If you get a center like Lopez...you just plain don't need Dwight Howard...waste of big money that could get us a stretch three and D guy instead. We already have two guys that are good at Lopez's weakness.
Another option for a really solid defensive center is Ian Mahinmi from Indy, not a sexy pick but he anchored one of the better defenses in the league. he's 29 now, probably has another 3-4 good yrs left
Brook is a great center, if we could get him that would be a huge coup. Nets will be willing to move him as they're not winning anytime soon and need a rebuild badly, however there are teams across the league who could offer them a better package than we will. Boston for example will be able to give them their pick back + a player which will be much more valuable than Leonard and Cleveland's pick. Maybe you could tempt them by giving them back Plumlee plus pick plus one of our younger players but I still doubt it. We just don't have enough assets to do any serious trading.
Downside is that he hasn't really been that good in the league before last season and as you say, at 29 he is not getting better. He's going to get paid too, won't come for less than $11M IMO. Won't be the end of the world if we get him.
1) If I'm Durant, I want to go to a team that is championship caliber WITHOUT me - that's not PDX, sorry to dreamcrush. Our only path to get KD was to trade for Boogie first, and that never happened. 2) We need to swing as big as possible: top tier player: $21 Mil. mediocre player: $16 Mil. there's just not a big enough salary gap to not go all in for the top tier player. In fact, getting a mediocre player for $16 Mil might just be the worst possible thing we could do.
I agree. Better use the cap space to absorb terrible contracts across the league from teams willing to throw a pick at us like Cleveland did with Varejao, than use it on a player we don't need who will not improve us at all.
Yuck... Not only will he be 30 to start the season but he is not a clear upgrade over what we have now. Would rather sit this offseason out. Why in the world would you give 10+ mil of your cap room to Ian Mihinmi?! He is the definition of mediocre, non-needle mover...
If the Blazers renounce Henderson ($9,000,000), Kaman ($6,520,800) and Robers ($3,711,422) that will put give them $24.6 million to go after a FA. Unless Dwight were going to take less than the max, that almost eliminates him unless you renounce Harkless or Leonard. Let's say you did both, you would have right at $40 million to perhaps go after someone like Whiteside at $22 million and then another $18 million to ad another FA or make an unbalanced trade. Would it be worth it to renounce everyone of a big salary and take a shot at 2 big time free-agents? Who would you want at the $16-18 million mark? Let's say Ryan Anderson fit into that slot just for example. Whiteside/Davis/Kaman (re-sgined at a vet min) Anderson/Vonleh/Alexander Amimu/Montero/Layman CJ/Montero/Connaughton Dame/CJ/FA PG - vet min Is that roster worth letting Meyers, Crabbe and Harkless go?
I'll take a look at options in that 16-18 mark, but it'd be an easy no on Anderson for me. Leonard is about as good from 3. Leonard can cover bigger post players relatively well. Anderson...can't really cover anyone that well. Obviously depends on cost, but if Anderson requires us to dump Leonard AND Harkless, I'd just as soon keep Leonard over him, and Harkless. I dunno where Crabbe went in your lineup either.
If you're able to get Whiteside, I think I'd do a unbalanced trade of Plumlee+Pick+cap space for a power forward.
I was just using Anderson as a 'slot' example. I'm not really high on him either. Crabbe I left off because even though his cap hold is very small, his salary is likely to be much much higher. If somehow he would be willing to hold off until the Blazers signed a big FA and then Portland could go over the cap to sign him....that would help Portland A LOT!
I know there are people who still don't like him, but I'd love to bring back ZBO for the right price. I think he'd be a great veteran that we could plug into the power forward spot who can score and rebound. He has grown up a lot since we traded him.
Who would fans like to see at that $16-18M slot that is either available as a FA or in an unbalanced trade?
I wouldn't let Crabbe go because his cap hold is fairly small; Davis has a much bigger cap hold and would not be so valuable if we had Whiteside. I probably wouldn't let anyone go except the three obvious ones unless it gets you two of Durant, Horford, Whiteside.
If I'm Durant I'd want to go somewhere that ISNT a championship contender before but becomes one when I arrive. I'd want to go to a great culture with good people in the locker room. I'd want to play for a coach that would use me well (not just Isos). That fits with what he days about a good basketball situation surrounded by good people. We have a chance, don't let anyone say otherwise.
http://basketball-players.pointafte...1#43-FAQ-Ranking-of-Every-2016-NBA-Free-Agent They rank the top 50+ Free Agents and with all the money Portland has, all they are projected to get is Ian Mahihmi at #18. That is a bit depressing. Motivation Neil!
