Reportedly, Grant is sought after by several teams. Get it done!!!

Maybe after December 15th, it will open up more opportunities.

[tester551]

Reportedly, Grant is sought after by several teams. Get it done!!!

Maybe after December 15th, it will open up more opportunities.

Where is this 'report' from?

[JasonStern]

Everyone is being a bit too hard on the Baby Blazers.

Other than retaining Grant, I think that management has done a decent job with the rebuild. Ayton was a bad move in hindsight, but worth a chance that a change of scenery would bring back what made him be picked #1. Drafting Murray versus trading the pick made little sense due to the roster construction and roster limits, but I can't really fault management for hoping he would hopefully develop enough to catch up to his brother. The problem is that we're a team of role players. Some solid - I'm the biggest Sharpe fan on RealGM, but I am realistic enough to admit he's probably a number 2 option on a good team. I like Simons, but he's a six man of the year type of player. Yet either him or Grant are the team's number 1 option.

Jacking up 46 three pointers when the team lacks a single decent three point shooter is just laziness/incompetence on Billup's part.

Hat tip to Brandon-Clyde. Keep posting the GLBs and I'll keep checking the game threads, even when we're blown out by 30.

Good post, I agree with the sentiment on Sharpe and with the bizarre # of 3pt attempts\Billups.

Sharpe is only 21 but it sure appears to me that he is more of that #2 role type of player, capable of some big nights, maybe even a few in a row, but then back to inconsistency. Getting him to shoot more would be beneficial to him and the team to see what he is capable of if forced into more usage. His shot attempts are only up by 1 FG a game (a little less actually). so far this year.

Disagree about decent job on rebuild, Cronin has hung onto guys like Grant\Ant too long and should have offloaded them at last season's deadline or in the offseason but he hung onto them, added (2) players then ran it back with the same players, which is just baffling to me.

I can't decide if he is too close to his own players (values them more than he should) or too stubborn to recognize what their true value is. The problem is, the longer he waits the less value they have (particularly Ant\Ayton who are FA after next season, RW3 & Thybulle as well)

Not to mention they clog the roster and take valuable development time away from younger players.

We've had this discussion before and nothing has changed.

Retaining Simons is fine. He isn't going to return much in a trade. And he just turned 25 not too long ago. Thybulle is probably a better piece to trade. Same with Timelord, despite loving Timelord.

Retaining Grant on a massively overpaid contract made zero sense and seemed like a "we traded a 1st for him so we demand a 1st for him to leave" ego play.

Ayton trade looks bad now. When the Phoenix board was laughing the a**es off that we took on that contract, that was a red flag. But I get the idea of "maybe a new environment will fix him". Nurkic was pouting on the bench in Denver and had his career resparked by a new opportunity. But then he also didn't have Ayton's contract. He played well to end last season, but I think drafting Cling Kong and having Timelord return has crushed any effort he was thinking about possibly maybe putting in.

Sharpe looks to be a solid starter. Possible #2 option on a good team.

Scoot was the consensus #3 pick. Looks to be a solid but not spectacular starter. Same with Cling Kong. Same with Deni.

Camara and Banton were great cheap pick-ups.

The problem here is that it's just a collection of role players. All lead by a coach that doesn't seem to know how to develop players or win with less. Just makes the franchise look directionless.

[BlazersBroncos]

Scoot is miles from showing the tools to be a solid if unspectacular starter. He is a net negative in basically every way when on the floor. He has not improved his 3 since his first year in the G-League. He is historically bad at finishing at the rim still. As Wiz outlined in another thread - right now of 189 players Scoot is 186th in TO rate and 185 in TO-per-100-possessions. He is a unmitigated disaster and to assume he becomes a starter is optimistic in itself. He is on the Muiday path and there is no solid argument against this.

