The Jusuf Nurkic trade was a low-risk gamble at first. Then it looked like a solid deal. Then, Nurkic kept playing well, everyone remembered the Blazers also received a first–round pick in the deal, and it became a full-on steal. Now, the Blazers have won four straight games and they're within a half-game of the final playoff spot in the West. Against the Sixers on Thursday night, Nurkic had 28 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, six blocks, and two steals. Blazers fans have hit the "someone knock down that building so we can use the rubble to build a giant Nurkic statue" phase of the trade process. http://www.si.com/nba/2017/03/10/jusuf-nurkic-revival-portland-trail-blazers-denver-nuggets
Olshey certainly hit a home run with the Nurkic trade. Hell, it even moved the needle for me and @riverman !
he saved his friggin job IMO! what a hail mary after last years summer binge of bad signings and awful season until the Nurk trade, I can say with Nurk and 3 draft picks I am a helluva lot more optimistic then I was just 2-3 weeks ago, we have cap issues to deal with but I think we can work thru that over time
Before we call them awful signings, lets see what he does wioth them. Crabbe has been playing much better, and it could very well be possible that GMS will start to see and think that he is a good fit on the RIGHT team. Turner was playing much better right before his injuries and I think he is a solid piece if we keep him. Meyers has been abysmal, but even he is showing his game improves playing along side a traditional center. Could it be that these guys have been taught their whole lives to play their game based around a traditional center and Plumlee (bless him, I loved him here), just stunted so many things that the rest of the guys have worked hard at, because he isn't in the traditional spot a center is? Spacing already seems to be improving with each game and that will help guys like Ctabbe and Leonard. I'm willing to give it until the beginning of next season toe see what he might be able to do with the picks and our guys in trades. I still dont think these contracts are quite as bad as some think. No, I dfont think they are great, but if we go on a run and make the playoffs, I beleive it will be because of steady play from guys like Crabbe and Leonard, and in the off season, they will be totally movable to the right teams. The problem is, if we go on a run and those guys steady up their game, PA will fal in love again and say, KEEP THE MALL THEY CAN DO IT! And who knows. Maybe we do go until next trade deadline before making many more moves, other than low key stuff. In my opinion, the best thing we can do is package a couple guys like Vonleh and Davis and a couple our picks and go after the pick that gets us TJ Leaf. He would be the best type of fit for our offense I think.
One of the few reasons I still get joy from this earth is by watching is pull trades like this. It's being able to go up to Lakers fans and go, "You've got more resources. More celeb pulling power. And you know.what? You're still fuckin terrible and we are better." Hmmm.... I wonder if this is just let's say a very GERMAN part of my nature.
Man, I'm still hesitant to let Crabbe go. Obviously there's a price that does it, but frankly, I like how he's playing. Decent-defending wings who shoot 44% on volume 3's don't grow on trees.
We'll talk luxury tax in the offseason, but I'm pretty sure that we'll have to trade him to get below the tax line.
THANK YOU! Yea Crabbe is a little spendy but my god the dude is top 3 in 3point percentages with TONS of shots. He's been great this season to me I'm very please with Crabbe
Nurk seems to be on his way to getting a max contract. That projects out to 27 mil per year in 18-19. That would put portland at around 155 million when you estimate filling out the roster with rookie contracts. The estimated luxury tax figure for that year is $130. They'd be paying it big time for 2 years untill the 20-21 season when everyone but CJ, Dame (and Nurk) expire. It really seems they would try to unload someone.
A max contract for Nurk would put Portland in an interesting situation. If you consider the luxury tax threshold to be the true "salary cap", that means we'd have 80 million invested in Dame/CJ/Nurk, and 50 million do divide up among the other 9 players. We'd really need to fill out the roster with rookies.
