Portland and San Antonio: Ayton for Barnes and Collins

[drosestruts]

Maybe I'm a glass of full type of guy, but I think there's a possibility Ayton could be a great buy-low candidate for a team. One of the teams I think could afford to take a risk on Ayton would be the Spurs.

Spurs in: Deandre Ayton

Blazers in: Harrison Barnes and Zach Collins

Pretty sure this trade would need to wait till Sep 8th to be completed and allow Barnes to be packaged with another player.

Blazers get an expiring wing and a cheaper backup center for depth behind their highly drafted rookie Clingan.

The Spurs get a 26 year old center to form a new-age twin towers with Wemby.

Ayton has had multiple seasons averaging a double-double with a TS% north of 65%. His play has not been consistent, and his effort at times has been questioned. But you can't teach size, and for his size Ayton is very skilled.

Can a coach like Pop help put it all together?

Ayton's best years came with CP3 in Phoenix - oh what's that? CP3 is in San Antonio now?

I think the coaching and roster in San Antonio can help revive Aytons career and get the most out of what I think everyone can agree is a talented, but inconsistent player.

[psman2]

I did really see any benefit for Portland. They take on more money and the years are the same (Barnes is not expiring) and neither guy is part of their future. I think there is a better chance of eventually flipping Ayton for expirings or maybe squeezing out an asset than either Barnes or Collins.

For the Spurs I just don't see them having any desire for Ayton either. He is not the type of vet I would want to bring in. Plus I don't think the need is really there with Wemby likely still get the bulk of his minutes at center.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I think RW3 makes more sense for the Spurs as a buy low candidate. Someone who can come in and impact the game with intensity and physicality but ultimately a lower minute player behind Wemby.

Ayton is someone you only really go after if you need someone/anyone to fill center minutes. He's a daily driver who you are fine racking up miles but don't need anything too special from.

[giberish]

I do think the Williams option makes more sense. Ayton's just too expensive for the role. Even with limited quality outside of center France didn't move Wemby to PF for any significant minutes. If healthy Williams is a massive upgrade over Collins and is mobile enough to play spot PF minutes (and for health reasons shouldn't be playing big minutes even at full health).

If He's healthy than Portland has a very awkward center rotation as Williams is the best per-minute option, Ayton makes big money for multiple years and Clingan is the one they want to keep and should get at least backup minutes as a rookie. Collins is an EC and was bad enough last season it's not a waste to drop him to 3rd sting.

Of course Williams health and the price SA would/should pay for the swap are the questions.

[gswhoops]

If I had an impressionable young big man with unlimited upside, the last person I would want to expose him to is DeAndre Ayton

[BK_2020]

Didn't the Spurs draft a center a couple years ago

[chrbal]

Spurs wouldn’t want Ayton anywhere near Victor. Deandre would most likely come off the bench to be a $35 million per year backup center.

Someone else mentioned RW3 to the Spurs, I think that makes a lot of sense.

The only Ayton trade I could think of was him to Chicago for Nikola Vucevic, Jevon Carter and some other filler.

Blazers bring in a vet who can get you a similar stat line. The filler is the filler.

Bulls take a low risk chance on a younger, but more expensive big. Maybe the Bulls edit it to reacquire their 1st from Portland.

Other than Chicago, I can’t think of a team that would even consider adding Ayton

[Myth]

If I had an impressionable young big man with unlimited upside, the last person I would want to expose him to is DeAndre Ayton

I don’t get the impression that Wemby is immature enough to be “impressionable” to a guy like Ayton. He is individually mature, has his own people, has Coach Pop, and now has CP3’s leadership. There are multiple reasons to not want Ayton, but I just have a hard time imagining Ayton having some negative influence on Wemby’s development.

[tacos]

Ayton fits what we are doing and our needs better so i would pass here

[Chinook]

The Spurs would look bad dumping Barnes after talking him into giving up his kicker. Also, no. The Spurs don't need to get a max contract on their team at all costs. That's even more true when it belongs to a player with effort issues and who would have to show a lot more to make sense as a starter next to Wemby.

It might not be time to completely give up on Wemby playing PF. But they should experiment with cheap players with clear archetypes to see what could work. Paying a max salary isn't the way to do that.

[One_and_Done]

Horrific for the Spurs. They don't want Ayton, they don't want a 5 at all in fact because they learned they need to play Wemby there. They also clearly quite like Barnes, who does play a useful role for them.

[HornetJail]

I think the Spurs seem committed to Wemby at the 5. If they decide to pair him with a center in the future, I doubt it will be Ayton, likely a stretch big IMO

[gswhoops]

If I had an impressionable young big man with unlimited upside, the last person I would want to expose him to is DeAndre Ayton

I don’t get the impression that Wemby is immature enough to be “impressionable” to a guy like Ayton. He is individually mature, has his own people, has Coach Pop, and now has CP3’s leadership. There are multiple reasons to not want Ayton, but I just have a hard time imagining Ayton having some negative influence on Wemby’s development.

That's probably true, but I wouldn't even want to take the chance here. The payoff just isn't worth it.