Real GM power ranking

[deanwoof]

As much as I love me some Aldridge, I wouldn't mind trading him to get a wing with star potential. Assuming that we can lock hickson up long term and he is as productive this year as last. I would think someone like Harden... But I really don't think he's worth the max contract he will get.

i think trading aldridge for harden (resigned if that's even possible) would be handing OKC the title.

Ibaka
Aldridge
Durant
Thabo
Westbrook

that is one flippin' scary lineup. there isn't one weakness. at least with miami, they always have one weak link on the floor, whether that be a big, or a shooter who can't defend.

[PDXKnight]

As much as I love me some Aldridge, I wouldn't mind trading him to get a wing with star potential. Assuming that we can lock hickson up long term and he is as productive this year as last. I would think someone like Harden... But I really don't think he's worth the max contract he will get.

If we're trading LA for Harden Ibaka had better be coming with him... OKC would be instant favorites to win a title with a lineup of Westbrook-Thabo-Durant-LA-Perkins plus they could probably get some solid vets for darn near the minimum with that kind of talent. I thought OKC had a nice team in the finals but their glaring weakness is post scoring. Just about anyone on that team is capable of shooting the rock, but I'm betting Presti knows they need a big as much as the average fan does if not moreso. When you add in the fact that they'd be saving approximately 5-10 million after extensions and they'd be getting better by consolidating talent for LA, plus the fact that we're giving OKC the keys to become a dynasty, if they want him I say we make them pay and though I don't think they'd budge on Ibaka and Harden immediately the Blazers are the ones with the bargaining power here (we know what OKC needs and OKC would undoubtedly be overjoyed to add LA and build a big 3). Harden alone is a decent prospect but he's not as good as LA in my book. Something along the lines of Cook-Harden-Ibaka-maynor for LA-Smith-Pav-Price would be my asking price and I don't think that's too unreasonable.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Yeah, it would have to be both players or nothing. There has to be be more than just one of them cuz LMA is the best player in that deal. Hell, we could toss in Babbitt to even things out, hahahahaha.

[GreenRiddler]

We have a lot riding on a rookie PG who is going to make fat Felton look like a 1st team All-NBA player.

And foe

[GreenRiddler]

As much as I love me some Aldridge, I wouldn't mind trading him to get a wing with star potential. Assuming that we can lock hickson up long term and he is as productive this year as last. I would think someone like Harden... But I really don't think he's worth the max contract he will get.

Never thought I'd see the day. Throw away Lamarcus, to sign a non-allsar--scratch that--non starter and lock up a unpredictable PF like JJ. JJ would have to win MVP or be DPY.

[deanwoof]

yeah but he's an olympian??

he'll be an all-star soon enough. and no i don't like harden.

[Shem]

As much as I love me some Aldridge, I wouldn't mind trading him to get a wing with star potential. Assuming that we can lock hickson up long term and he is as productive this year as last. I would think someone like Harden... But I really don't think he's worth the max contract he will get.

I guess you don't realize how much better Aldridge is than Hickson. It's not even a contest. And you must not realize how lucky we are to have Aldridge on the team. It seems to me that you're taking him for granted.

[marsblazer]

I guess no one understood I was using harden as an example of a wing with star potential I could have also said Paul George. I also specifically said I wouldn't trade for harden due to him not being worth the max contract he will get. I guess you don't realize that PF is a position of surplus in the NBA. I do realize how good LMA is, but if you have the chance to trade him for someone that could someday be a star(LMA just won't be) you do it. Like I said I'm a fan of LMA, and that trade probably isn't even out there to be had.

[lackeyde3]

scoring wings are a dime a dozen, a legit post threat you can run an offense thru are not as easy to find. i would never revolve my offense around a guy like harden or george. you work inside out not the other way around like it would be with running the offense thru the wings.

[lackeyde3]

LA is easily a top 10 maybe top 5 PF in the league thats also hitting his prime, it would be foolish to trade him away unless you know he isnt going to be around after his contract ends in a couple years.

also another thought on getting a ball dominating perimeter player with star potential.. pretty sure we drafted lillard for that exact reason, he wont be all star caliber this season but hes sure got that potential down the road and adding a monte ellis to our steph curry doesnt sound like a great plan to me, or ellis and jennings for that matter... notta fan of 2 ball dominating players in the back court

[marsblazer]

LA is easily a top 10 maybe top 5 PF in the league thats also hitting his prime, it would be foolish to trade him away unless you know he isnt going to be around after his contract ends in a couple years.

also another thought on getting a ball dominating perimeter player with star potential.. pretty sure we drafted lillard for that exact reason, he wont be all star caliber this season but hes sure got that potential down the road and adding a monte ellis to our steph curry doesnt sound like a great plan to me, or ellis and jennings for that matter... notta fan of 2 ball dominating players in the back court

Agree with this 100%. LMA trade thoughts were in response to oden2 post supposing that scenario(LMA unhappy rookies not panning out)

[lackeyde3]

i did not see that post, if that were the case i guess i could see a harden PLUS ibaka for LA but i dont know if i would even like it. i am not a fan of trading big for small, ibaka is a good player but we lose a lot of scoring and our only post presence. we become a very mediocre jump shooting team after that sort of trade.

[Downtown]

Back in the day if you had players like Jordan and Pippen you could be succesful with big men like Rodman and Wennington. And in todays game OKC has proven that having big men that aren't scorers in Ibaka and Perkins can still get you deep into the playoffs.

But both those teams scoring players were not only allstars but hall of fame caliber. Portland doesn't have anyone remotely close to Durant to have the luxury of going without some inside scoring threat. They need Alderidge more than a combination of Harden and Ibaka.

While I like both those players Mathews could be a good compliment to Lillard and Alderidge certainly provides more offence than Ibaka. I just can't see any advantage to a trade like that unless whoever they hire as the new coach decides to go all in with a total defensive style. Harden, Batum, Ibaka, and Leonard could provide more to the defensive end than Mathews, Batum, Alderidge, and Leonard. But teams would then overplay Lillard and put tremedous pressure on him his entire rookie season to come up big every game. Having Alderidge opens up much more in my opinion.