2025 Off-Season Strategy - What will Cronin do?

[dckingsfan]

The Kings seem poised for a huge blowup of their roster this summer. Reportedly both Sabas and DeRozen's agents are poised to demand their clients be moved elsewhere out of Sacramento this summer. Others could follow suit, but according to Sam Amick who covers them the closest, those two are locked in.

I would love to have a Sabonis back in Portland, but not sure that really makes mores the Blazers significantly better. Sabas reminds me more of a guy you get when you have one or two core guys already in place, not when you just have a really good collection of guys. Feels like getting Sabas now would just be the same as when the Kings got him.

That said, if the price is low enough on Sabas... if the Blazers could get him for Grant, RW3 and maybe this years FRP and the Celtics 2029... I could be talked into it....

Simons/Scoot
Camara/Sharpe
Deni/Sharpe
Sabas/Thybulle
Ayton/Clingan

Is this something/anything?

"I think"...

If Sacramento is going to blow it up, they will want draft assets and expiring contracts. And Portland is reasonably positioned for this (not compared to the Nets for example but still...).

Sabonis/Monk for Ayton/Simons + draft capital.

I believe that in '26-'27 LaVine will opt out of his option and I believe that DeRozan is only partially guaranteed. So... they would be cap free by that point.

The questions really are: is Scott Perry coming in for a tear down or rebuild on the fly? If they traded Sabonis only, what kind of draft capital could they get from OKC or Brooklyn?

And Sabonis is a C, full stop.

Scoot/Monk
Sharpe/Thybulle (or the other way around)
Deni/Grant
Camara/Walker (I hope)
Sabonis/Clingan

Or more likely...

Scoot/Monk
Deni/Sharpe
Grant/Thybulle
Camara/Waker
Sabonis/Clingan

To me (opinion), this is a playoff team in the west.

[BlazersBroncos]

The Kings seem poised for a huge blowup of their roster this summer. Reportedly both Sabas and DeRozen's agents are poised to demand their clients be moved elsewhere out of Sacramento this summer. Others could follow suit, but according to Sam Amick who covers them the closest, those two are locked in.

I would love to have a Sabonis back in Portland, but not sure that really makes mores the Blazers significantly better. Sabas reminds me more of a guy you get when you have one or two core guys already in place, not when you just have a really good collection of guys. Feels like getting Sabas now would just be the same as when the Kings got him.

That said, if the price is low enough on Sabas... if the Blazers could get him for Grant, RW3 and maybe this years FRP and the Celtics 2029... I could be talked into it....

Simons/Scoot
Camara/Sharpe
Deni/Sharpe
Sabas/Thybulle
Ayton/Clingan

Is this something/anything?

I would be shocked if SAC took on Grant in a Sabonis deal. They will want Ayton and his EC.

Ayton + Murray + #10 + lowest 2029 FRP for Sabonis + #42.

Then try to still move Simons as we 100% cant afford to resign w/ Domantas + Grant + youth due for new contracts. With Goga out of the rotation I wonder if we could get Cole + Goga + #24 for Simons (And then send Reath to them for nothing - think on a VM we can do that)

G - Scoot Henderson / Cole Anthony
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Matisse Thybulle
F - Toumani Camara / Jerami Grant / Rayan Rupert
F - Deni Avdija / Domantas Sabonis / Jerami Grant
C - Domantas Sabonis / Donovan Clingan / Goga Bitzade

Then we can use #24 and #42 on absolute BPA regardless of position IMO b/c the roster otherwise is quite stacked with rotation worthy guys.

I actually really love that roster.

[DusterBuster]

The Kings seem poised for a huge blowup of their roster this summer. Reportedly both Sabas and DeRozen's agents are poised to demand their clients be moved elsewhere out of Sacramento this summer. Others could follow suit, but according to Sam Amick who covers them the closest, those two are locked in.

I would love to have a Sabonis back in Portland, but not sure that really makes mores the Blazers significantly better. Sabas reminds me more of a guy you get when you have one or two core guys already in place, not when you just have a really good collection of guys. Feels like getting Sabas now would just be the same as when the Kings got him.

That said, if the price is low enough on Sabas... if the Blazers could get him for Grant, RW3 and maybe this years FRP and the Celtics 2029... I could be talked into it....

Simons/Scoot
Camara/Sharpe
Deni/Sharpe
Sabas/Thybulle
Ayton/Clingan

Is this something/anything?

I think the Kings would prefer Ayton to Grant since he plays a position of need if they trade Sabonis. I like BB's idea
of Ayton, Murray, 10 for Sabonis. If the Boston pick in 2029 was needed in the deal, that would be fine.

