Gary Trent Jr. - Offseason contract, trade value?

[JasonStern]

Trent has had a good run and been a solid starter in CJ's absence, but I feel like people are forgetting that CJ was putting up 26.7ppg/5apg prior to getting injured. Olshey committed pretty hard to Dame/CJ being the core of this team when he extended both.

Jones is 24 and a jump shot away from being really good. Unfortunately, we said something similar about Aminu for how many years?

The problem with trading Trent isn't trading Trent - it's figuring out a player that makes sense to trade him for. The Aaron Gordon trade proposal on the T&T board makes sense, but most of the other ones don't address any roster deficiencies and tend to be downgrades. In theory, trading Trent and Hood for two role players on team friendly deals helps make sense with regards to the finances, but if those role players have glaring deficiencies in their game, you're better off doing what you can to retain Trent.

I'm fine bringing Collins back if he can be retained for cheap, but even the QO seems like an overpay given his body of work. But if Portland is scraping the barrel with Hezonja/Toliver signings, then Collins is a lot more interesting from a risk/reward perspective.

The Spurs not sucking has definitely hurt the chances of getting Aldridge back in free agency on the cheap.

[Norm2953]

The problem with NO's commitment is it was made before GTJ's breakout last season and with his return
pushed back further, those young guards will only be more entrenched as the season rolls on.

It's a shame (for Portland) that SA is competitive this season for LA would be the perfect piece for a
playoff run given how long Nurk will be out for Portland only has Enes Kanter as their only healthy
big.

[BlazersBroncos]

People are also underrating what CJ means a an ambassador to this franchise. He is very intelligent, very personable, just the absolute type of professional you want involved in your org. Dame loves him. Stotts loves him. Neil loves him. I just cant see him being moved. Not to mention he was sinking like 5 3PA per game on great % this season before injury. He was easily outplaying Dame.

Again, I dont want to move Trent. But if we did, GTJ+Hood+DJJ for Gordon+Bacon+Clark (Waived) at least puts us in a spot to match up well w/ LAC and some other teams with elite forwards.

G - Damian Lillard / Anfernee Simons
G - CJ McCollum / Anfernee Simons / Dwayne Bacon
F - Robert Covington / Nassir Little / Dwayne Bacon
F - Aaron Gordon / Carmelo Anthony / Harry Giles
C - Jusuf Nurkic / Enes Kanter / Harry Giles

It leans alot on Simos and Little for this season, and I dont think we are ready to do that especially in the playoffs. But its not bad.

[HoopsFanAZ]

It's good that this conversation got its own thread. [IMHO] GTJ is offseason priority #1.

1. It's going to cost and letting GTJ walk is a killer. The idea of Lillard, CJ, Simons and help from Jones or Hood isn't tragic, but GTJ is a better option. [I'm not a CJ fan for the Blazers ... BUT he would help other teams from a fit perspective. I do like improving at the 3 or 4, especially ... with CJ traded, not GTJ.
2. If both GTJ and CJ remain, then it's Simons and a forward (+ sweetener) on the way out next year. I'm glad Simons is shooting well and looking more comfortable at guard (not necessarily point guard). I like his skills/abilities. It's a minutes thing. Lillard and CJ at a modest (and appropriate) 34 minutes each leaves 28 for the 3rd guard. And GTJ handles 30+ just fine.
3. Trade Simons, or not, and there's room for a point-forward, secondary ball handler (Hood had an audition by necessity, recently) and/or a backup, veteran PG on the cheap.

I'm not a HUGE Tobias Harris or Kris Middleton fan. But they're good. CJ + Zach? That's talent out the door (as I'm a fan of ZC), but there's a lot to be said for an improved, balanced lineup with size AND talent. Having Jones and/or RoCo as backups? Hoodie as a backup? That's a contending team [IMHO].

