Making Sense of a Senseless Summer

[DusterBuster]

It wasn't a bad summer, but it wasn't a home run either. A home run would have been if Grsnt was moved for an expiring and/or young talent. Jrue is a decent player and he plays defense so that is exciting. The question that popped into my head was who will get the majority of minutes st PG... Jrue or Scoot. Now add Lillard to the mix in a year. Maybe Jrue gets moved IF Scoot shows something this year, and he needs to shoe a lot.

As Wiz pointed out... there are some things to like, but he is going to really struggle for a while. He blocks out versus going for the rebound, he turns the ball over a lot, and he is going to foul out of a lot of games. The Blazers will need to utilize a 3rd center, whether that is RW3 or Reath, or they play small ball with Deni.

Overall, the summer wasn't bad, but comparing it to the last 10-years doesn't mean much since the Blazers never did much.

Yeah, I think calling it good/bad is wrong framing. It was maybe the most "interesting" summer I can ever remember from the Blazers.

Literally every single move the team did caught me off guard. Usually you can tell what a team is looking to do. This summer, ever turn literally had me stunned.

I was convinced Simons was getting resigned, with Ayton being also really likely to be inked to a new 3yr extension. First few weeks of the offseason Ayton is just flat out waived and Simons gets moved out of nowhere for Jrue.

Blazers are linked for WEEKS to either Demin or Jakucionis, not even a hint of anyone else really that they could be interested in at 11. No sign they're interested in trading the pick up or down, just a sleepy draft.

Then comes draft night...

Trade back, pick up a future FRP and pick a player almost everyone consensus outside of the league had as a second round pick guy in Yang that ends up being arguably the most talked about rookie of the summer - even moreso than Flagg! He was a shocking pick, then he actually showed out and had the league buzzing for a few weeks during Summer League.

So ok. Summer done. Right? The team was pretty much set after the draft. Everyone in the midst of Yang-mania in Vegas. They made MLE space with Ayton move, but nothing really to spend it on. No hints of them really being aggressive for any FA, because what do they even need at this point?...

Then Dame gets bought out.

Rumblings early that "Portland can be in the mix". Literally all of us and media members locally were like... "Yeah right..." He makes more sense for Boston, he can rehab with Tatum, than come back the following season to a freaking STACCCKKKEDD Celtics team. Clear no-brainer home-run landing spot for Dame.

2 weeks after the buyout... "Dame and Portland in discussions on a new deal".

30 seconds later, "Lillard and Blazers agree to a deal."

Like... WTF just happened head spinning event.

Even with Dame injured, you can make an argument he was the biggest FA available this summer. Any team would take a 60-80% Dame Lillard on a MLE deal, no questions asked.

--------------

So yeah...

Was it a good summer? I don't really know.

Was it a bad summer?... I don't really know.

Was it **** interesting as hell?... Yes. Full freaking stop.

[DusterBuster]

I think too with this season the more I sit on this question, I do feel like it was a really feel good summer for the Blazers. Will that mean jack **** in the long-run towards a title or this season being a winning season, probably not... but man this summer for the Blazers just was fun and had storylines that just "felt good". Call it a summer of all vibes, no substance. For the ring or bust club, I can get why this would be a disappointing summer. But as a Blazer fan with a couple years now of kind of downer vibes... I think I'm happy with this summer - questionable roster construction and all. We can twiddle our thumbs worrying about the team sale, cap holds, resigning Deni or Tou, whats the deal with the PGs, are Scoot and Shae gonna be the future... all important issues (aside from cap holds lol), but man, just a good feeling offseason for Portland.

Closest I can remember of a moment in an offseason that was exciting was the 2023 lottery night, thinking the Blazers mighhhht get Wemby, but still getting a top 3 pick in what was supposedly a generational top 3 class... Obviously thats not bore out to be very accurate for a large number of reasons... but even with that exciting moment in time, it was having a huge shadow of Dame clearly being unhappy and everyone kind of knowing whats coming...

Since then... Blazers got a decent package for Dame that summer, so I guess that was good but kinda felt awful to do it. 2024 summer was a nothing-burger. Blazers I think did great for themselves in the draft, I loved and continue to love the Clingan pick. I'm really high on him and think the team was lucky to get him, but nothing else happened that summer. Scoot kinda **** the bed working out then (something he has seemed to take much more seriously this summer it looks like), Shae didn't do much... I donno, it was just kinda rerunning and hoping for internal development that came in fits and spurts.

Hell, going back to the surprising summer, I didn't even mention that both Billups and Cronin got extensions AND the team finally got officially locked into being for sale to a new owner.

