Official: you be the GM (what would you do)

Williams is a realistic idea, and may be the type of veteran who moves the Blazers closer to the Spurs. The ideas for Lowry/Gortat/Deng and even Vasquez seem like pipedreams to me. I can't see a scenario where Toronto wouldn't match a MLE offer from Portland for Vasquez, and the worst part is that takes the Blazers off the market in terms of the MLE for 3 days while Toronto plays it out to the end. Lowry isn't going to take the MLE to play 24 minutes/game, and as noted, Deng will be looking for a payday.

Best bet is to go for a UFA with some skills, make that signing, then explore trades if none were made during the draft. Tying up the MLE on a RFA just seems dumb to me for a halfway decent player.

 

I'd trade everything necessary to land K Love outside of Lamarcus/Dame and maybe Wes.

 

I don't think our defense with them on the court together would be all that good, but I think they can co-exist on the offensive end just fine.

 

Then why not save $50 million and get ahold of Channing Frye?

They had the same 2P FG% (50.9 vs 50.2), the same 3P FG% (37.0 vs 37.6), the same FT% (82.1 for both), but Channing blocks at twice the rate Love does, and costs $7 million a year instead of $15 million a year. He's half the player for half the cost.

 

Not following your point.

 

Channing Frye is no where near the player Love is, rebounding, shooting, passing, or otherwise.

Is Channing Frye a damn near 28 PER player? Nope.

 

Sure. If Love is willing to "play" center on defense, because LMA is a little bitch when it comes to that. Otherwise, why wouldn't they be able to coexist? Wouldn't be able to double team either of them, whoever has the better matchup is the man for that game. Love is a pretty solid passer, have a nice high low combo like Gasol/Z-Bo.

Obviously people would have to sacrifice some numbers, but thats how you win championships.

Yeah our defense would be pretty questionable, but it would be pretty damn hard to matchup with Love/Aldridge/?? (assuming Batum would be the centerpiece)/Wes/Dame, would be a real matchup nightmare. And we'd still eat up rebounds. Also, our defense was not all that great this year, anyway.

 

There is only one ball. Frye doesn't need to be the number one option to be half the player Love is. Love needs the ball A LOT to be the player Love is.

 

Batum can't be traded to Minny it's part of all matched RFA contracts

 

That lasts for only one season. He can be traded there now

 

If there was no salary cap then a Love -LMA duo would be great to explore. But because the number of players on each team who make over 15 million a year is somewhat limited, I think you need to select them strategically. Dame will be one, LMA will be another, and if you have a third I think it needs to be someone who offers a skill set completely different than the other two. Preferably a excellent center, SG or SF.

Sure Love and LMA would be a nice luxury, but if we are targeting a third star for this team and we can come up with that much cap space, ....is that really the best combo we want?

 

Nope.

 

Can you think of another available STAR? It's all about having star players in this league. Find me another available star and I'd be willing to look at other possibilities. Also, Kevin Love is one of the best players EVER (according to PER) to be traded (if he is).

 

Id say it's worked out pretty well for the Heat, decently well for the Grizzlies and Thunder

 

I'm not sure where you're at, or what you're trying to say. We have an A and a B. Love is not a C, and LaMarcus isn't either. If you wanna trade LA for love, go for it, but we've had an undersized rebounding center who can't play defense or block shots. It was a 33 win season.

I don't want Love, but a player like Love who doesn't have to be Love is a good idea.

 

I think his point was roughly, Bosh wasn't a C either. Small sacrifices from everyone meant wins.

 

Did you really just compare JJ Hickson to Kevin Love?

Uh...I'm not really sure what to say to that idea.

Bosh/LeBron/Wade there is no true "C" option either. Bosh accepted his role as a C option and they've won 2 championships because of it. Bosh is also undersized and not a true C, what gives?

Also, the idea that players cannot adapt to a new setting is insane.

Anyway, I'd rather have two A's and a B, like the Heat, then an A-B-C anyway. Of course, this is continent on them being willing to sacrifice to win a championship.

Edit: I'm not worried about having a true center if our replacement is as good of a player as Love. It's pretty much what the heat do --- make the other teams adjust to how they play, but still have the option to go "big" if they NEED to. I'd rather have the 3 best players on the court than not.

 

Yup. Bosh sacrificed. Ibaka has sacrificed his game. Marc gasol has sacrificed his numbers for Z-Bo/Mike Conley. If you're going to have a 3 headed monster, someone HAS to sacrifice.

 

I mean, all this being said, there's no way we land him with Dame and LMA off the table. They'd get much better offers. So it's not an argument from me on whether we can realistically do it, but more would I. ANd I'd absolutely add him to the team. OKC had 2 players in Durant and Westbrook with USG%s in the 30s, and had Harden at 22, all getting over 30 minutes a night. Dame at 25, LMA and Love both at 29ish could find a way to make it work with just one ball.