[Norm2953]

People are also underrating what CJ means a an ambassador to this franchise. He is very intelligent, very personable, just the absolute type of professional you want involved in your org. Dame loves him. Stotts loves him. Neil loves him. I just cant see him being moved. Not to mention he was sinking like 5 3PA per game on great % this season before injury. He was easily outplaying Dame.

Again, I dont want to move Trent. But if we did, GTJ+Hood+DJJ for Gordon+Bacon+Clark (Waived) at least puts us in a spot to match up well w/ LAC and some other teams with elite forwards.

G - Damian Lillard / Anfernee Simons
G - CJ McCollum / Anfernee Simons / Dwayne Bacon
F - Robert Covington / Nassir Little / Dwayne Bacon
F - Aaron Gordon / Carmelo Anthony / Harry Giles
C - Jusuf Nurkic / Enes Kanter / Harry Giles

It leans alot on Simos and Little for this season, and I dont think we are ready to do that especially in the playoffs. But its not bad.

CJ also makes $100 Million over the next three seasons which combined with Dame's contract will take up 80%
of Portland's cap for a team once again can't win a championship. We can talk all day/night about how great a guy CJ
is but if we're talking about competing for a title, Dame/CJ, AG /Roco falls on the hopes Nurkic will stay healthy
and his personal issues are behind him. No matter what type of contract GTJ gets this off-season, he's not getting
CJ money and his future is all ahead of him assuming health for GTJ, Roco and DJJ are solid defenders. If there
is any move to be made, its to shore up PF/C for Nurk and ZC for the second season in a row have missed large swaths
of the season and while Enes Kanter has done well, if Nurk does not come back and is playing well, we're not a
legit playoff contender.

It then comes down to whether you want to compete for a title or whether you simply want a team that will win some games.
Proper cap management means making hard decisions for most teams will keep their upcoming young stars
and spend money, even in luxury taxes if they have to if their team is a legit playoff contender. If the team is not
at that level, they manage their cap so that they can make moves when opportunities arise. It then comes down to
whether the team really believes they are a legit playoff contender.

[mojomarc]

People are also underrating what CJ means a an ambassador to this franchise. He is very intelligent, very personable, just the absolute type of professional you want involved in your org. Dame loves him. Stotts loves him. Neil loves him. I just cant see him being moved. Not to mention he was sinking like 5 3PA per game on great % this season before injury. He was easily outplaying Dame.

Again, I dont want to move Trent. But if we did, GTJ+Hood+DJJ for Gordon+Bacon+Clark (Waived) at least puts us in a spot to match up well w/ LAC and some other teams with elite forwards.

G - Damian Lillard / Anfernee Simons
G - CJ McCollum / Anfernee Simons / Dwayne Bacon
F - Robert Covington / Nassir Little / Dwayne Bacon
F - Aaron Gordon / Carmelo Anthony / Harry Giles
C - Jusuf Nurkic / Enes Kanter / Harry Giles

It leans alot on Simos and Little for this season, and I dont think we are ready to do that especially in the playoffs. But its not bad.

CJ also makes $100 Million over the next three seasons which combined with Dame's contract will take up 80%
of Portland's cap for a team once again can't win a championship. We can talk all day/night about how great a guy CJ
is but if we're talking about competing for a title, Dame/CJ, AG /Roco falls on the hopes Nurkic will stay healthy
and his personal issues are behind him. No matter what type of contract GTJ gets this off-season, he's not getting
CJ money and his future is all ahead of him assuming health for GTJ, Roco and DJJ are solid defenders. If there
is any move to be made, its to shore up PF/C for Nurk and ZC for the second season in a row have missed large swaths
of the season and while Enes Kanter has done well, if Nurk does not come back and is playing well, we're not a
legit playoff contender.

It then comes down to whether you want to compete for a title or whether you simply want a team that will win some games.
Proper cap management means making hard decisions for most teams will keep their upcoming young stars
and spend money, even in luxury taxes if they have to if their team is a legit playoff contender. If the team is not
at that level, they manage their cap so that they can make moves when opportunities arise. It then comes down to
whether the team really believes they are a legit playoff contender.