It's been a **** summer for the Blazers, one way or another, however you want to feel about it.

[Norm2953]

It would be a better summer if we had just pulled off the trade for the Pelican's unprotected pick in 2026.

Team has to hope Yang develops into a star

Why? We used a 16 pick on him. Even if he maxes out as a reliable backup with some unique tools, thats fine value for 16. Then you add in the 2028 ORL UNP pick and it looks even rosier.

Ya, wish we made that NO trade. But what we got to move down isnt anything to scoff at. We got great value to go from 11 to 16. In most drafts getting a future UNP FRP to move down 5 slots would be THE best value trade of the day.

But this year there is the idiot in NO that made such a poor move that it overshadowed getting a UNP FRP for moving 5 slots. Ya, I wish we took the NO deal - but the FO clearly thought Yang would be off the board by 23 and they keyed in on him as their big swing. I am fine with that.

Did we bring on more new young players and jettison those development players that didn't work out? Did we gain cap flexibility for the future?

Scoot and Sharpe are going into their 3rd and 4th years, were high picks and both came from unconventional pre-NBA backgrounds. I think jettisoning them this early was never on the teams radar, and I agree with that stance. As for cap flexibility, we got spurned by Hedo Turkoglu who chose freaking Toronto over Portland back in 2016. This team will NEVER be a player in Free Agency.

If the choice we Simons for Holiday or Simons + SRP for a EC like Nurkic (Mirroring the Sexton trade here) - then I say screw it and take big contract. Small guards that dont D are worth nothing in this league right now.

The fact we pulled Jrue for Simons, even with the contract, is pretty incredible IMO - when you consider a landscape where UTA paid to get off Sexton, where Clarkson was cut, where Cam Thomas as a 23ppg scorer is getting 15M AV offers from BRK.

Queen however is hurt and will not be evaluated for 12 weeks, which means he might not be seeing action until 2026.

That Pelicans pick is also UNP and could be a top 3 pick as opposed to the 2028 UNP pick from Orlando which is likely going to be in the 20's.
I could live with drafting Newell, Clifford or Liam McNeeley at 23

Team had better hope Yang is going to be a star but apparently Yang had a promise to go 19 to the Nets, which is why Portland had to stay
at 16 to get him,

[Walton1one]

Read on Twitter

Potentially good signing.thought he might be an intriguing pick up for POR

[Wizenheimer]

Read on Twitter

Potentially good signing.thought he might be an intriguing pick up for POR

Denver has had a really good off-season. They traded Porter for Cam Johnson (upgrade) and have added Valunciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Bruce Brown

[DusterBuster]

Almost need to update my post from a few days ago...

June = Yang Mania
July = Dame Returns
August = Blazers Sold

Quite a boom boom boom of a summer for Blazer news.

[dckingsfan]

It would be a better summer if we had just pulled off the trade for the Pelican's unprotected pick in 2026.

Team has to hope Yang develops into a star

Why? We used a 16 pick on him. Even if he maxes out as a reliable backup with some unique tools, thats fine value for 16. Then you add in the 2028 ORL UNP pick and it looks even rosier.

Ya, wish we made that NO trade. But what we got to move down isnt anything to scoff at. We got great value to go from 11 to 16. In most drafts getting a future UNP FRP to move down 5 slots would be THE best value trade of the day.

But this year there is the idiot in NO that made such a poor move that it overshadowed getting a UNP FRP for moving 5 slots. Ya, I wish we took the NO deal - but the FO clearly thought Yang would be off the board by 23 and they keyed in on him as their big swing. I am fine with that.

Did we bring on more new young players and jettison those development players that didn't work out? Did we gain cap flexibility for the future?

Scoot and Sharpe are going into their 3rd and 4th years, were high picks and both came from unconventional pre-NBA backgrounds. I think jettisoning them this early was never on the teams radar, and I agree with that stance. As for cap flexibility, we got spurned by Hedo Turkoglu who chose freaking Toronto over Portland back in 2016. This team will NEVER be a player in Free Agency.

If the choice we Simons for Holiday or Simons + SRP for a EC like Nurkic (Mirroring the Sexton trade here) - then I say screw it and take big contract. Small guards that dont D are worth nothing in this league right now.

The fact we pulled Jrue for Simons, even with the contract, is pretty incredible IMO - when you consider a landscape where UTA paid to get off Sexton, where Clarkson was cut, where Cam Thomas as a 23ppg scorer is getting 15M AV offers from BRK.

Queen however is hurt and will not be evaluated for 12 weeks, which means he might not be seeing action until 2026.

