Catchall wrote:GobertReport wrote:SoCalJazzFan wrote:Portland’s Robert Covington, league sources say, is a trade target who interests the Jazz given their well-known desire to upgrade defensively on the wing.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com
He would certainly give the wing and small ball center defense the Jazz need. If the Blazers give up Covington, they are giving up on the season, and maybe it would be the start of a rebuild.
From what Lillard has said, I think they are giving up on the season.
Right, Lillard said he won't come back unless the Blazers are in the playoffs. However, the Blazers would need Lillard back to make the playoffs.
This is some weird wording. Dame said he won't come back this season if it's clear the team is tanking in on the season (good players traded away for worse players coming back and lots of minutes for young guys). If they're in the hunt for the playoffs, Dame said he would come back.
As of right now, the Blazers have been crawling back into playoff contention without Lillard, thanks to the play of Simons in his place. They're also getting healthier and their schedule is getting much easier (they've had one of the hardest SOS in the league so far), so not crazy that Lillard could consider coming back if the Blazers are hovering around 8-10 and they're still trying to be competitive.
Regarding an Ingles for Covington trade, I don't really think the Blazers make that move without some draft compensation coming their way. Ingles makes slightly more than Covington this season, which hurts their desire to make sure they stay under the tax line, and Covington is just simply much better than whatever is left of Ingles. So without other compensation coming back Portland's way to make it worth their while, I can't imagine why they would do a straight swap deal or one with only a 2nd round pick incentive.
Get ready to learn Chinese buddy... #YangBang