Small sample size, I know, but the Blazers are also 10-4 since CJ's injury if I'm not mistaken. They were 8-6 with him. I think it is fair to not only look at this from a cost management perspective but also a team success perspective. It is reasonable to think (or, at least, it goes along with my thinking therefore it is of course reasonable ), that the additional defense and the extra "ball in Dame's hands" time is for the overall benefit of the team as long as Dame stays healthy.

[GEE]

I find it difficult to speculate any trades at this point, but I suspect with our players success down the roster, Olshey's phone is likely getting some good calls already from GMs. If we continue to play like we have been, are able to bring CJ back into the mix, then stir in some Nurkic a week or so later, who knows how good our record will stack against the LA teams? Lots of games still left.

My point is, to speculate now, knowing the values will rise greatly if we have continued success makes it difficult. We are in great position though, with lots of good contracts to offer.

GTJ will definitely be up there with the top FAs, and I think Olshey will so everything he can to keep the four guards he has now at the 1&2, but it's ultimately up to Gary. He will have to gauge how much the money means to him, versus playing in a desirable location. In Portland, I think he'd get both, but some other team could outbid and promise him the world. I'm not sure what promises, considering CJ, Olshey can make. Olshey will certainly be earning HIS money, trying to work his magic.

[Norm2953]

It's certainly not a pleasant decision for CJ is going to be out for another two weeks (7 more games)
with the all star break coming up. The second half of the season starts on March 11 but if the team
is let's say 22-13 at the half way mark despite their injuries, it might be a blessing in disguise for
its not just GTJ but Simons with consistent PT is doing well in a sixth man role. All in all, its a look
at what the team would look like if they moved CJ for when Nurk returns, they could conceivably
be playing with 4 quality defenders with a hope to be able to lock down on teams for a playoff run.

[Norm2953]

I find it difficult to speculate any trades at this point, but I suspect with our players success down the roster, Olshey's phone is likely getting some good calls already from GMs. If we continue to play like we have been, are able to bring CJ back into the mix, then stir in some Nurkic a week or so later, who knows how good our record will stack against the LA teams? Lots of games still left.

My point is, to speculate now, knowing the values will rise greatly if we have continued success makes it difficult. We are in great position though, with lots of good contracts to offer.

GTJ will definitely be up there with the top FAs, and I think Olshey will so everything he can to keep the four guards he has now at the 1&2, but it's ultimately up to Gary. He will have to gauge how much the money means to him, versus playing in a desirable location. In Portland, I think he'd get both, but some other team could outbid and promise him the world. I'm not sure what promises, considering CJ, Olshey can make. Olshey will certainly be earning HIS money, trying to work his magic.

Putting aside CJ, if there are any trades to be made, the team really needs to find an additional big body unless they
have a lot of faith in Harry Giles or somehow Zach suddenly gets well. GTJ is going to be a RFA and I would find it
difficult he would be getting CJ money as a RFA. It will be interesting to see if Portland will active at the NBA trade
deadline (March 25) for hopefully they will know if Nurk will be ready to come back.

[d-train]

I would trade any player for an upgrade, including CJ or Lillard. I would trade any dispensable player to fill a hole or to add a useful capability.

GTJ is not dispensable, but he doesn't upgrade us at any position. At SF, he adds capabilities not provided by DJJ or RoCo, but he doesn't replace either player. GTJ can't defend, rebound, or protect the rim. GTJ's defense is adequate, but very overrated by people here. At SG, he is a downgrade in every respect.

The best way to utilize GTJ is as a supporting player to complement our nucleus of Lillard, CJ, and Nurkic. GTJ adds another shooter. RoCo and DJJ adds defense and rebounding. Kanter adds low post scoring, rebounding, and strength when Nurk is unavailable. Melo adds another shooter, strength, rebounding and playmaking. Little and Simon's are depth. Hood is expendable.

