Norman Powell to Blazers for GTJ

[d-train]

Oh ****, it's cut the check.

[d-train]

I'm pretty sure Powell is going to cost more than GTJ. If Blazers were cheap, their best move would have been to trade him for a player under contract longer. It would have been smarter to trade him for AG, for example, if the Blazers where motivated to save money. Instead, they took a path certain to cost more, but could yield the best talent.

[HoopsFanAZ]

I’ll take the Devil’s advocate position to those who are concerned about Powell as a rental: Olshey brought Powell in to keep him. Yes, cut the check. He knew it would cost.

The numbers being tossed around in speculation are just that for now. Unless it’s a rebuild, Olshey doesn’t let significant assets walk unless he means to. Powell has his choice, absolutely, but Olshey pays. Get a sign and trade exception? We know how that’s worked out in Portland. A sign and trade for assets? No operating from a position of weakness allowed. That would go over so well with Lillard.

It’s the simple answer. The signing of Powell costs some $$$ AND leads to strengthening the forward spot.

[BlazersBroncos]

Same with Powell if he walks in free agency. Terrible use of assets, especially with Gordon being moved for cheap. But the team's fate for the next few years was sealed when Dame and CJ got extended.

I wanted AG about as badly as anyone, but I think the ORL management must have not been interested in paying GTJ. And if they are higher on Hampton than Simons (He is locked in for 1.5 years cheap longer) and Little (They have Issac + Okeke as young forwards who are elite athletes but low on skill, just like Nassir) then the deal they took makes more sense than Hood + GTJ or Hood + Little / Simons + FRP.

I think the market for GTJ will be molten hot this offseason. Tons and tons of money to go around, less elite players set to his FA than anticipated, a young guy who can hit 3's at an elite level. Its a recipe for 20M AV.

[d-train]

I believe it is very possible that Olshey would let Powell walk in free agency even after trading good players to get him. Olshey traded Will Barton, a better player than GTJ, for Arron Afflalo, then let Afflalo walk without even making an offer. He also let Matthews and Lopez walk without even making an offer.

This tells me that Olshey will recommend to Jody to cut the check if he likes what he's buying. If he doesn't, he will advise Jody to put her checkbook away.

[d-train]

To add to the above post, Olshey was planning to spend big money in 2015. He traded Batum ahead of 2015 free agency as part of a plan to create 2 max salary slots. One for Aldridge and one for a free agent. Olshey's pitch to Aldridge was to build a superteam around him, Lillard, another max player, Matthews, and CJ. Olshey was ready to spend big, but because Aldridge didn't buy in, he wasn't willing to spend anything.

[HoopsFanAZ]

To add to the above post, Olshey was planning to spend big money in 2015. He traded Batum ahead of 2015 free agency as part of a plan to create 2 max salary slots. One for Aldridge and one for a free agent. Olshey's pitch to Aldridge was to build a superteam around him, Lillard, another max player, Matthews, and CJ. Olshey was ready to spend big, but because Aldridge didn't buy in, he wasn't willing to spend anything.

Whatever odds Olshey calculated regarding LMA staying or going and adding a free agent, your point passes the smell test of him trying to make it happen. With Batum, some pretty reliable chatter I heard at the time (a source who has sources) said that Batum's unreliability compared to his abilities was a major factor that got him shipped out. He wasn't playing up to his $$$ and that drove PA and Olshey nuts. That dovetails with wanting to free $$$ for an elite free agent.

One thing that is more questionable (IMHO) is how much Matthews was desired by the Blazers at that time. His heel problems prior to the Achilles limited him and the Achilles injury made big $$$ a bad investment. [He got the check from Cuban and the LMA-exit nixed any return. No offer from Olshey IIRC.] In contrast, Ariza was seen as a veteran (and aging) 6th man, not a piece to build around or to be part of the core. While this can reasonably be seen as Olshey having SPAM put away, it was also cleaning the slate of players who fit with the LMA team but whose cost and limitations would hamstring a rebuild (and tank job) around Lillard. The Blazers screwed up and won too many games. Since then, Olshey acquired assets (hit and miss) and seems willing -- FINALLY -- to trade picks and to create packages to upgrade the roster.