Sharpe as well being penciled in as a #2 option on a winning team is pretty optimistic. A young #2 on a winning team is someone of Franz Wagner's caliber - a guy that has stepped up and is keeping them afloat and in the PO race despite the #1 being out. Could we see Sharpe in that role? I would argue he isnt really close to that level, at least not yet.

[Walton1one]

Where is this 'report' from?

I haven't seen one either however, there is a fair amount of speculating about Grant (in particular) and RW3

Trade involving Memphis, this one seems somewhat realistic IMO:

In fact, Smart's $20.2 million deal for this season (he's also only under contract through next year) could be included in the offing, along with big man Brandon Clarke, a lightly protected future first round pick and a pair of second rounders. Grant would elevate the Grizzlies' floor with his spacing and switchability.

Smart and Clarke would essentially be trade flotsam. The oft-hurt Clarke, 28, is on a fairly reasonable deal, although it will keep him under contract through 2026-27. He's making $12.5 million a year. If he can stay on the floor, he should be movable at some point. The 30-year-old Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, is under contract through next season. He should still fetch plenty of value on the open market if Portland wants to deal him — or he could serve as a tutor to the Trail Blazers' young guards and wings if the Trail Blazers instead opt to retain him.

This one, has Grant going to CLE for (3) 2nd's:

In a new proposed trade by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Portland moves Grant to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In return, they land a wing scorer, an additional forward, and some draft picks.

Cavaliers receive: Forward Jerami Grant

Trail Blazers receive: Forward Caris LeVert, forward Georges Niang, a 2025 second-round pick, and two 2027 second-round picks

Listed as a Dream target for MIN, Can't see them offloading Randle to take on Grant though

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report writes that the 3-and-D power forward just might be the Minnesota Timberwolves' dream trade target this season. The 6-foot-7 Syracuse product, 30, is averaging 18.3 points on .376/.338/.828 shooting splits, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists (against 1.8 turnovers), 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals a night across 33.5 minutes a night, and would represent at least a significant defensive upgrade over current All-Star starter Julius Randle, though he's not nearly the playmaker Randle is.

"Thought exercise: What's the best thing the Minnesota Timberwolves could turn Julius Randle's expiring $33 million salary (player option for 2025-26) into?" Hughes asks. "The answer might just be cap relief, but it's hard to do better than Jerami Grant if you're thinking along the lines of a trade. He's on the books through 2027-28, which might be an issue for the already costly Wolves, but Grant's versatile defense and reliable three-point shooting (40.1 percent combined over the last two years) make him a much cleaner fit in Minnesota's frontcourt rotation."

That said, Hughes explains why a deal for Grant might be unlikely for Minnesota.

"The Wolves are bereft of picks and might need to involve a third team to make a Grant acquisition even semi-plausible," Hughes writes.

Timelord to MIL for Portis and....? Have to imagins this would be a 3-team deal, Portis going elsewhere and assets coming back to POR?

This info was shared by reporter Jake Weinbach, who wrote, "The Milwaukee Bucks are another team to closely monitor for Robert Williams III.

Weinbach also mentioned the Los Angeles Lakers as another favorite to land Williams around February's deadline.

Uh, yuck,,,

In a new trade proposal, Portland moves on from Williams III and nets a former NBA champion in the process. The deal would have the Trail Blazers making a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles would get Williams III to help bolster their frontcourt going forward. His energy off the bench could be massive for the Clippers as they look to compete in the Western Conference.

Portland would land veteran forward P.J. Tucker, guard Amir Coffey, and a 2029 first-round draft pick swap from the Clippers. Tucker hasn't played yet this season as he and the Clippers have been working out a plan to get him off the roster.

Worse, I am sure NYK would love to get Camara, can't see POR doing that

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale suggests a trade idea that sends point guard Cam Payne and center Mitchell Robinson, along with a protected 2025 first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for second-year forward Toumani Camara and backup center Robert Williams III.

