2025 Off-Season Strategy - What will Cronin do?

[DaVoiceMaster]

What could Sharpe and our 2025 pick return? I still like the idea of Simons to Orlando for a pick.
Even better if Isaac is included. I would send Grant anywhere i could. I might hang on to Ayton at this point. He was playing decent ball before he got injured. If nothing else, he walks next year and is off the books. I gotta admit, I'm not a Thybulle fan at all and hated the signing, but I'm kind of liking him right now because of his defense and shooting. The 3 point shooting is probably fool's gold. I'm open to moving Sharpe for the right return.

[Blazers20]

Curious what Houston would offer Portland for Williams-Thybulle? Read Udoka really liked Williams while they were in Boston.

[Blazers20]

How much if any would Simons help Orlando, they aren’t looking very good right now.

[Walton1one]

Curious what Houston would offer Portland for Williams-Thybulle? Read Udoka really liked Williams while they were in Boston.

They likely offered Londale and a 2nd or 2 & Cronin said no

[Blazers20]

If Portland doesn’t get a top 4 pick I would either swing for the fences and try and draft a potential superstar and not play it safe and not go after a role player like Clingan and go for a play like Essengue (from what I’ve seen he has a high upside) or trade it and try to get an all star caliber player in return.

[Blazers20]

Cronin should not have allowed Williams to ever suit up for the Blazers and immediately have traded him (along with Brogdon) for better assets.

[Walton1one]

Yep he should have

As for the draft, they should use the pick, just keep stockpiling young talent so if the right star presents themselves, POR is ready to go after them

Knueppel - Newell - Essengue - Demin - Clifford - Bryant, have stood out to me

Same with Johnson or Jakuciinis if they fell a little on draft night, lots of options

Fears & Richardson are other possibilities, however given the team’s commitment to Scoot and the fact that Simons is still here, I would find drafting either of them an odd move, both are going to take time to develop and both are undersized guards of which POR already has 2 of and we have seen enough of the small backcourt and it’s downside before and that backcourt had an all star

I think Knueppel - Clifford - Newell - Essengue - Bryant and even Demin, any of those guys could step day 1 into the 8-10 man rotation and provide more than POR is getting now and hopefully if they pick right possibly more

[Case2012]

Clifford blew me away. Complete player. Wish he was more athletic, but no real weaknesses. The question is do you use a high pick on him if you can trade down and get another pick and take him there? Sucks he's 23 but man, his passing was the best i've seen in a minute. Maybe you can trade down if we stay at 8-9 and can grab Wolf or Fleming or something.

[Blaze the Nugz]

I'd love to draft Kneuppel, but I'm afraid he's playing his way up the board and out of our draft range. We could really use his shooting.

[elias808]

If we stay with our pick; draft the best shooter available.

Would also be fine with trading down for two picks and taking some combination of Clifford, Yaxel, or Essengue.

[Blazers20]

Does Essengue have superstar potential? Does anyone else see a young Giannis in Essengue, he’s long, pretty athletic and finishes above the rim. Essengue is a player you roll the dice on and hope he can become something special. I also see a little Batum in him as well.

[zzaj]

Does Essengue have superstar potential? Does anyone else see a young Giannis in Essengue, he’s long, pretty athletic and finishes above the rim. Essengue is a player you roll the dice on and hope he can become something special. I also see a little Batum in him as well.

Hard to say with Essengue. I haven't really deep-dived him, but from the limited stuff I've seen, he looks a bit awkward athletically with high hips, and no real offensive bag or singular NBA skill. He's only 18 so he could blossom into anything...but that's the case of any 18 year old.

Everyone is always looking for the next Giannis, but he's an outlier. Giannis grew 2.5 inches his rookie year, and had uber-elite wingspan and hand size, low hips, top 1% athletic ability for a 6'11-7' player. There's a reason he got nicknamed the "Freak" besides the word rhyming with "Greek". Noa might grow more, but his frame looks thin--especially the width of his shoulders--and I don't see anything close to resembling a Giannis level of athletic ability. The chances of him having a Giannis-like impact in the NBA are likely very, very small.

[tester551]

Does Essengue have superstar potential? Does anyone else see a young Giannis in Essengue, he’s long, pretty athletic and finishes above the rim. Essengue is a player you roll the dice on and hope he can become something special. I also see a little Batum in him as well.

Essengue is my favorite prospect in the 8-16 range, but I don't see Giannis at all.

Giannis had a very good handle and PG skills in the youth leagues he was in. I see Noa as having more of a Aldridge type impact (without LMA's stupid inefficient mid-range turnaround jumper). I think Noa can be a very good player... potentially a fringe all-star level.

