Blazers are officially for sale

[PDXKnight]

Again, why would Elon want to own a sports team for right now, he invested in Trump in the last election and now
gets to accompany Trump overseas in meetings with the Saudi's. Same with Bezos who also invested in Trump and
gets to have dinner in the White House and the ear of the President.

The new owner is likely to be someone who is unknown in this market. Hopefully it will be an owner who wants the
team in Portland but what if that owner moved the team to Seattle and the NBA compensated Portland by rewarding
an expansion team in let's say the 2027-28 season. Presumably the team would be renamed the Sonics and the new
expansion team named the Blazers.

The rebuild starts in 2027-28 with an all new organization.

Perhaps if Portland played ball with the NBA, the league would reward the first pick in the 2028 draft to Portland

Lol this sounds way more complicated than just giving Seattle an expansion team especially with an arena deal in place for 5 years and renovation costs that would be owed to the city of Portland if an owner bolts

[PDXKnight]

The more this drags out i worry that this will take a year which is plenty of time to shell out some stupid contracts to ayton and simons

[DusterBuster]

He more the drags out i worry that this will take a year which is plenty of time to shell out some stupid contracts to ayton and simons

These sales always take a year at minimum. A possible extension for both of them will absolutely happen before any sale.

Save yourself the disappointment and just accept that.

Celtics announced they were selling July 1st 2024, the group announcing they would buy the team officially was in March 2025, and that wasn’t even them taking over, just announcing they’ve reached the agreement. Takes another 9-12mo to switch hands.

The team will be operating as normal this summer. Then unless the new owner is found the middle of next season (likely), there’s no word on when they will formally assume control of the team, but it is known the current group will be in control for the 25-26 season.

[DusterBuster]

I’m pretty convinced Simons is getting a 3 year extension this summer, probably around 30mil per (barf… but what I expect).

I think Ayton is more of a mystery. He might be a decently hot commodity this summer with so many teams in need of talented bigs. Ayton has his flaws, but I also feel a lot of fans hate on him more than teams do. I don’t think he’s that low valued and might be the most likely Blazer moved this summer and still have the Lakers pegged as the likely landing spot.

[Norm2953]

I just hope the face for the new ownership group loves basketball

[DusterBuster]

I just hope the face for the new ownership group loves basketball

Yeah, I think that’s really all anyone of us should hope for. A local person is not super realistic (not impossible, but not likely). And a faceless collection of VCs is not great either (seems like that’s what the Celtics just got). You also don’t want a penny-pincher most of all, they’ll run a team like a used car lot (see Pelicans).

As long as whoever the majority owner is really wants to go for it and is passionate about basketball and the Blazers, I’m willing to live with any early mistakes the new owner may make (within reason).

I want someone in the mold of Cuban or Ballmer. Hell, even Ishbia tbh. He’s made some boneheaded moves early in his ownership career, but you can’t say he doesn’t care.

[Wizenheimer]

I’m pretty convinced Simons is getting a 3 year extension this summer, probably around 30mil per (barf… but what I expect).

I think Ayton is more of a mystery. He might be a decently hot commodity this summer with so many teams in need of talented bigs. Ayton has his flaws, but I also feel a lot of fans hate on him more than teams do. I don’t think he’s that low valued and might be the most likely Blazer moved this summer and still have the Lakers pegged as the likely landing spot.

you're really ticking me off...probably because you're probably right about Simons. Still, if he's on the books for 30-35M/year, at least one of Sharpe/Camara/Avdija/Scoot will very likely need to be gone. Too much future payroll on the way

[DusterBuster]

I’m pretty convinced Simons is getting a 3 year extension this summer, probably around 30mil per (barf… but what I expect).

I think Ayton is more of a mystery. He might be a decently hot commodity this summer with so many teams in need of talented bigs. Ayton has his flaws, but I also feel a lot of fans hate on him more than teams do. I don’t think he’s that low valued and might be the most likely Blazer moved this summer and still have the Lakers pegged as the likely landing spot.

you're really ticking me off...probably because you're probably right about Simons. Still, if he's on the books for 30-35M/year, at least one of Sharpe/Camara/Avdija/Scoot will very likely need to be gone. Too much future payroll on the way

Don't shoot the messenger.

