Ayton, Grant, and Simons for anything?

[DusterBuster]

At this point, all I want is Simons trades and Grant to sit out the rest of the season. Whatever they can do to get Sharpe and Scoot back in the starting lineup.

Vince Carter was praising Simons a lot on the TNT broadcast and said he’d be a great pickup for a playoff team. I agree Vince!

[Sinobas]

I think the Bucks would take Grant for Middleton in a second. If the Blazers really can't find a trade that nets them a 1st, something like this should be the fall back plan.

[Walton1one]

I think the cost of BI, especially w/ 2 nice players outgoing like Brown / Kelly, should be 4-5 SRP.

That's an overpay as well.
Given his contract status ~2 SRP is all. Especially if NOP can get below the tax line with a trade.

I think Ingram is worth whatever an expiring contract attached to an average starter is worth -- not much. Trading assets for the privilege of locking him up to a stupid deal is the kind of move that hurts teams for years.

I disagree, the teams with cap space next year is really slim and if TOR values a guy like Ingram as a way to get a very good player for relatively cheap (1 first and expiring), then that is a bargain, what he resigns for is irrelevant b\c he is not going to have many choices to get his pay day outside of the team that owns his rights, a mid-teens 1st (via IND) is hardly a huge price to pay for a player of his caliber

[Walton1one]

I think the Bucks would take Grant for Middleton in a second. If the Blazers really can't find a trade that nets them a 1st, something like this should be the fall back plan.

I agree, and I think it is MIL who would gladly pay a fee to make that deal not POR.

[DusterBuster]

I think the Bucks would take Grant for Middleton in a second. If the Blazers really can't find a trade that nets them a 1st, something like this should be the fall back plan.

I agree, and I think it is MIL who would gladly pay a fee to make that deal not POR.

I get the sense Cronin isn’t going to just want to salary dump Grant. Think he would sooner just keep him on the roster and try to recoup his value.

I on the other hand would gladly pack Grants bags for him to do that swap.

[Walton1one]

Until I am proven wrong, I think Cronin is the type of guy who has la Honda Accord and says I’ll sell it to you for $100,000, and then ends up lamenting how nobody wants to pay him what the car is worth so he can’t sell it

It is like he almost doesn’t know how market economics work?

A players value is what the market is willing to pay, it is fluctuating, if you sit there on your little throne and say this is the price and I will not move off this price well then you’re gonna look like an idiot, and you obviously haven’t studied in negotiation 101 or salesmanship 101, which any GM worth a darn should be an expert in.

[Tim Lehrbach]

That's an overpay as well.
Given his contract status ~2 SRP is all. Especially if NOP can get below the tax line with a trade.

I think Ingram is worth whatever an expiring contract attached to an average starter is worth -- not much. Trading assets for the privilege of locking him up to a stupid deal is the kind of move that hurts teams for years.

I disagree, the teams with cap space next year is really slim and if TOR values a guy like Ingram as a way to get a very good player for relatively cheap (1 first and expiring), then that is a bargain, what he resigns for is irrelevant b\c he is not going to have many choices to get his pay day outside of the team that owns his rights, a mid-teens 1st (via IND) is hardly a huge price to pay for a player of his caliber

You could be right about the price and the situation. The Blazers paid a lotto protected first and three expiring contracts for the likewise expiring contract of Arron Afflalo in a rental-and-maybe-re-sign-but-maybe-not situation. I don't like Ingram, but he has performed better than Afflalo did leading up to that trade. If this is the route Toronto wants to take, a middling first and expendable salary may be the going rate. If I was running the Raptors, I'd never do it.

[Walton1one]

Oh, I agree, I wouldn’t do that trade either, but the rumor was that TOR might be interested, so I was just looking at the logic for them, and looking at their roster they have a lot of mid-level guys paid to pretty big contracts, that Ingram could potentially fit into?

I don’t think it’s ideal by any means, but it’s not the worst avenue for a team that is trying to legitimize themselves as a playoff caliber team?

[Sinobas]

Until I am proven wrong, I think Cronin is the type of guy who has la Honda Accord and says I’ll sell it to you for $100,000, and then ends up lamenting how nobody wants to pay him what the car is worth so he can’t sell it

It is like he almost doesn’t know how market economics work?