"Swapping out Robinson for Williams would be more debatable if the former were healthy. He's not. Williams has already returned to action, can be more of an offensive decision-maker off the catch and, at his peak, is the better dual-big fit alongside Karl-Anthony Towns at the other end," Favale writes. "Camara is not among the NBA's household names, but he does an excellent job defending them. At 6'7", he guards four of the five spots on the floor, including basically all of the top advantage creators. If the three-point stroke is real—40 percent shooting on 3.2 attempts per game)—he isn't just an upgrade in depth. He's a playoff difference-maker."

The trade cannot be completed until Dec. 15 if Payne was involved since he signed a new deal this offseason, but this deal is more likely to be completed without him and Camara.

[zzaj]

Scoot is miles from showing the tools to be a solid if unspectacular starter. He is a net negative in basically every way when on the floor. He has not improved his 3 since his first year in the G-League. He is historically bad at finishing at the rim still. As Wiz outlined in another thread - right now of 189 players Scoot is 186th in TO rate and 185 in TO-per-100-possessions. He is a unmitigated disaster and to assume he becomes a starter is optimistic in itself. He is on the Muiday path and there is no solid argument against this.

Sharpe as well being penciled in as a #2 option on a winning team is pretty optimistic. A young #2 on a winning team is someone of Franz Wagner's caliber - a guy that has stepped up and is keeping them afloat and in the PO race despite the #1 being out. Could we see Sharpe in that role? I would argue he isnt really close to that level, at least not yet.

I'm quickly changing my tune on Scoot--even though I didn't particularly like him as a player in the draft, I understood why the Org made that pick. But this year, even though he's still young he was going to have to show some pretty big strides in terms of ANY NBA skill--so far he hasn't shown that. I'll be honest, if I'm Cronin...I'm potentially looking at his replacement in the 2025 draft and considering him in trades while he still has "upside" value for other GMs. I know that will never happen, but it's what I would do...

As for Sharpe? It's a small sample size...but the elephant in the room is that he actually hasn't progressed in any really meaningful way since his first season. If we look at his per minute stats first season to now? Pretty much the same player. Now, eye-test shows that he has improved slightly as a playmaker and perhaps is slightly better on defense...but I still need to see bigger strides by season's end, personally.

[Walton1one]

Sharpe got called out for his (lack of) defense in a recent video breakdown by Vecenie. His defense is not good.

[BlazersBroncos]

If you can trade Scoot for the 2nd highest BRK 2025 FRP - do you do it?

I think I would. I am quickly selling all my stock in the kid.

[Norm2953]

If you can trade Scoot for the 2nd highest BRK 2025 FRP - do you do it?

I think I would. I am quickly selling all my stock in the kid.

Tankathon has that as the 18th pick.

I think Portland would pass for that would leave Portland without a natural PG on the roster.

[zzaj]

If you can trade Scoot for the 2nd highest BRK 2025 FRP - do you do it?

I think I would. I am quickly selling all my stock in the kid.

Tankathon has that as the 18th pick.

I think Portland would pass for that would leave Portland without a natural PG on the roster.

Portland already is without a natural PG on the roster.

[zzaj]

If you can trade Scoot for the 2nd highest BRK 2025 FRP - do you do it?

I think I would. I am quickly selling all my stock in the kid.

If that pick ends up as Saraf, Newell, Will Riley, Karaban, Esengue...I'd seriously consider it.

[Norm2953]

If you can trade Scoot for the 2nd highest BRK 2025 FRP - do you do it?

I think I would. I am quickly selling all my stock in the kid.

Tankathon has that as the 18th pick.

I think Portland would pass for that would leave Portland without a natural PG on the roster.

Portland already is without a natural PG on the roster.

Scoot might not be an elite player but his natural position when he plays is PG.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Reportedly, Grant is sought after by several teams. Get it done!!!

Maybe after December 15th, it will open up more opportunities.

Where is this 'report' from?

It was on a RealGM news feed.