[BlazersBroncos]

Does Essengue have superstar potential? Does anyone else see a young Giannis in Essengue, he’s long, pretty athletic and finishes above the rim. Essengue is a player you roll the dice on and hope he can become something special. I also see a little Batum in him as well.

Essengue is my favorite prospect in the 8-16 range, but I don't see Giannis at all.

Giannis had a very good handle and PG skills in the youth leagues he was in. I see Noa as having more of a Aldridge type impact (without LMA's stupid inefficient mid-range turnaround jumper). I think Noa can be a very good player... potentially a fringe all-star level.

I absolutely think Noa has about the highest ceiling of any player outside the top tier guys.

[Walton1one]

Some snippets of this were posted in the game thread, but Brett Siegel had a wealth of intel that he released on friday...

https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/how-nba-new-208-million-second-apron-impacts-trades-free-agency-siegels-scoop?utm_content=buffer03514&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Some snippets that I found interesting...

Even with all of these numbers increasing, the Brooklyn Nets project to be the only team with a massive amount of cap space to operate with in free agency...his front office will also have the capability to build an entirely new young core next to Thomas with four first-round picks in June's draft.

and BRK has no desire to go on a spending spree, or so they say, which means that a lot of the FA this year are more likely to return to their teams for favorable or short term (1-2yr) deals. The next offseason there will be a lot of teams with potential cap space. The expectation is a lot of mid-level deals.

While the cap numbers are set to increase and teams will be on the hunt for more immediate upgrades, this free agent class is much weaker than its predecessors.
The lack of available star power this upcoming summer will directly impact how teams allocate funds during free agency. That is why more focus will be put on middle-tier and key bench talents rather than the stars themselves.

Notable big men like Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, and Myles Turner will be unrestricted free agents, yet no teams around the league are gearing up to throw money at this position. As a result, there is a lot of intrigue among league circles regarding where these veteran players could end up.

The Indiana Pacers have already shown their cards early about Turner's future with the franchise. Money could end up being a long-term problem for them, but the Pacers are not prepared to see Turner walk in free agency...Indiana made it clear to inquiring teams at the trade deadline that the veteran center would remain on their roster, and the Pacers could re-sign him this offseason while remaining below the luxury tax threshold.

..it is hard to imagine this franchise can keep its slew of secondary talent like Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin should Turner remain in Indianapolis on a new deal that pays him around $30 million annually. These are the players teams are keeping a close eye on. Nembhard, McConnell, Nesmith, and Toppin have all drawn a considerable amount of trade interest over the last year..

This is why IND will be a team to watch, they want to keep Turner, they want to stay under the tax, they have to let go of a salary or two to be able to do that, UNLESS they can get Turner to sign for less (and there really are no suitors above MLE except for BRK). That is a sticky situation, do you lowball him and piss him off, bid against yourself (ala Cronin\Grant)?

The other big question mark in Indiana is the future of Bennedict Mathurin, an athletic and skilled 22-year-old wing who has a lot of untapped potential as a two-way player in Rick Carlisle's system. Mathurin continues to grow in his third season and will become extension-eligible in the summer.

After just paying Siakam and Nembhard last year, it would be near impossible for the Pacers to give new contracts to Turner and Mathurin while also remaining below the tax and aprons for future seasons. When Indiana ultimately brings back Turner in free agency, various teams will begin making calls about Nembhard's availability, followed by inquiring about McConnell, sources said.

Are any of Nembhard, McConnell, Nesmith or Toppin worth the 8th-10th pick in the draft? I would not be a fan of a trade like that. POR is nowhere near competing enough for any one of those guys to make a difference, and to make it worth, POR would have to use almost all of their potential cap space to make it happen. So lose the pick and have little room to manuever under the tax, all for Obi Toppin...yeah that sounds just like something this front office (Payton Jr) would do...

Naz Reid

...the Nets are the only team with significant cap space. Any other team wanting to pursue Reid would likely need to do so in sign-and-trade scenarios. That is why early talk surrounding Reid is that he will end up remaining with the Timberwolves.

MIL is in a pickle, having to likely choose b\t Portis & Lopez....

Do the Bucks keep both Portis and Lopez, or will they open up some financial flexibility by letting one of them walk?

Due to this being a much weaker free agent period than previous years, there is still a small possibility that Portis could ultimately stay with the Bucks on his player option.

A lot of attention in free agency will be cast on middle-tier players and those willing to accept contracts in the mid-level exception range. That is why Bruce Brown Jr., Caris LeVert, Gary Payton II, and Tim Hardaway Jr. will be some of the featured names this summer.

