http://www.blazersedge.com/2015/7/6/8897121/portland-trail-blazers-news-trade-free-agent-neil-olshey Was the strategy to hope that a deep playoff run would convince LA to re-sign? Acquiring AA at the deadline for 1st rd pick suggests we were going for it. LA himself put off surgery to come back. Did we know that a 1st rd playoff series loss would likely be the end of LA's reign in Portland? It's easy to play Monday morning QB and say we should have moved him now, but we did start off the season 30-8. It would have shocked the fans to see him traded in a season that started so well, especially after he pledged to sign 5 year extension last summer. Did NO put all his eggs in that basket? That's a big gamble. Given how tough the West was a 1st rd loss could have happened if we had home court and were 100% healthy. Whatever the case, the fans didn't know how likely it was that LA could bounce, but maybe the team did. Would you have traded LA at the deadline? Or try to ride it out and go for a deep post season run?
The only reasonable time to have traded LA was two summers ago. Once Rolo was acquired and the team started out very hot in November/December 2013, the majority of the fan-base would have revolted if LA had been traded at any point between then and the 2015 trade deadline.
Who was the last franchise player in his prime to bolt? It's unusual for a team to let that happen without compensation of some sort. Not trading him in 2013 was a risk. I suspect there is a lot behind closed doors that led to this. What are the Vulcans doing these days?
Spot on. There wasn't really a good time to trade him in the last two years. 80% of blazer fans would have lost their shit. Its kind of on LMA since in the last two years signs have been pointing too a resign, until Wes's injury, and then it was to late/
Cleveland received a huge TPE and five future picks for LeBron. Orlando landed Vucevic/various other pieces that landed Tobias/three first round picks/TPE Memphis landed Marc Gasol and two first-round picks for Pau.
Lakers received nothing for Howard. Lakers received nothing for Gasol. Miami received nothing for LBJ
I'm not sure. The CBA was totally different then. They wouldn't have been able to pull it off in todays CBA.
I'm guessing Paul Allen had something to do with this. Trading the last vestige of Roy/Oden/Aldridge may have been too much for him. We will never know but then again, if Wes doesn't go down with injury, I don't think we are at this point.
You are right. It was much different back then. A main rule change was to avoid the deals like Shaq to Lakers or T-Mac to Orlando. But Shaq and T-Mac left for nothing.
I believe PA gave the orders on this one. He either believed we were a contender or was convinced by someone we were. When Wes went down it was too late to move anyone
I want to hear from management, particularly Neil Olshey. What is he in the witness protection program now? Sure, he's going to get blasted & have to answer questions that are completely uncomfortable. But this isn't going to flame out in a couple of days. The longer we don't hear anything & nothing happens (in regards to our roster), the more impatient we're getting. Put your face out there & tell us what our plan is. If not who we're targeting specificially, what TYPE of player are we looking to acquire? What style of play are we building the roster around? Give us something . . . some reason to be hopeful again. Where are you Neil?
Yep, they put all of their eggs into that basket. They had faith (before Wes went down) it would work itself out in the end.
I don't know if you consider DeAndre Jordan a franchise player, but he left the Clips for nothing as well, signing a max offer. Monroe signed a max to leave Pistons for nothing as well