A players value is what the market is willing to pay, it is fluctuating, if you sit there on your little throne and say this is the price and I will not move off this price well then you’re gonna look like an idiot, and you obviously haven’t studied in negotiation 101 or salesmanship 101, which any GM worth a darn should be an expert in.

He might be trying to "redeem himself" for the Clippers trade. Word is that GMs around the league were aghast at how lop sided that trade was, which must be a big source of embarassment for Cronin. But now he's over-compensating by sitting on Grant.

It was widely rumored that the Lakers were offering a 1st for him, and deals that would expire well before Grant's. Cronin should have taken that.

[BlazersBroncos]

Fox likely to be traded scratches SAC as a potential Grant suitor which is a bummer b/c they were one of the few teams I saw as desperate enough to make a move for Jerami and his long big money deal.

Think Grant is a Blazer after the TDL.

[zzaj]

Fox likely to be traded scratches SAC as a potential Grant suitor which is a bummer b/c they were one of the few teams I saw as desperate enough to make a move for Jerami and his long big money deal.

Think Grant is a Blazer after the TDL.

Maaaaaybe. They apparently want a lot for Fox. I don't think they're going to get that asking price.

SAC moving on from Fox seems like more of the same that happens every year at the deadline--a ton of bluster, and only 1 or 2 meaningful moves actually happening.

But who knows...

If Grant was putting up 22/4/4 and shooting 40% from 3 I think he'd be more in the conversation. As is, I can't blame a team for avoiding his money based on his production.

[PDXKnight]

Fox likely to be traded scratches SAC as a potential Grant suitor which is a bummer b/c they were one of the few teams I saw as desperate enough to make a move for Jerami and his long big money deal.

Think Grant is a Blazer after the TDL.

Maaaaaybe. They apparently want a lot for Fox. I don't think they're going to get that asking price.

SAC moving on from Fox seems like more of the same that happens every year at the deadline--a ton of bluster, and only 1 or 2 meaningful moves actually happening.

But who knows...

If Grant was putting up 22/4/4 and shooting 40% from 3 I think he'd be more in the conversation. As is, I can't blame a team for avoiding his money based on his production.

Exactly he hasn't been a world beater this year.

I think going forward there needs to be expectations that he will not start. I get he was paid to start but production or lack thereof needs to count for something and clearly he's getting outplayed by quite a few forwards currently and doesn't rebound enough to maybe slightly overlook that

[JRoy]

Until I am proven wrong, I think Cronin is the type of guy who has la Honda Accord and says I’ll sell it to you for $100,000, and then ends up lamenting how nobody wants to pay him what the car is worth so he can’t sell it

It is like he almost doesn’t know how market economics work?

A players value is what the market is willing to pay, it is fluctuating, if you sit there on your little throne and say this is the price and I will not move off this price well then you’re gonna look like an idiot, and you obviously haven’t studied in negotiation 101 or salesmanship 101, which any GM worth a darn should be an expert in.

Didn’t Cronin move CJ and Norm? He didn’t overvalue them, just sent them packing for minimal return.

[PDXKnight]

Until I am proven wrong, I think Cronin is the type of guy who has la Honda Accord and says I’ll sell it to you for $100,000, and then ends up lamenting how nobody wants to pay him what the car is worth so he can’t sell it

It is like he almost doesn’t know how market economics work?

A players value is what the market is willing to pay, it is fluctuating, if you sit there on your little throne and say this is the price and I will not move off this price well then you’re gonna look like an idiot, and you obviously haven’t studied in negotiation 101 or salesmanship 101, which any GM worth a darn should be an expert in.

Didn’t Cronin move CJ and Norm? He didn’t overvalue them, just sent them packing for minimal return.

To be fair those weren't his guys

[Walton1one]

Until I am proven wrong, I think Cronin is the type of guy who has la Honda Accord and says I’ll sell it to you for $100,000, and then ends up lamenting how nobody wants to pay him what the car is worth so he can’t sell it

It is like he almost doesn’t know how market economics work?

A players value is what the market is willing to pay, it is fluctuating, if you sit there on your little throne and say this is the price and I will not move off this price well then you’re gonna look like an idiot, and you obviously haven’t studied in negotiation 101 or salesmanship 101, which any GM worth a darn should be an expert in.

Didn’t Cronin move CJ and Norm? He didn’t overvalue them, just sent them packing for minimal return.

Yes, he was also under direction from Vulcan to cut salary.