That Pelicans pick is also UNP and could be a top 3 pick as opposed to the 2028 UNP pick from Orlando which is likely going to be in the 20's.
I could live with drafting Newell, Clifford or Liam McNeeley at 23

Team had better hope Yang is going to be a star but apparently Yang had a promise to go 19 to the Nets, which is why Portland had to stay
at 16 to get him,

I do wonder if the Blazers were offered the same deal and if they intentionally turned it down. If so, this is quite puzzling.

[Dame Lizard]

Why? We used a 16 pick on him. Even if he maxes out as a reliable backup with some unique tools, thats fine value for 16. Then you add in the 2028 ORL UNP pick and it looks even rosier.

Ya, wish we made that NO trade. But what we got to move down isnt anything to scoff at. We got great value to go from 11 to 16. In most drafts getting a future UNP FRP to move down 5 slots would be THE best value trade of the day.

But this year there is the idiot in NO that made such a poor move that it overshadowed getting a UNP FRP for moving 5 slots. Ya, I wish we took the NO deal - but the FO clearly thought Yang would be off the board by 23 and they keyed in on him as their big swing. I am fine with that.



Scoot and Sharpe are going into their 3rd and 4th years, were high picks and both came from unconventional pre-NBA backgrounds. I think jettisoning them this early was never on the teams radar, and I agree with that stance. As for cap flexibility, we got spurned by Hedo Turkoglu who chose freaking Toronto over Portland back in 2016. This team will NEVER be a player in Free Agency.

If the choice we Simons for Holiday or Simons + SRP for a EC like Nurkic (Mirroring the Sexton trade here) - then I say screw it and take big contract. Small guards that dont D are worth nothing in this league right now.

The fact we pulled Jrue for Simons, even with the contract, is pretty incredible IMO - when you consider a landscape where UTA paid to get off Sexton, where Clarkson was cut, where Cam Thomas as a 23ppg scorer is getting 15M AV offers from BRK.

Queen however is hurt and will not be evaluated for 12 weeks, which means he might not be seeing action until 2026.

That Pelicans pick is also UNP and could be a top 3 pick as opposed to the 2028 UNP pick from Orlando which is likely going to be in the 20's.
I could live with drafting Newell, Clifford or Liam McNeeley at 23

Team had better hope Yang is going to be a star but apparently Yang had a promise to go 19 to the Nets, which is why Portland had to stay
at 16 to get him,

I do wonder if the Blazers were offered the same deal and if they intentionally turned it down. If so, this is quite puzzling.

I would be very disappointed if we turned it down. There's a good chance that we were offered this too.

[Walton1one]

Read on Twitter

Look at that, a team, that while it doesn't necessarily want Simons long term at least knows how to properly utilize him, off the bench.

Was never going to happen in POR, especially with Billups as coach, but this is ultimately what Simons' role in the NBA is, a scoring option off the bench, thus why his value is low ( and why Thomas, Monk, Sexton, etc...) hold marginal value as well

[DusterBuster]

Read on Twitter

Look at that, a team, that while it doesn't necessarily want Simons long term at least knows how to properly utilize him, off the bench.

Was never going to happen in POR, especially with Billups as coach, but this is ultimately what Simons' role in the NBA is, a scoring option off the bench, thus why his value is low ( and why Thomas, Monk, Sexton, etc...) hold marginal value as well

It's not oranges to oranges comparison though. Blazers drafted him, spent tons of time developing and gave him his big deal. Just a bad look to put that guy to the bench when there's no one better than him on the roster.

Celtics could care less about Simons and have other players they - like Portland with Simons - invested more in with White and Payton.

[PDXKnight]

Read on Twitter

Look at that, a team, that while it doesn't necessarily want Simons long term at least knows how to properly utilize him, off the bench.

Was never going to happen in POR, especially with Billups as coach, but this is ultimately what Simons' role in the NBA is, a scoring option off the bench, thus why his value is low ( and why Thomas, Monk, Sexton, etc...) hold marginal value as well

It's not oranges to oranges comparison though. Blazers drafted him, spent tons of time developing and gave him his big deal. Just a bad look to put that guy to the bench when there's no one better than him on the roster.

Celtics could care less about Simons and have other players they - like Portland with Simons - invested more in with White and Payton.

Kinda sucks if youre ant, probably not the best log jam to play behind in a contract year. The magic probably wouldve been his best shot at 20 mil annually now he may be in the 10 mil range in 2026

[zzaj]

Scoot and Jrue getting some work in with Chris Johnson:

https://youtu.be/iDB9_LDpUI8?si=U2a-MuxVXTzVxOs5