Interesting situation if both Grant and Sabonis are in Portland for both were born in Portland.

I don't want Sabonis enough to give us an expiring contract for him. I think you may be right, this is just personal preference, but personally I don't think he's impactful enough where I want to take on his 4yr 40mil deal without giving up a similarly long-term contract.

[oldfishermen]

Doubt this trade happens, but...

Grant and Jrue Holiday have almost identical contracts. Both in length and $$$.

Jrue is about 3 years older than Grant, and starting to decline. He would be a great backup PG and mentor for Scoot.

[BlazersBroncos]

Doubt this trade happens, but...

Grant and Jrue Holiday have almost identical contracts. Both in length and $$$.

Jrue is about 3 years older than Grant, and starting to decline. He would be a great backup PG and mentor for Scoot.

I would do it but if BOS moves on from one of their big money guys it will be to save money, not bring in another guy w/ the same contract.

Also, even if they were looking to move big money for big money IDK why they would target Grant who would be a bench player for them.

[oldfishermen]

Doubt this trade happens, but...

Grant and Jrue Holiday have almost identical contracts. Both in length and $$$.

Jrue is about 3 years older than Grant, and starting to decline. He would be a great backup PG and mentor for Scoot.

I would do it but if BOS moves on from one of their big money guys it will be to save money, not bring in another guy w/ the same contract.

Also, even if they were looking to move big money for big money IDK why they would target Grant who would be a bench player for them.

Agree, all true,,,,, but.

Grant could take over Horfords role and minutes.

White has taken over the starting pg role. Trading Jrue would open up minutes to develop bupg Pritchard, and also Davison.

If Cronin needed to sweeten the pot to make it happen. We could return Boston's 2029 frp.

[Butter]

If the Blazers can get Sabonis for Ayton, you absolutely pull the trigger.

I still think they need a shooter at PG

[tblazrdude]

If the Blazers can get Sabonis for Ayton, you absolutely pull the trigger.

I still think they need a shooter at PG

Please make the basketball case for Sabonis on this team. I haven't heard a good one yet.

[DusterBuster]

If the Blazers can get Sabonis for Ayton, you absolutely pull the trigger.

I still think they need a shooter at PG

Please make the basketball case for Sabonis on this team. I haven't heard a good one yet.

I actually agree with you, I think Sabonis doesn't make much sense for this roster given his age and what he wants to accomplish at this stage of his career. He doesn't want to be around a bunch of early 20yr old kids who haven't sniffed the playoffs and be the #1 guy over that I wouldn't think. I would assume he wants to be somewhere that can win.

That said, I'll make the argument just for **** and giggles. This team does desperately need proven talent at this point. Sabonis and Clingan would be a tremendous frontcourt or you can start Sabas over Clingan at C, cause Clingan and Deni would be great together as well.

Lets go crazy here...

Ayton + Blazers 2025 FRP (assuming 9/10) + Sharp for Sabas

Grant + Scoot + Bucks 2029 FRP + Celtics pick pick for Zion

Simons
Camara
Zion
Deni
Sabonis

Is that a playoff team?

[Walton1one]

1) I don't see SAC trading Sabonis to POR for Ayton and a couple of picks. They are going to want young players (wouldn't you?). Whatever vets are sent to make the money work are not "assets" to the deal other than they are expiring contracts after next year, which maybe gives POR an advantage over other teams', however there are several teams who could offer more\better draft assets than POR who could.

Sabonis is a near all star player (probably should have been by now), he will not come cheap & he is locked in for 3 more years @ $43/$47/$50, so this is not a pseudo desperation move like Fox was. Also, he will be 29 next year

Grant IMO, would be a non starter

Ayton would seem the likeliest salary filler to go. THEN comes what they get in return. Could you get away with Scoot + (2) likely lottery (25' #9 + best of 29') picks? Maybe?

SAC does not have a 25' 1st, so they might value that? Maybe the ask is Ayton\Scoot & DC +25' 1st? Can you live with that? Would you want to? I would not.

2) Does he propel this team to playoff contender? I don't think so

3) Are you all forgetting that POR GM is risk adverse? This isn't trading a back end lottery pick + a future 2nd best pick for a young player on a great contract. This is trading REAL assets, valuable picks, young players for an older player that you think is the missing piece to this team, which has several missing pieces.

I'd love the story line of Sabonis in POR, I just don't think the cost\fit bring POR to any meaningful relevance.

[GEE]

Been reading this thread and the comments have been really impressive to me. Kudos Blazer fans. In short, I agree with the current lineof thinking... as I'd been preaching since Dame was still on this team. Cronin hasn't been perfect by any means, but he has done an amazing job IMO so far. Looking at our roster now, with the financial flexabilty and draft capital, compared to what he started with and I have to be impressed and glad to finally see others embracing the post-Dame era.