I KNOW that I'm (probably) engagingly in wishful thinking that Olshey will deal CJ to improve at forward. CJ is the more talented player compared to Norm. [Overall, Norm's a better fit and better at being switchable ... not being a starting SF, but switchable at 1-3 and will scrap with 4's 5's. CJ -- not so much.]. But CJ is the ONE significant asset with the value (in a package) to engineer a moves-the-needle, icing-on-the-cake trade. Unfortunately, the Blazers will play too well and/or have excuses for "underperforming" that will buy another round of the Lillard-McCollum show. [And yet, I still have hope.]

[JasonStern]

A lot of revisionist history in this thread.

Olshey was never gunning for two max contracts to pair with Dame "Pat Riley" style. They simply hit a brick wall where keeping the Dame/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Lopez core together was infeasible due to unrestricted free agency/offers, a massive collapse in the playoffs, and Matthews' ruptured achilles.

During Dame's tenure, the Blazers have been linked to only two all-stars.

The first was Butler, which would have required a then either rookie contract or recently extended McCollum plus some combination of the three picks the Blazers had that year (ultimately Collins and Swanigan) and future picks (ultimately Simons, Little).

The second was Harden this year, which again would have required McCollum, but likely also would have required Trent, 3+ 1st round picks, draft swap rights, etc. Plus since Houston already owns our 2021 1st, they had less incentive to improve our team.

In both cases, Olshey balked. We don't know why in each case. But Olshey loves his guys and could have had faith they were better players. Losing Aldridge for nothing set us back drastically, and could have scarred him as the same could have happened with Butler and/or Harden. Or even if we obtained two all-stars, the remaining cap space in a place like Portland that is not a free agent destination (Chandler Parsons snubbed us!) would leave Portland without enough depth for the stars to actually win games.

And I'm sure there were other players like Kawhi that could have possibly been options, but they'd fall under the same free agency/depth concerns.

Plus then there is Paul Allen and Bert Kolde, now Jody Allen and Bert Kolde, that can override Neil Olshey if he wanted to YOLO on a talented player. There's a very reasonable chance Olshey still has his job because, while he's an average GM, he's one hell of a salesman that can butter up the right people. At the end of the day, his job is to make his boss happy - not posters on RealGM.

[BlazersBroncos]

The Butler mistake will haunt this franchise for years. A Dame / Butler / Nurkic trio, if healthy, could win a ring.

Butler is everything we needed and still need. Absolutely everything.

[Dzon Dilindzer]

neil olshey has already expressed his desire to re-sign powell and team has done stuff to make powell comfortable and happy and he certainly took it well and obviously will think about re-signing with portland, but from what he said, a lot of it will depend on how the season goes and by the looks of it, season wont end well, given were looking at the 1st round exit (if we get in the playoffs in the first place)

[Wizenheimer]

A lot of revisionist history in this thread.

Olshey was never gunning for two max contracts to pair with Dame "Pat Riley" style. They simply hit a brick wall where keeping the Dame/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Lopez core together was infeasible due to unrestricted free agency/offers, a massive collapse in the playoffs, and Matthews' ruptured achilles.

During Dame's tenure, the Blazers have been linked to only two all-stars.

The first was Butler, which would have required a then either rookie contract or recently extended McCollum plus some combination of the three picks the Blazers had that year (ultimately Collins and Swanigan) and future picks (ultimately Simons, Little).

The second was Harden this year, which again would have required McCollum, but likely also would have required Trent, 3+ 1st round picks, draft swap rights, etc. Plus since Houston already owns our 2021 1st, they had less incentive to improve our team.

In both cases, Olshey balked. We don't know why in each case. But Olshey loves his guys and could have had faith they were better players. Losing Aldridge for nothing set us back drastically, and could have scarred him as the same could have happened with Butler and/or Harden. Or even if we obtained two all-stars, the remaining cap space in a place like Portland that is not a free agent destination (Chandler Parsons snubbed us!) would leave Portland without enough depth for the stars to actually win games.