Will POR use its' MLE on a guy like LeVert or Hardaway Jr? Again, I would ask why? but, this is just the sort of nonsensical move they have done before...

Some key RFA's most expected to resign with their teams. Kuminga situation would be the one to monitor however I don't see a fit with POR when they already have Camara\Deni & Grant

While Giddey and Grimes are expected to earn new contracts with the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively, Kuminga's situation is not as clear... owner Joe Lacob has made it clear that money won't stand in the way of him building a championship-level roster, how much money will this organization be willing to devote to Kuminga this offseason? Since the free agent market will be weaker than usual, Kuminga's market will be limited.

This will likely be an advantage for the Warriors, as they could sign Kuminga to a reasonable contract instead of breaking the bank on a deal that exceeds $30 million annually.

Durant

Of the teams that could show heavy trade interest in Durant, the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets loom large, sources said....Houston has long wanted to make a big offseason splash since Harden left, and they recently agreed to long-term extensions with Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green last offseason. These two players, along with a plethora of draft assets, some belonging to Phoenix, make the Rockets an attractive destination for a star player like Durant.

Playing chess not checkers. This could be an avenue for POR as well, a few years down the road. This is why a Grant for Middleton deal might have been a good idea? even if all POR got was a 31 swap instead of the pick itself + AJ Johnson (who BTW has looked interesting in WAS), would have been worth it to have more of MIL future under their control + relieve themselves of TWO YEARS owed on Grant. Oh well

It will be interesting to see where Durant ends up.

One surprise team that pursued Durant hard at the trade deadline with other teams making calls to Phoenix was the Atlanta Hawks, sources said. The Hawks, who were also in trade discussions with the New Orleans Pelicans on a deal centered around Brandon Ingram before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, have been searching for another star to play alongside Trae Young.

Could the Hawks take a massive gamble on Durant in the final year of his contract to try and figure things out quickly around Young? With Capela becoming a free agent and likely departing, along with other players on expiring contracts, it's unlikely that Atlanta has the assets and money to make a trade for Durant.

Given the play of late from ATL, 9-6 in their last 15 games, I don't think Trae Young will be on the market. I don't see Durant going to ATL, but this indicates that they are looking to add not subtract\reset.

The Timberwolves also called the Suns inquiring about Durant at the trade deadline. Anthony Edwards has long stated that Durant was his favorite player growing up, and the two All-Stars share a bond with one another. Minnesota is in a very unique situation because the new ownership taking over wants to do everything they can to build a title-contending team.

I could see that, makes more sense than DAL IMO, maybe a S&T with NAW or Reid?

There have been whispers among league personnel about the possibility of the Spurs pursuing Durant and creating the best offensive trio in the league next to Fox and Wembanyama.

Devin Vassell is a young talent who has come up in early conversations about possible trade candidates around the NBA this offseason, and there is a lot to like about the 24-year-old wing. He will be entering Year 2 of a five-year extension he signed with San Antonio that sits below $30 million per season. The only reason Vassell has yet to break out for the Spurs is due to multiple injury concerns over the last two years.

Durant for Vassell and picks (that PHX would probably then use to acquire other vet player would be my guess)? I don't see the logic for SA, but I would not be surprised. SA has (2) 1st's this year, right now #8 & #16. I doubt they keep both? Could see one of those offloaded in a deal for Durant, probably going to a 3rd team for a vet? Maybe Cronin should get on the phone with PHX again?

...the Sacramento Kings will enter the offseason with questions to answer like the Suns...What is the direction of the Kings at this point?...Every player on this roster wants to know the answer to this question, especially Sabonis...Many around the league are preparing for the possibility of the Kings becoming big sellers ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline next February, which would likely result in Sabonis requesting a trade should a clear direction not present itself.

This offseason, the Kings will very likely run things back with the stars they currently have. No matter what, the Kings won't be an apron team, and they will enter the summer roughly $20 million below the tax line. It is going to be very interesting to see how Sacramento looks to address their major problems after missing the playoffs or losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

This makes complete sense, so I would not hold out hope for a Sabonis trade this offseason, at the deadline things could get interesting. Still don't see the fit here though...

Now the depressing news, get ready for more Cronin speak\double talk...

The Blazers have a great blend of youthful depth and growing potential right now. That is why Billups deserves to continue steering this ship in the right direction. Whether or not he will get the chance to do so will be addressed over the summer.

After being attached to trade rumors with Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, and Deandre Ayton at the trade deadline, the Blazers will again be searching the market for value this offseason. Although Ayton and Grant have become very expendable with Avdija, Donovan Clingan, and others emerging, Portland is still comfortable holding onto what they have. There is no sense of pressure mounting to make a significant roster change.

