Jrue Holliday for RJ Barrett & Ochai Agbaji

[MessiahUjiri]

I can see why both teams would do this.

Portland is gonna wanna dump Thybulle though. They need to open up minutes for younger guys.

[JRoy]

Pretty sure he is expiring.

[Tim Lehrbach]

If PDX moves off Holiday it will likely be at the trade deadline in 26/27 with Dame back and showing health and efficient play.

They are not moving off him right now because they signed a guy that is out for 25/26. And I dont think they trade him summer 2026 either as they wont be sure on Dame's level of play yet.

I also hate RJ and see him as the anthesis of what PDX is aiming to build more or less. Ochai has no route to do much with PDX crowded at SG/SF.

I'd think the addition of Dame makes the Holiday deal make even more sense now. You have a year to continue developing Scoot/Sharpe and seeing what you have at C with the 2 young guys. Then in a year its go time.

Dame/Scoot
Holiday/Sharpe
Camara
Deni/Grant
Big Tarriff/Clingan

You still have Williams, Thybulle, Grant salaries which could be added to Scoot or Sharpe or picks for another impact player.

Yep. I may be biased but I love what Cronin has done this summer.

A team for sale in a small market with relocation whispers would be absolute fools to take the Hinkie / UTA Ainge route of just tanking until the lotto gods give you a blue chip player. PDX is balancing youth and vets, aiming for the type of season OKC had with Gallo and CP3. They are making national news with the Yang pick and Dame returning. The money faucet is turned on. There is upside financially and there is upside on the floor.

I too agree with the summer moves, but I think you are vastly overstating their meaningfulness to the sale. NBA franchises are valuable because of the exclusive club ownership represents, and top markets carry a prestige premium. I don't think any prospective owner particularly cares what shape the Blazers' roster is in. The difference between a highly marketable and/or competitive roster and a lousy one is nearly trivial. Sports teams remain mostly a vanity investment. Even the billions the Blazers will sell for represent about the same as what Paul Allen would have made over the same duration putting his $70 million investment into an index fund.