GTJ doesn't improve our nucleus, except as an addition to it. Nurk improved our nucleus when he replaced Plumlee. GTJ is a great addition. Fewer teams are cheating off him as he continues to make shots, which helps Lillard's playmaking.

Our teams weakness is rim protection and a tall mobile defender that can contest quick players in the paint. These holes are filled by healthy Nurk and Collins. Or, we can find better options, easier said than done. Giles is an example of a serviceable player with size, but he doesn't defend like Collins or Nurk. Kanter is a capable position defender, but he's fodder to penetrators into the paint.

Blazers need to continue improving our options and making good decisions. Olshey has been really good at ignoring the noise. This GTJ chatter is the latest noise from the peanut gallery.

[d-train]

I find it difficult to speculate any trades at this point, but I suspect with our players success down the roster, Olshey's phone is likely getting some good calls already from GMs. If we continue to play like we have been, are able to bring CJ back into the mix, then stir in some Nurkic a week or so later, who knows how good our record will stack against the LA teams? Lots of games still left.

My point is, to speculate now, knowing the values will rise greatly if we have continued success makes it difficult. We are in great position though, with lots of good contracts to offer.

GTJ will definitely be up there with the top FAs, and I think Olshey will so everything he can to keep the four guards he has now at the 1&2, but it's ultimately up to Gary. He will have to gauge how much the money means to him, versus playing in a desirable location. In Portland, I think he'd get both, but some other team could outbid and promise him the world. I'm not sure what promises, considering CJ, Olshey can make. Olshey will certainly be earning HIS money, trying to work his magic.

GTJ will be a RFA, not UFA. DJJ and Kanter will be UFA's.

Edit: DJJ has option to be UFA.

[d-train]

It's certainly not a pleasant decision for CJ is going to be out for another two weeks (7 more games)
with the all star break coming up. The second half of the season starts on March 11 but if the team
is let's say 22-13 at the half way mark despite their injuries, it might be a blessing in disguise for
its not just GTJ but Simons with consistent PT is doing well in a sixth man role. All in all, its a look
at what the team would look like if they moved CJ for when Nurk returns, they could conceivably
be playing with 4 quality defenders with a hope to be able to lock down on teams for a playoff run.

What is unpleasant? I don't see an unpleasant decision, or even a difficult one. Chuck Daily was right when he said his roster decisions are made by the players. The injuries should make the decisions even easier.

[d-train]

I find it difficult to speculate any trades at this point, but I suspect with our players success down the roster, Olshey's phone is likely getting some good calls already from GMs. If we continue to play like we have been, are able to bring CJ back into the mix, then stir in some Nurkic a week or so later, who knows how good our record will stack against the LA teams? Lots of games still left.

My point is, to speculate now, knowing the values will rise greatly if we have continued success makes it difficult. We are in great position though, with lots of good contracts to offer.

GTJ will definitely be up there with the top FAs, and I think Olshey will so everything he can to keep the four guards he has now at the 1&2, but it's ultimately up to Gary. He will have to gauge how much the money means to him, versus playing in a desirable location. In Portland, I think he'd get both, but some other team could outbid and promise him the world. I'm not sure what promises, considering CJ, Olshey can make. Olshey will certainly be earning HIS money, trying to work his magic.

Putting aside CJ, if there are any trades to be made, the team really needs to find an additional big body unless they
have a lot of faith in Harry Giles or somehow Zach suddenly gets well. GTJ is going to be a RFA and I would find it
difficult he would be getting CJ money as a RFA. It will be interesting to see if Portland will active at the NBA trade
deadline (March 25) for hopefully they will know if Nurk will be ready to come back.

Olshey doesn't need to do anything at the trade deadline. However, he is ready if there is an opportunity. He has a roster opening, room under the tax, and cap exceptions. Trade are also possible, but not necessary.

[dunlop212]

It comes down to how much the owner wants to spend. It is hard to see a viable team with Dame, CJ, and GTJ if GTJ gets a big offer without significant tax issues. I get that DTrain is OK with spending PA's sister's money, but she might not be.