Should the Trail Blazers look to make a trade, they will do so with the intention of making another somewhat small move, much like they did for Avdija with the Washington Wizards a year ago. With this said, decisions will need to be made about the futures of Ayton and Anfernee Simons.

Ayton will be entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $35.5 million. This contract is one that no team around the league has expressed interest in.

lol, big surprise...

Teams have called the Blazers about Simons in the past, but there has never been an immediate sense that he was close to being dealt. That could change in the offseason, as Simons will be entering the final year of his contract and making $27.7 million....It is clear that Henderson and Sharpe are the future of the Blazers' backcourt, and this organization will have another top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Is Simons' time in Portland nearing an end?

A question most Blazer fans have been asking for the last few YEARS...

There has been plenty of chatter linking Simons to the Orlando Magic since he is from Florida and attended IMG Academy, which is south of the Tampa area. Another team discussed as a potential landing spot for Simons is the Miami Heat, sources said.

Miami would be a lot more comfortable if Herro wasn't always tasked with the “point guard role,” and moving on from Terry Rozier will be one of their main goals in the offseason.

So, Marang last night mentioned this rumor and dropped that POR had discussions with MIA, whether he is full of crap or if it was at the deadline is unknown. I did check and a Rozier + swap for Simons would work. MIA BTW has (2) 1st round picks in the draft, currently #11 & #22.

A Rozier, Jovic & #22 for Simons could make sense? The last time any mention of Simons as even potentially even being available it was brought up that POR would need picks and a young player. Do I think he is worth that? Not necessarily, I'd be happy with Rozier & #22. Rozier's contract expires next offseason, same as Simons. Jovic has been out with an injury, but has looked decent this year, averaging 11-4-3, but may be losing his spot to Ware? Only 21, will also be an RFA after next year. The trade could be done straight up (Rozier for Simons), or maybe including another young guy like Larsson or Johnson (both of whom worked out for POR),

Jaquez maybe? Not sure what is going on with him but he has really fallen out of the rotation, averaging 15min since February (he averaged 28min LY).

I am not saying that is Simons' value (pick + young player) just probably what Cronin views his value as (and it might be more than that).

While it's certainly a long shot, another team mentioned as a possible landing spot for Simons if the Blazers were to look to trade him is the Lakers, sources said. Take this with a grain of salt, as Los Angeles has more pressing matters to tend to on defense and in terms of frontcourt personnel.

The idea of Simons playing off Doncic certainly makes sense. He is a solid three-point shooting weapon who can play on or off the ball, creating a strong scoring duo for the future with Luka. Head coach JJ Redick has also spoken very highly in the past of Simons' potential and skill.

Simons is an underrated and interesting name to track heading into the offseason. While the Blazers have not firmly put him on the trade block, his name has come up in conversations with rival teams over the last year, sources said.

I don't see the Lakers as a possibility. Do they want to unload their only 1st (31) for Simons? I doubt it.

Vincent\Kleber\Knecht for Simons works straight up, POR would have to let a couple players go though...

Speaking of falling out of the rotation, Knecht has been non-existant over the last 2 weeks or so...

[Walton1one]

I would add this here, from Sean Highkin...

The Blazers, mostly running back the same roster and coach that won 21 games last season, would be right there with the other tanking teams like Utah, Washington, Brooklyn and Charlotte.

If anyone in the organization tells you they thought this season would go any other way, they’re lying.

The fact that they did not see this coming is bad enough, but then to allow this to play out, either through choice or by direction (instructions on high from the evil Mr Burns...err...Bert Kolde) is beyond inexcusable. They expected to compete for Flagg and instead played better and inexplicably did nothing, while other teams who found themselves in similar situations (BRK, TOR, UTA, heck even SA and NO) actively steered themselves into tanking....

Dysfunction Junction....There is just no other reason to (not) make the choices they did...

I don't expect the offseason to go any better, no matter what nonsense Cronin has spouted for the upteenth time in a row...

Sad days to be a Blazer fan, getting excited about beating (or closely losing to) teams resting their stars, decimated by injuries or actively tanking (before and IN game), and then viewing that through the lens of this team being close to playoff caliber.

Expecting teams like NO, DAL & SA to be injury plagued next year is wishing..

Expecting teams like SA, NO, DAL to stay\fall behind POR roster next year is nonsensical when all those teams clearly have better talent (andhave a star caliber player or 2)

Expecting POR key players to all remain relatively injury free for the entire season is wishful thinking....

Expecting teams like PHX (who appears to be retooling), GS, SAC (who blasted POR at home in a game POR had to win), LAC & LAL to suddenly fall off a cliff is wishcasting...