There's too much smoke from people in and around the team about Simons getting an extension tho at this point to ignore it and keep our heads in the sand. It's probably happening, so I've just mentally prepared myself for it not vs being surprised and upset later... my only hope at this point is that it's just a short-ish term extension, 2 added onto the 1 left for 3 years total (likely gonna be a 3 year extension tho, 4yr total). Maybe they can squeeze a team option in there (they probably won't, the next time the Blazers are creative with contracts will be the first)?

I suspect one of Scoot or Sharpe may be traded this summer too. The team seems pretty on the fence with Sharpe, if the contract expectations from his camp are super high in the negotiations they're gonna have with him about it, I wouldn't be shocked to see him packaged in a deal.

Scoot... who the **** knows.

Honestly, I'm fine if they deal Sharpe. He's a nice enough and fun player, but he really lacks that IT factor you want in a core player. Deni has that it more than Sharpe does. Teams want someone with more drive than he has, Sharpe just has that feel of a player who's gonna be career inconsistent.

[Moonbeam]

Gosh, I'd be pretty crushed with a Simons extension. I like him, but I think his time in Portland has more than run its course.

He had one of the worst on/off splits on the team last year at -4.2, just ahead of Grant and Ayton among main rotation players. There's a reason so many want all three of them to be traded. Last year, when the team mercilessly tanked to finish the year, you'd think Ant would benefit by missing the last 12 games, including that 60-point blowout to Miami, but he was still a -1.6 in terms of on/off.

He hasn't demonstrated that he can be a winning player in his current role. I don't think he'd accept being a 6th man and I can't imagine any extension he would sign that would not pay him starter-level money.

[tester551]

I’m pretty convinced Simons is getting a 3 year extension this summer, probably around 30mil per (barf… but what I expect).

I think Ayton is more of a mystery. He might be a decently hot commodity this summer with so many teams in need of talented bigs. Ayton has his flaws, but I also feel a lot of fans hate on him more than teams do. I don’t think he’s that low valued and might be the most likely Blazer moved this summer and still have the Lakers pegged as the likely landing spot.

you're really ticking me off...probably because you're probably right about Simons. Still, if he's on the books for 30-35M/year, at least one of Sharpe/Camara/Avdija/Scoot will very likely need to be gone. Too much future payroll on the way

Don't shoot the messenger.

There's too much smoke from people in and around the team about Simons getting an extension tho at this point to ignore it and keep our heads in the sand. It's probably happening, so I've just mentally prepared myself for it not vs being surprised and upset later... my only hope at this point is that it's just a short-ish term extension, 2 added onto the 1 left for 3 years total (likely gonna be a 3 year extension tho, 4yr total). Maybe they can squeeze a team option in there (they probably won't, the next time the Blazers are creative with contracts will be the first)?

I suspect one of Scoot or Sharpe may be traded this summer too. The team seems pretty on the fence with Sharpe, if the contract expectations from his camp are super high in the negotiations they're gonna have with him about it, I wouldn't be shocked to see him packaged in a deal.

Scoot... who the **** knows.

Honestly, I'm fine if they deal Sharpe. He's a nice enough and fun player, but he really lacks that IT factor you want in a core player. Deni has that it more than Sharpe does. Teams want someone with more drive than he has, Sharpe just has that feel of a player who's gonna be career inconsistent.

What is the likelihood that Blazers are in contact with Simon's camp trying to negotiate a trade & extend. A team like Orlando would be much more likely to give up better assets if they knew Simons would extend his contract for +3 years and $XX. The new team can officially extend him -> Blazers just need to negotiate it....

[Butter]

you're really ticking me off...probably because you're probably right about Simons. Still, if he's on the books for 30-35M/year, at least one of Sharpe/Camara/Avdija/Scoot will very likely need to be gone. Too much future payroll on the way

Don't shoot the messenger.

There's too much smoke from people in and around the team about Simons getting an extension tho at this point to ignore it and keep our heads in the sand. It's probably happening, so I've just mentally prepared myself for it not vs being surprised and upset later... my only hope at this point is that it's just a short-ish term extension, 2 added onto the 1 left for 3 years total (likely gonna be a 3 year extension tho, 4yr total). Maybe they can squeeze a team option in there (they probably won't, the next time the Blazers are creative with contracts will be the first)?