And I'm sure there were other players like Kawhi that could have possibly been options, but they'd fall under the same free agency/depth concerns.

Plus then there is Paul Allen and Bert Kolde, now Jody Allen and Bert Kolde, that can override Neil Olshey if he wanted to YOLO on a talented player. There's a very reasonable chance Olshey still has his job because, while he's an average GM, he's one hell of a salesman that can butter up the right people. At the end of the day, his job is to make his boss happy - not posters on RealGM.

you forgot about Paul George. Quick and Haynes filed several reports that Olshey was actively making offers for PG13, and Olshey even confirmed it. Basically, Blazers were offering all three of their 1st round, non-lottery picks + players. But Olshey refused to include CJ. He even said something to the effect of "why would I trade CJ for PG13 when I want CJ to play with PG13".

reading between Quick's lines, my guess is the offer was the three 1sts + Harkless and Meyers. In other words, Olshey wasn't seriously bidding

[Norm2953]

I do think Portland will try to sign Powell but he's not coming back in a 3 guard lineup, having to match up
on a regular basis with the many bigger SF's in the western conference.

Portland's problems however are basically centered on the injuries which have depleted the games of both
Nurk and ZC for only the team doctors know if either player will fully recover. If they had quality players
up front to protect the basket, those 3 guards would be a matchup problem but alas, they are already
load managing Nurk, who hasn't been the Bosnian beast for a long time.

I think the thing to do is pay Powell if he's willing to return and to do whatever is necessary to acquire
the quality front court player this team has needed since LA left. All pieces with the exception of Dame
need to be on the table

[Epicurus]

The three guard lineup is actually doing well. With Covington and Nurk it is a net plus 16.1 and with Covington and Enes a net plus 15.5. I understand the concern for sizze matchup, and tend to agree. Yet thus far the overall resultss question that concern. The problems may be elsewhere.

[d-train]

The Butler mistake will haunt this franchise for years. A Dame / Butler / Nurkic trio, if healthy, could win a ring.

Butler is everything we needed and still need. Absolutely everything.

The Butler mistake was made by TPups and Sixers. The PG mistake was made by OKC. Thankfully, the Blazers avoided making the mistake other teams made.

[kumquat]

Can we swap back?

[d-train]

GTJ has been moved to the bench in Toronto. He is their 6th man while Boucher is injured. In 2 games, he is getting fewer minutes than he got here as our 6/7th man.

[taufblazers33]

GTJ has been moved to the bench in Toronto. He is their 6th man while Boucher is injured. In 2 games, he is getting fewer minutes than he got here as our 6/7th man.

why did he get moved to the bench?

[dkb9696]

GTJ has been moved to the bench in Toronto. He is their 6th man while Boucher is injured. In 2 games, he is getting fewer minutes than he got here as our 6/7th man.

why did he get moved to the bench?

The reason he is playing off the bench is because the Raptors have 2 centers now that are at least playable in Khem Birch/Freddie Gillespie. Everyone is also healthy and the Raptors are not going to bench one of Lowry or VanVleet in favour of GTJ. If GTJ resigns with the Raptors I fully expect him to be the starring 2 guard next season, as Lowry does not fit the teams timeline and will move on to a different team next year. FVV/GTJ/OG/Siakam look like virtual locks to start next season unless the Raptors can magically get an upgrade at those positions.

[JasonStern]

FVV/GTJ/OG/Siakam look like virtual locks to start next season unless the Raptors can magically get an upgrade at those positions.

S&T Powell for Trent?

[dkb9696]

FVV/GTJ/OG/Siakam look like virtual locks to start next season unless the Raptors can magically get an upgrade at those positions.

S&T Powell for Trent?

Not going to be able to do that sorry. GTJ is 22 and has shown in his brief time with the Raptors to be able to be very productive when given minutes. Powell took a leap last year and after having a slow start to this season got into the starting lineup and shot the ball like Klay Thompson and the Raptors sold high on the vet for a prospect. The last thing the Blazers needed was a 6 foot 3 scoring guard though.