Going forward.... What will Cronin do? I expect another Deni-like trade at the minimum. A bigger, stronger version. I think Cronin has the right approach in targeting the player he wants, and figuring out if it's worth the price. Also can't help but remember how surprised I was with the Deni move. I was like... WHO? I think Cronin likely tried very hard to package Grant + whatever else to make a major consolidation/upgrade deal, and even though nothing happened at this years' trade deadline, worth noting is that conversations WERE HAD, and ideas were floated between Cronin and other GMs. The possibility of one of these conversations being revisited this summer I think are highly likely.

The recent comments here are interesting to me. There have been several big names floated recently like Sabonis and Zion and I love the "why not" thinking. I say dream big and ya never know.... like the poster a couple pages back mentioning the idea of trading for Ghannis.... LOVE IT and not a single person commented on it. GREAT POST by the way, very thoughtful and exactly what I expect Cronin to be pursuing. Maybe Embiid as a 2nd place prize. The Dame trade Cronin made surely created some of the current instabilities with big stars out east.

I dream of the Greek Freak in the Red and Black, but there are others that may be available too, if the price was right; Embiid, ZION, Sabonis, AD..... but I like many would prefer younger to older and think Cronin will again have me saying "WHO" with the move he ends up making.

RIP CITY!!!

[GEE]

P.S.
GO PACERS!!!

[Case2012]

Watch on YouTube

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Interesting that we start kicking around Zion and the fan starts discussing it.

Also of note, Zion for Scoot was on the table during the draft and Joe passed.

[tester551]

Also of note, Zion for Scoot was on the table during the draft and Joe passed.

Are we sure about that?

I know there were rumors, but I thought that I heard that PELS never included Zion in their offer

[The Sebastian Express]

Also of note, Zion for Scoot was on the table during the draft and Joe passed.

Are we sure about that?

I know there were rumors, but I thought that I heard that PELS never included Zion in their offer

Yes the rumor at the time was the offer was Pelican picks, not Zion. It was mostly fan speculation that it was Zion, but in the end writers said it was just for picks.

[Case2012]

Danny Marang in that video i posted said it was Scoot for Zion. Those were the only details, so I don't know how salary would have worked but I'm just going off what he said.

[Wizenheimer]

Also of note, Zion for Scoot was on the table during the draft and Joe passed.

Are we sure about that?

I know there were rumors, but I thought that I heard that PELS never included Zion in their offer

yeah...that's how I understood it. Zion was never part of any deal

[Sinobas]

I don't get all this "Sabonis is not a needle mover" crazy talk. If you liked what Deni did in March/April, how can you not see Sabonis as a needle mover?

He averages 19/14/6 on very efficient shooting, both from inside and out. 63/42/75, that's elite level scoring efficiency at 65.5%

[DusterBuster]

Also of note, Zion for Scoot was on the table during the draft and Joe passed.

Are we sure about that?

I know there were rumors, but I thought that I heard that PELS never included Zion in their offer

yeah...that's how I understood it. Zion was never part of any deal

Yeah, there was a lot of media buzz about it, so much so I even remember ESPN had some segments about it, but after Joe or someone with direct knowledge of the negotiations talked about it publicly after the fact, both sides were pretty clear Zion never was part of those talks.... now granted, how truthful that is and not the teams trying to cover over their talks to not upset Zion if he didn't want to be talked about in trades is another thing.

[dckingsfan]

I don't get all this "Sabonis is not a needle mover" crazy talk. If you liked what Deni did in March/April, how can you not see Sabonis as a needle mover?

He averages 19/14/6 on very efficient shooting, both from inside and out. 63/42/75, that's elite level scoring efficiency at 65.5%

Yeah, that is just ridiculous.

If I had my choice on an off-season strategy and I could grab Sabonis, I would do it if it didn't leverage the future too much. I doubt Sac goes that way though.

I would also start with the notion of

Scoot
Thybulle, Camara, Grant (because he we can't move him), Avdija and Walker
Clingan

If you add Sabonis to that mix, that is a pretty good defensive minded team with two really good secondary passers in Avdija and Sabonis. Offense wouldn't be a problem.

Does Simons/Ayton do anything for Sac? Smh. Although they are missing a primary PG and Ayton wouldn't be "terrible" as a C. The real question is what direction will Sac go?

I think that this FO has put themselves in a box with Simons, Sharpe and Ayton. It will be "interesting" to see if they can unwind these "mistakes". My thinking is that they don't see them as mistakes and that will bury us going forward. I am unimpressed by the moves and lack of moves thus far.