Woj: Blazers plan is to pursue high end talent “now”.

[PDXKnight]

I doubt Zion comes back this year, but even then they look pretty competitive sooooo yeah, who knows…. probably 50/50 we get the pick.

I feel pretty confident we get the pick unless they pels win in the play in. I don’t see no getting a top 8 spot in the west. That being said i’m curious what the future first is should they defer?

It’s Milwaukees 2025 top 4 protected….

That could be alright if that team falls to shambles by then

[red_power]

Right now it seems like another stupid trade.

Yeah i don’t get this. Cronin trying to do the cap space plan with a team where cap space is about useless. I’ve seen the blazers squander cap space and tpes more times than i can count

NAW is going to earn 5 mln next season, so it's looking like a pure salary dump move first and foremost.
Plus, I assume he wasn't on our FO long-term plans anyway.

Anyway, I have no idea why Cronin is cleaning Blazers' future salary obligations so meticulously. But hopefully, he isn't doing that to sign Ant and Nurk for the max deal this summer

[PDXKnight]

Right now it seems like another stupid trade.

Yeah i don’t get this. Cronin trying to do the cap space plan with a team where cap space is about useless. I’ve seen the blazers squander cap space and tpes more times than i can count

NAW is going to earn 5 mln next season, so it's looking like a pure salary dump move first and foremost.
Plus, I assume he wasn't on our FO long-term plans anyway.

Anyway, I have no idea why Cronin is cleaning Blazers' future salary obligations so meticulously. But hopefully, he isn't doing that to sign Ant and Nurk for the max deal this summer

I’m feeling like he resigns nurk and i get a sick feeling about how that works out for us. Let’s just say it might be a repeat of blazers big man history..

[Case2012]

Has anyone calculated what the cap space is next year after today’s move? I doubt we do it, but Hart’s deal is not guaranteed either next year, so that could be an additional 12 million in cap…

[GEE]

Cronin is making my head hurt with all of these weird small moves. I'm so confused now. And WOJ says, "high end talent now", while we are looking more and more like OKC. Less than 24 hours remain, and the REALGM wiretap headline makers are beginning to lose their ISHT.

[Norm2953]

It just seems to me that ultimately it will be perfectly clear to everyone, Portland is headed for a
rebuild similar to what we saw in 2016 but only this time without Dame.

Simons is going to be nice player but its a bit much for the weight of the franchise to be placed on his
shoulders. It's going to take multiple appearances in the lottery and a bit of luck to build a new core
but trading Dame for a rebuild package does work if a team has enough patience for a top 5 pick in the
2023 draft with a multi-generational talent like the French big is a gamble worth taking.

[Jsun947]

Has anyone calculated what the cap space is next year after today’s move? I doubt we do it, but Hart’s deal is not guaranteed either next year, so that could be an additional 12 million in cap…

If we waive Bledsoe & Hart, then renounce everyone except Simons (Including Nurkic) then added in cap holds and our 1st estimated around 5th pick, we’d have approx 35 mil in space.

If we get and keep the NO pick that probably drops to close to 31-32.

[soobias]

i know some probably dont like me saying it and it's hard for me to say but i feel we should trade dame away for young talent and picks. that 2yr 102m ext will hurt us moving forward and i dont think there any high end talent available out there atm.

in a year or 2 dames contract will make him not trade worthy for any team.
idk who to get but he has to be a leader like dame and i would prefer 2 way players, also as constructed right now as before we have too many guards. i hope that changes soon.

[Case2012]

Dame’s not going anywhere, and he deserves that extension for being one of the GOATS. It would be amazing he took less money like Dirk but his nick name is DOLLA so that seems doubtful… Whether we keep or trade Dame, we probably aren’t winning a title anytime in the next 3 or 4 years unless one of our draft picks ends up being MVP caliber, so If dame is ok staying and retiring without a ring then so be it.

[BlazersBroncos]

Dame’s not going anywhere, and he deserves that extension for being one of the GOATS. It would be amazing he took less money like Dirk but his nick name is DOLLA so that seems doubtful… Whether we keep or trade Dame, we probably aren’t winning a title anytime in the next 3 or 4 years unless one of our draft picks ends up being MVP caliber, so If dame is ok staying and retiring without a ring then so be it.