So we might have to choose between GTJ at say 20+m plus whatever we get for CJ vs CJ at 30+m plus whatever we get for GTJ.

[Norm2953]

It comes down to how much the owner wants to spend. It is hard to see a viable team with Dame, CJ, and GTJ if GTJ gets a big offer without significant tax issues. I get that DTrain is OK with spending PA's sister's money, but she might not be.

So we might have to choose between GTJ at say 20+m plus whatever we get for CJ vs CJ at 30+m plus whatever we get for GTJ.

That's likely a fair assessment but factor in GTJ being 22 vs CJ (30) and whatever Portland would get from a S/T
for the Celtics for example were able to convert Gordon Hayward's FA into a very large trade exception which might
not be usable due to the Dame/CJ contracts hamstringing the team through the 2024 season

[PDXKnight]

It comes down to how much the owner wants to spend. It is hard to see a viable team with Dame, CJ, and GTJ if GTJ gets a big offer without significant tax issues. I get that DTrain is OK with spending PA's sister's money, but she might not be.

So we might have to choose between GTJ at say 20+m plus whatever we get for CJ vs CJ at 30+m plus whatever we get for GTJ.

That's likely a fair assessment but factor in GTJ being 22 vs CJ (30) and whatever Portland would get from a S/T
for the Celtics for example were able to convert Gordon Hayward's FA into a very large trade exception which might
not be usable due to the Dame/CJ contracts hamstringing the team through the 2024 season

yeah i’d take gtj over cj at this point if it comes to that. Selling that to Dame may be a far different issue

if need be we could deal cov and jones along with letting hood walk. Obviously not the best case scenario to lose a lot of depth but that at least gives us the flexibility to retain gtj. also it’s worth noting that the nba has reduced tax burdens with covid so that might make it slightly more bearable in the interim and hopefully the lux tax continues to rise giving us flexibility

[d-train]

If I had to choose 100x between CJ and GTJ, I would choose CJ 100x. It's an easy choice. It's also a dumb question to ask and answer. There is no issue that forces a choice, so there is no good question to ask.

If we run out of money, we cut spending down roster, not at the top. Trent is our 5th or 6th best player. We have money under the tax to pay him, no issue here.

[Norm2953]

Other than Dame/CJ (at least in 2021) are there really 3 more players better than GTJ on Portland's
roster? Nurk has missed large swaths of the past two seasons while Roco is hardly an AS caliber player.

[monopoman]

I think a hypothetical healthy Nurkic over 2-3 years would be better than GT Jr. but that seems like a pipe dream at this point. I agree he is the 3rd best player on the team if you look at players that are able to play the vast majority of Blazer games.

I also don't think this is a CJ vs. GT Jr. decision, if this team wants to give Dame the best chance possible at a championship you roll with both period. I assume Lillard might get a bit annoyed if they make cost saving moves like not re-signing GT Jr. when he has given this team a lot and he only has 4ish more years at best at his peak level.

[d-train]

Rating GTJ as our 5-6th best player is being generous to GTJ. Nurk is our 3rd best and it's not close. RoCo is our 4th best. DJJ, GTJ, or Kanter could be our 5th best depending upon need. A role players value is based on need. With CJ and Nurk out, GTJ or Kanter is our 5th best player. With everyone but Zach healthy, DJJ is our 5th best player.

Someone suggested GTJ is potentially an all-star. That's pure nonsense. Though the all-star label is worthless because history proves any schlub can be selected an all-star. And, truly worthy all-stars can play their whole career and not be selected. GTJ isn't what I would call a potential all-star. He's a shooter. As of now, he's not a shooter that can create many quality shots. Lillard and CJ can create 20-30 quality shots consistently against defenses loaded against them. GTJ can't do half that. And, GTJ doesn't play against defenses loaded to stop him. NBA defenses are loaded against the ball. GTJ is almost 100% off the ball. Simons and Melo face more defense loaded against them.