[Sinobas]

Until I am proven wrong, I think Cronin is the type of guy who has la Honda Accord and says I’ll sell it to you for $100,000, and then ends up lamenting how nobody wants to pay him what the car is worth so he can’t sell it

It is like he almost doesn’t know how market economics work?

A players value is what the market is willing to pay, it is fluctuating, if you sit there on your little throne and say this is the price and I will not move off this price well then you’re gonna look like an idiot, and you obviously haven’t studied in negotiation 101 or salesmanship 101, which any GM worth a darn should be an expert in.

Didn’t Cronin move CJ and Norm? He didn’t overvalue them, just sent them packing for minimal return.

To be fair those weren't his guys

Yes, GMs are generally much quicker about "undoing" a mistake from another GM. The rest of the GMS in the league also reportedly thought Cronin got taken to the cleaners...

[Butter]

So one needs to sit down with Cronin and remind him about sunk costs. Move on my man.

[Walton1one]

Multi-team trade proposal that lands the Blazers Jarace Walker
Here is the multi-team deal:

Detroit Pistons receive:
Anfernee Simons
Christian Wood

Indiana Pacers receive:
Rui Hachimura
Robert Williams III
2026 first-round pick (via Lakers)
2028 first-round pick (via Pistons)

Los Angeles Lakers receive:
Myles Turner

Portland Trail Blazers receive:
Jarace Walker
Isaiah Stewart

In this trade, the Indiana Pacers downgrade from Myles Turner to Robert Williams III and Jarace Walker to Rui Hachimura. That's not ideal; however, Jovan Buha of The Athletic brings up that the Pacers could be more inclined to trade Turner since he is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and there are questions surrounding whether they want to pay him.

"He's going to want $30-plus million, and I've heard Indiana is not sure if they want to give him $30-plus million," said Buha.

Hachimura has less upside than Walker, as they are five years apart, but the idea here is that two first-round picks would compensate for any downgrades in RW3 and Hachimura.

Out of all the potential trade candidates on the Trail Blazers roster, Portland loses arguably their two most valuable assets -- Anfernee Simons and Robert Williams III -- in this deal. That's a lot to give up, but it becomes easier when considering Williams' injury history and that the Blazers will have to sign Simons to a more significant contract after next year.

Walker is a 21-year-old wing shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc this season. He has a high floor with his 3-and-D skillset, but there's also untapped potential here that the Blazers should take a flier on.


Portland already has solidified their wing positions going forward with Avdija and Toumani Camara, and adding Walker would be a perfect addition to provide them with more depth. Teams can always use more wings, and there will be plenty of minutes to go around if Portland trades Jerami Grant in a separate deal.

Detroit big man Isaiah Stewart also fits into Portland's timeline at 23 years old. He'd be the clear-cut backup center for Donovan Clingan, assuming D

https://ripcityproject.com/1-blockbuster-multi-team-deal-lands-blazers-perfect-trade-target

Essentially, Simons\RW3 for Jarace Walker & Stewart. That would be interesting....

[PDXKnight]

Didn’t Cronin move CJ and Norm? He didn’t overvalue them, just sent them packing for minimal return.

To be fair those weren't his guys

Yes, GMs are generally much quicker about "undoing" a mistake from another GM. The rest of the GMS in the league also reportedly thought Cronin got taken to the cleaners...

I thought the cj trade was good. Josh hart is a better overall player. The norm deal was stupid bad

[Walton1one]

Here is a 4-team deal involving PHX\CHI & DET

Trail Blazers receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Lonzo Ball, Jalen Smith, a 2030 first-round draft pick, a 2026 second-round draft pick, and a 2028 second-round draft pick

Pistons receive: Julian Phillips and Royce O'Neale

Bulls receive: Bradley Beal, Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams III, a 2025 first-round draft pick, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and a 2025 second-round draft pick

Suns receive: Zach LaVine and Jevon Carter

I don't think this works though, as Beal apparently said he would not waive his no trade to go to CHI

This would be a blockbuster deal, with Portland helping to facilitate the trade of LaVine and Beal. The Trail Blazers would move off Anfernee Simons, a player that they have held trade talks about for a while now.

The team would land an extra first-round draft pick, as well as a few second-round draft picks. The team would get Nurkic to replace Williams III in the rotation and the financial flexibility that will come from Ball being a free agent at the end of the year.