Exactly. Why are people acting like we traded away contending pieces.

I think we totally strike out in FA, but I take that over the boring treadmill repetition we had.

Did people really expect Hali caliber guys for CJ and Norm?

(I still dislike the LAC value, but that’s it. We got what we wanted as fans, flexibility, options and no treadmill. Big move in the summer or bust. Did we think the return of Norm + CJ put us into contention this year?)

[Norm2953]

I do wonder though when they strike out in their pursuit of high end talent, how Portland proceeds
for the team is getting younger, not older and the core group might built around Simons.

Let's say they keep Nurkic and sign Simons to a new deal. Portland would come back in 22/23 with
Dame/Simons and Hart as their three guards. They would have Nurk at center with Little, Watford,
Brown and unknown draftee (S) and a free agent signing. Lots of unknowns and hardly a serious
playoff contender. Would Dame want to stay around with a core group of young players?

[Case2012]

I think Hart is getting traded, why else would be not play tonight? Wouldn't be surprised if he was sent to Detroit in a package for Grant.

[BlazersBroncos]

I think Hart is getting traded, why else would be not play tonight? Wouldn't be surprised if he was sent to Detroit in a package for Grant.

Assuming it takes a FRP to move Hart for Grant, stand pat and give me Hart.

The difference isnt a FRP. Nowhere close. And Hart never left a contender for more touches.

Hart is 12.9M, 129M PO.

Grant is 20M and expecting a near max, if not max, deal.

I take Hart all day.

[Norm2953]

Indeed, I'd take Hart for honestly, who believes adding Grant to Portland is going to make them a playoff
contender? Grant is a tweener combo forward. Portland really needs a PF/C to play the role that Zach
would have played. A big player to help Nurk protect the basket.

[Case2012]

I fully expect Portland to pull off the grant trade, I'm almost 100% sure of it. Which, I'm ok with if he can handle being a third option at around the same pay.

How the deal gets done, I'm not sure. Cronin is the cap specialist, so I'm sure he can make the numbers work somehow.

[Jsun947]

We could trade Hart and the NO first straight up for Grant. I have a feeling Detroit would want to make sure that first is actually going to convey though before they’d even consider accepting it. This is a trade that makes much more sense in the offseason than it does now for both teams and if I’m Portland I want Detroit to take back Winslow in that deal too.

[HopelessKnick]

My thoughts pretty much...

Read on Twitter

The problem with this is that with the loss of Powell and CJ the Blazers downgraded so much in talent it is hard to imagine them being able to make it up via trade and on top vastly improve. I think the only legit shot at this is if you guys get a top 4 pick--which seems entirely possible as I fully expect NOLA, Sacto,SA and Indiana to win more games than the Blazers. I think that's the understated part of this plan....it likely moves the Blazers from bottom top 10 pick to legitimate shot at top 5 pick. I could definitely see some team trading you an all-star level player for say, the 3rd pick in the draft. Such offers are regularly made on draft day. However, the big question is whether that + additional moves would be enough to crack the top 6 in the West.

[Village Idiot]

Anthony Davis - just wanted to get that high end talent name out there now. Clearly the Lakers are going nowhere. If Lebron retires, which seems a lot more like today than it did a month ago, AD becomes a possibility. He and Dame are supposedly buddies and keep in touch.

Something around Simons, cap-space/TPE created for LA and both our picks?

[The Sebastian Express]

I don't think LeBron will retire before Bronny gets to the league and he isn't eligible until 2024.

[DusterBuster]

My thoughts pretty much...

Read on Twitter

The problem with this is that with the loss of Powell and CJ the Blazers downgraded so much in talent it is hard to imagine them being able to make it up via trade and on top vastly improve.

I mean… where exactly were the Blazes with those guys? They were lottery bound and terrible fits for Billups coaching sooo, yeah, they lost talent moving those guys for cap, but those guys also weren’t getting the Blazers very far on the roster anyway.