I suspect one of Scoot or Sharpe may be traded this summer too. The team seems pretty on the fence with Sharpe, if the contract expectations from his camp are super high in the negotiations they're gonna have with him about it, I wouldn't be shocked to see him packaged in a deal.

Scoot... who the **** knows.

Honestly, I'm fine if they deal Sharpe. He's a nice enough and fun player, but he really lacks that IT factor you want in a core player. Deni has that it more than Sharpe does. Teams want someone with more drive than he has, Sharpe just has that feel of a player who's gonna be career inconsistent.

What is the likelihood that Blazers are in contact with Simon's camp trying to negotiate a trade & extend. A team like Orlando would be much more likely to give up better assets if they knew Simons would extend his contract for +3 years and $XX. The new team can officially extend him -> Blazers just need to negotiate it....

A Simons sign and trade would be the best case scenario.

[DusterBuster]

you're really ticking me off...probably because you're probably right about Simons. Still, if he's on the books for 30-35M/year, at least one of Sharpe/Camara/Avdija/Scoot will very likely need to be gone. Too much future payroll on the way

Don't shoot the messenger.

There's too much smoke from people in and around the team about Simons getting an extension tho at this point to ignore it and keep our heads in the sand. It's probably happening, so I've just mentally prepared myself for it not vs being surprised and upset later... my only hope at this point is that it's just a short-ish term extension, 2 added onto the 1 left for 3 years total (likely gonna be a 3 year extension tho, 4yr total). Maybe they can squeeze a team option in there (they probably won't, the next time the Blazers are creative with contracts will be the first)?

I suspect one of Scoot or Sharpe may be traded this summer too. The team seems pretty on the fence with Sharpe, if the contract expectations from his camp are super high in the negotiations they're gonna have with him about it, I wouldn't be shocked to see him packaged in a deal.

Scoot... who the **** knows.

Honestly, I'm fine if they deal Sharpe. He's a nice enough and fun player, but he really lacks that IT factor you want in a core player. Deni has that it more than Sharpe does. Teams want someone with more drive than he has, Sharpe just has that feel of a player who's gonna be career inconsistent.

What is the likelihood that Blazers are in contact with Simon's camp trying to negotiate a trade & extend. A team like Orlando would be much more likely to give up better assets if they knew Simons would extend his contract for +3 years and $XX. The new team can officially extend him -> Blazers just need to negotiate it....

I mean, I have no inside insight here - just 25+ years of NBA offseason experience - and that usually says the more unlikely the scenario you build in your mind is usually also the least likely outcome. So I would say to your question... not very likely.

[Walton1one]

The first shoe to drop will be Thybulle's player option, which he must opt in\out of by June 24th

I don't think Simons\Ayton\Williams contract extensions will be reviewed until after the draft. I would imagine that Cronin\Kolde will evaluate the trade market and as per usual not find anything to their liking and then turn to locking up assets to prevent losing them for nothing and if Simons is not worth $35mil+\year on his new contract (newsflash, he isn't worth $25mil now IMO), then that will be the new owner's problem.

Also, regarding the draft, this will be Jodi\Bert's last time and judging by videos etc of previous drafts they seem to really enjoy it, so I would imagine POR plans on keeping their pick.

[Wizenheimer]

What is the likelihood that Blazers are in contact with Simon's camp trying to negotiate a trade & extend. A team like Orlando would be much more likely to give up better assets if they knew Simons would extend his contract for +3 years and $XX. The new team can officially extend him -> Blazers just need to negotiate it....

I might be wrong about this, but in order to extend a player's contract, he would have needed to be on the team for a minimum of 2 seasons. The NBA was trying to stop the wink-and-nod shenanigans about contract extensions. Again, I might be recalling that rule incorrectly. If that's true, Orlando could not extend the Simons contract after a trade; have to let him become UFA

also, as long as I'm probably getting things wrong, I do believe that any team receiving a player in an extend and trade situation becomes hard capped at the first apron. That apron is projected to be 196M, and right now, Orlando is scheduled for 199.4M in payroll. Now, they do have several team options on players next season, but most are for players they'd want to keep like Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Jett Howard. They do have a 7.5M team option for Gary Harris, so they could theoretically get under the 1st apron.

but they also have two 1st round picks. The rookie scale for their 16th pick will be around 4.3M; for their 25th pick around 2.9M. Of course they could solve that dilemma by send both to the Blazers!

not only that, even if they can generate a significant margin under the 1st apron, they would have to send out 100% of Ant's incoming salary of 27.7M.