Spin it any way you want, but this organization has set itself back not forward this year, and now the only hope is that Cronin somehow hits lottery gold (via pick or player) or makes some Deni+ deal for the type of player that deos not seem to be out there (who would that player even be?) or that Sharpe & Scoot (in particular) take massive leaps next year.

I think you would have better luck hitting the lotto.

[Pattycakes]

Blazers with basically the youngest team in the league almost will have made the play in this year despite being injury plagued again.

We own Milwaukee’s soul from 2028-2030…

So, what our goal should be is simple:

Offload all vets (I’m cool with Ayton staying but don’t really care to argue about it) and consolidate into something.

Focus on developing Scoot, Shae, Toumani, Deni and DC.

Look at trying to get a very fair deal on a young complimentary piece SUCH as Domas. Worst case we’re stuck with another 18-19 yr old lotto pick to add into the fold.

Really let the stew cook - and set up to be ready for the playoffs next year but not at the deficit of the above core.. and try to be in an OKC level position 3 years from now, where the MIL picks are either to further bolster our championship aspirations, or we can then package for a superstar if we haven’t gotten one yet.

I don’t think it’s really an overthinking-required situation.

[zzaj]

I don't think there's a world where Grant is dealt, sadly. A team would have to be insane to take on the years of his contract for a 15/4/2 player. My hope is that he happily rides out his contract as a refocused 3&D player coming off the bench. But he apparently had issue with his role earlier in the season.

I could see Simons getting traded and the Blazers picking up a player in the draft to replace what should be his role, coming off the bench. Maybe a Nique Clifford...

As much as I don't like the type of player that Ayton is, I think he's a Blazer next year because of his contract. It'll be really interesting to see the how the C minutes develop next season.

I've said it a million times--the Blazers chose the wrong time to be building a mid-level team instead of bottoming out in a rebuild. Flagg and Harper, this year...Dybantsa, Boozer, Peterson, Ament next year...all look like players who can change the trajectory of a franchise. I expect the Blazers to end next year about where they ended this year--chasing the play-in. Which is the exact WRONG position to be in when it's looking like a generational draft year and you're trying to build up a franchise.

[BlazersBroncos]

Simons for Rozier and #22 actually is a nice idea.

Rozier has sucked given the cost MIA paid and their expected return - but here he wouldnt be the worst backup PG for a year until he expires. And we get that pick. I like this a bit more than the ORL idea which basically ensures we take on Cole or KCP - both of whom have an extra year on their deals compared to Simons and Rozier.

Honestly I could see an offseason where we simply make the above move, trade RWIII to HOU for Landale and a 1-2 SRP and run it back. Maybe also try to move Reath for a SRP since we are going to be paying Landale already to be C3. Grant is untradable (Unless we are idiots and attach assets to move him) - Ayton likely has no market and at least he expires - MT has been pretty nice since coming back from injury, and I think I would prefer to keep him around than move him for a comparable expiring and some SRP.

G - Scoot Henderson / Terry Rozier / Dalano Banton
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Matisse Thybulle / Kon Knueppel (PDX FRP)
F - Toumani Camara / Jerami Grant / Kris Murray / Rayan Rupert
F - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Rasheer Flemming (MIA FRP)
C - DeAndre Ayton / Donovan Clingan / Jock Landale

I think the above is the type of relatively simply offseason to expect.

[zzaj]

Simons for Rozier and #22 actually is a nice idea.

Rozier has sucked given the cost MIA paid and their expected return - but here he wouldnt be the worst backup PG for a year until he expires. And we get that pick. I like this a bit more than the ORL idea which basically ensures we take on Cole or KCP - both of whom have an extra year on their deals compared to Simons and Rozier.

Honestly I could see an offseason where we simply make the above move, trade RWIII to HOU for Landale and a 1-2 SRP and run it back. Maybe also try to move Reath for a SRP since we are going to be paying Landale already to be C3. Grant is untradable (Unless we are idiots and attach assets to move him) - Ayton likely has no market and at least he expires - MT has been pretty nice since coming back from injury, and I think I would prefer to keep him around than move him for a comparable expiring and some SRP.

G - Scoot Henderson / Terry Rozier / Dalano Banton
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Matisse Thybulle / Kon Knueppel (PDX FRP)
F - Toumani Camara / Jerami Grant / Kris Murray / Rayan Rupert
F - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Rasheer Flemming (MIA FRP)
C - DeAndre Ayton / Donovan Clingan / Jock Landale

I think the above is the type of relatively simply offseason to expect.

I'd be pretty happy with the outcomes outlined above...