Free Agency 2023 - Blazers and around the league.

[zzaj]

Money must be burning a hole in every owners pocket with Ant Edwards now signing a $260/5 max
contract.

Minnesota now has Towns ($270/5) Edwards ($252/5) and Gobert ($130/3) on their books

Yeah, that is insane to spend that much on one position…

[Wizenheimer]

don't know how to do a Reddit post here

essentially, Sean Highkin, who seems to be pretty credible about Blazer news is saying the deal between Grant and the Blazers has been in place since January. Had nothing to do with Dame

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/14pv0ax/highkin_people_were_freaking_out_about_how_big/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=whitespace&embed_host_url=https://s9e.github.io/iframe/reddit.min.html

[DusterBuster]

don't know how to do a Reddit post here

essentially, Sean Highkin, who seems to be pretty credible about Blazer news is saying the deal between Grant and the Blazers has been in place since January. Had nothing to do with Dame

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/14pv0ax/highkin_people_were_freaking_out_about_how_big/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=whitespace&embed_host_url=https://s9e.github.io/iframe/reddit.min.html

Yeah, I would assume this is the truth over Dame and Grant colluding to get money out of the Blazers.

[Norm2953]

Not much left in the FA market. Boston still has Grant Williams out there as a RFA and he
along with Thybulle is being targeted by Dallas

Portland looks to be in a holding pattern but has a desperate need for a Center and
PF with both Watford and Eubanks gone.

[BlazersBroncos]

I really like Thybulle but am not sure we should match a MLE level offer for him - think I saw it was 12M.

Think he is a 7-8M guy.

[Pattycakes]

I really like Thybulle but am not sure we should match a MLE level offer for him - think I saw it was 12M.

Think he is a 7-8M guy.

Same. I need to see more consistency to see the 12m range

[PDXKnight]

Money must be burning a hole in every owners pocket with Ant Edwards now signing a $260/5 max
contract.

Minnesota now has Towns ($270/5) Edwards ($252/5) and Gobert ($130/3) on their books

Yeah, that is insane to spend that much on one position…

Gobert isn't looking so bad anymore contract wise (the trade still stinks of course)

[PDXKnight]

I really like Thybulle but am not sure we should match a MLE level offer for him - think I saw it was 12M.

Think he is a 7-8M guy.

Same. I need to see more consistency to see the 12m range

Unfortunately 12 is likely the new 7. But yeah I'm with you guys and I kinda hope we let him walk if that's the price. Cronin seems to like overspending for middle of the road players which is cap suicide.

[GEE]

No way of knowing for sure, but I think Thybulle's contract, like Grant's (alledgedly) was done months ago. He's RFA and can be the last order of business. Dallas can lock up their money with a weak offer if they want.

[DusterBuster]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=ytu8_lCpASqsmEN-XvYq2g

Just an interesting thought for everyone who just blindly goes… “this guy made so much!!” Same goes for the “why did we pay him so much!!!” crowd, especially when considering if you ignore the pure number and look at the percentage of cap used on the player….

Long story short, there’s just a lot of handwringing - especially at RealGM - over salaries when the reality is actual GMs budget a teams salary based on percentages, not salary. The Blazers paid Grant to be their 3rd highest paid player… if they had kept Dame and had another high priced player to go with him. And even without Dame, Grant can collect his check. if he wants out, he needs to play hard to keep his value high enough that he can get traded.

[DaVoiceMaster]

I thought the radio said last week that the Blazers extended the QO for Thybulle?

[Norm2953]

Dallas board is saying they can only offer $36 Million/4 for Thybulle. I think Portland matches
that.

It would be interesting what they did with their MLE for we don't know what they ultimately
will get from a Dame trade. Right now they have no backup PF or center with the
departures of Watford/Eubanks. Everyone want to dump Nurk but right now, Badji is the
only other guy taller than 6-9 on their roster

[red_power]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=ytu8_lCpASqsmEN-XvYq2g

Just an interesting thought for everyone who just blindly goes… “this guy made so much!!” Same goes for the “why did we pay him so much!!!” crowd, especially when considering if you ignore the pure number and look at the percentage of cap used on the player….

Haha just realized I had no idea the US federal income tax top rate is at 37%. Combined with state levies that make you pay the government almost the Western European figures.
Poor souls

[HoopsFanAZ]

There are some offers that should not be made and some that should not be matched. Sometimes talent needs to walk out the door.

1. Post-Lillard, the Blazers will likely be in the lottery, but if the young guys are going to develop, they need adults who play the right way. Not amazing but role models around them. Grant and Thybulle are adults (who are better than Aminu and Harkless, IMHO).
2. Having contracts makes trading doable. Nas has a highly tradable contract based on size, but he needs court time with health to develop and gain value. Thybulle will have a similar contract and is currently better and actually gets mentioned for D league-wide; keep working on those corner 3’s!

Portland has center, small forward and bench moves and improvements to make. If Nurkic dropped weight like Jokic, could he be kept with his 2nd or 3rd tier center contract? Stay healthy and play around 30 minutes? Nurk played with CJ when Dame sat. With Ant. Do I want more athletic and better D? Yup. Rolling the dice with Nic Claxton? Yup.

When Thybulle gets his dollars, good. Good to keep. An asset down the line.

[Norm2953]

Portland did play their best ball when Dame finally agreed to his core surgery in 2022. Adults like
Winslow and Hart really helped Ant, when he was scoring 30+ PPG and Nurk played his best ball
without Dame.

I do think a guy like Lowry when the Dame deal finally gets done, would help Scoot get acclimated
to the league.

[m0ng0]

DON'T forget Ant SUCKS! we should trade him for garbage or a second rounder because he is crap!!! Sarcasm

[Jsun947]

Orlando surprisingly waived Bol Bol.

I’d really like to see Portland sign him and Bamba. At least it will be fun to watch.

[DusterBuster]

Bol Bol would be a great kick the tires signing. Unfortunately this franchise seems incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, so they’ll probably end up letting him get picked up by another team.

[m0ng0]

I wonder why Orlando waived him?

[Pattycakes]

+ to bamba and bol bol w these young guards for the hell of it. If we’re gonna lose some games, mine as well make it fun!!