Simons to Oralndo is a bit of a Rubix Cube

[tester551]

I might be wrong about this, but in order to extend a player's contract, he would have needed to be on the team for a minimum of 2 seasons. The NBA was trying to stop the wink-and-nod shenanigans about contract extensions. Again, I might be recalling that rule incorrectly. If that's true, Orlando could not extend the Simons contract after a trade; have to let him become UFA

also, as long as I'm probably getting things wrong, I do believe that any team receiving a player in an extend and trade situation becomes hard capped at the first apron. That apron is projected to be 196M, and right now, Orlando is scheduled for 199.4M in payroll. Now, they do have several team options on players next season, but most are for players they'd want to keep like Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Jett Howard. They do have a 7.5M team option for Gary Harris, so they could theoretically get under the 1st apron.

Jimmy Butler extended with GSW immediately after being traded.
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-jimmy-butler-agrees-two-031214784.html

That was one of the major hangups with Butler trade. Very few teams were willing to give him the extension that he wanted (all negotiated through the Heat).

The receiving team is not hard-capped because they are extending their own player (after the trade is completed).

[Wizenheimer]

I might be wrong about this, but in order to extend a player's contract, he would have needed to be on the team for a minimum of 2 seasons. The NBA was trying to stop the wink-and-nod shenanigans about contract extensions. Again, I might be recalling that rule incorrectly. If that's true, Orlando could not extend the Simons contract after a trade; have to let him become UFA

also, as long as I'm probably getting things wrong, I do believe that any team receiving a player in an extend and trade situation becomes hard capped at the first apron. That apron is projected to be 196M, and right now, Orlando is scheduled for 199.4M in payroll. Now, they do have several team options on players next season, but most are for players they'd want to keep like Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Jett Howard. They do have a 7.5M team option for Gary Harris, so they could theoretically get under the 1st apron.

Jimmy Butler extended with GSW immediately after being traded.
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-jimmy-butler-agrees-two-031214784.html

That was one of the major hangups with Butler trade. Very few teams were willing to give him the extension that he wanted (all negotiated through the Heat).

The receiving team is not hard-capped because they are extending their own player (after the trade is completed).

ok, thanks. Maybe that 2 year wait was part of the old CBA....or my memory is shot

[Brandon-Clyde]

For those worried about Simons or Ayton being extended iirc in the past a major selling point has been financial and roster flexibility. That would mean it is less likely either will be extended.

[Dame Lizard]

For those worried about Simons or Ayton being extended iirc in the past a major selling point has been financial and roster flexibility. That would mean it is less likely either will be extended.

If Cronin extends them, then he really is showing his Olshey colours.

Our team needs to learn when to move on with drafted players.

For players like Josh Hart, Brogdon or Jrue who we trade for, we don't seem to be overly attached when a deal makes sense.

But we (mainly Olshey but Cronin's test will be this offseason) are infatuated with players that we draft.

[Norm2953]

For those worried about Simons or Ayton being extended iirc in the past a major selling point has been financial and roster flexibility. That would mean it is less likely either will be extended.

One would have to think one of the major selling points in selling the team would be financial flexibility for the new ownership
for expiring contracts of Ayton, Simons, TL and probably Thybulle gives them a chance at build the team that suits them.

This is not to say Cronin's are tied this off season but unless there already is a serious buyer, regular business will be fine.

[PDXKnight]

For those worried about Simons or Ayton being extended iirc in the past a major selling point has been financial and roster flexibility. That would mean it is less likely either will be extended.

I'd hope so. But this fo has also been known to make promises that didn't need to be made to agents in the past and that should scare the crap out of all of us. Who knows what might have been promised to ayton/ant/Sharpe behind closed doors, or which agents have tried to bully their way to a new deal with "well if you don't meet our demands and trade (insert player) we will be taking our extension in the summer. Not that that sort of thing is binding but wouldn't put it past this group of bafoons to honor strong arm negotiation with how much they've unnecessarily promised in the past (ahem jerami grant deal)