This is what makes including CJ in a package for him acceptable, if Neil puts a high value on Gary. If Neil liked Gordon more than Randle (which would be a mistake) and the Knicks are as into CJ as has been reported. This might be the deal. We'd have Dame, Gary, RoCo, Gordon, Nurk with Melo, MCW, DJ, Nas and Enes all getting playing time off of the bench. Hood would be the odd man out but he'd be good insurance for any injury situation. Hell if it meant more picks we could even throw Ant to the Magic or Knicks. Gordon is the right kind of PF to play with Nurk. There would be a lot of options even with Stoffense.
Technically Jones could opt out right now... but there's no incentive for him to do so. I think the possible trade would need to be: DJJ + Hood + extra piece (either Trent/Ant/Little/orPick) => Gordon + MWC Hood + DJJ are about equal in salary to Gordon + MWC, so worst case - the magic drop $10M off their payroll next season for cutting Hood.
People here keep including Julius Randal in a lot of trade scenarios. But does NY want to get rid of him? I keep reading they are not interested in moving him.
Yeah, this is the issue. Spurs are going to wait till after the deadline to buy him out. Blazers would have to make a trade work with Orlando for Gordon that leaves cap space for Aldridge and doesn't leave too many roster spots open for Portland.
Eventually these guys have to understand all things eventually come to an end. IMO they get this year to put something together. After this year nobody is off limits out side of Lillard. I do understand this is about Aaron Gordon and this year so I agree CJ won't be part of a deal. My feeling though is CJ is pretty much in the same position as Stotts. They got to give us a reason to keep them.
CJ will be traded sooner or later. It's an inevitable eventuality. Blazers are feeling pressure to go all in to suit Dames closing window. CJ will be part of that. At least for the remainder of this season, one in which CJ is having the best stats of his career. Neil will try to trade for Gordon without trading CJ - his idea of going all in. And will look to sign Aldridge if Spurs buy him out. Neil will see that as putting together a contender...though realistically it falls short of that because the Blazers can only get players who used to be good but have already seen their best years and are on the decline.
I will be shocked if LMA wants to return to Portland. Think about who we are talking about. For him to return now seems like an extreme long shot. What is the draw? Playing with Dame again? Being coached by Terry again? Those are the only two I can think of. Is that enough to come crawling back now?
I read stuff like this on the message boards, but I've never heard or read anything from the Blazers or someone with a source inside the Blazers that supports this. Are you aware of something or do you just assume/hope this is true?
"I keep telling him I'm going to come back and finish [in Portland]," Aldridge said. "That's something him and I have talked about—playing together again." https://bleacherreport.com/articles...eturning-to-trail-blazers-with-damian-lillard
I think the extra piece would have to be Trent. And I like the idea of including MCW, apparently this guy can play defense: "When he’s been on the floor, the Magic have a defensive rating of 96.4. That is the NBA’s best mark among players who have appeared in at least five games and average a minimum of 20 minutes of action." (However, some of his advanced stats on both O and D are terrible) We might as well trade DJJ because he will not be coming back; I don't think he likes the way Stotts uses him. And I've come around to the idea that Trent needs to go now also, as I don't think Blazers have the money to re-sign him. I don't know if Gordon is the guy but I think we need to trade DJJ and Trent now.
Neil has talked about being in win now mode and Jody wanting the acceleration of that since Paul passed. Dame isn't getting younger. Every year is one closer to the end of his career. If the Blazers want to win one with Dame they have to do it soon. Dame has 6-8 years left...4 or so in his prime. You can bet the Blazers are feeling the pressure. Dame is the best chance at another championship the Blazers will have in a long time. They may never get another player like him.
If he had any loyalty or heart he would have never left. He could have been a part of something special...
the author had one thing wrong, right from the start: Blazers can trade a 1st round pick, it would just need to be conditional some of his assumptions seem off as well
I agree with you the Dame isn't getting younger and that we should be trying to win now. Most the moves Olshey has made do not line up with "win now mode" unless you consider 23-16 winning now. Not going over the lux tax, not signing a backup center for 20 games, none of that is consistent with an owenrship and front office wanting to accelerate anything. If we're not going to believe Stotts when he says he's serious about getting better defensively because he's not making major scheme changes, we shouldn't believe Olshey saying he's in "win now mode" without making the moves to back it up.
People make mistakes and it appears he might feel he made one. I'm willing to forgive and accept him back.
As much as I've heard from a couple of different places, almost makes it seems like nothing will happen. Most of Neil's Deals, even the garbage, periphery ones, have very little knowledge until Woj announces them. So the more that comes out, the less likely historically it seems. As for what it will take, whatever keeps the Blazers under the cap. That is priority #1. Second is getting an upgrade in talent.
I thought that too but you can't make trade conditions on a pick that go past 2017 and our first round picks are locked up with the Rockets until 2017 when they would get our second so we can't say a team gets our pick two years after the Rockets do and then if it's not conveyed in that time they get a second. Maybe we could say that if it wasn't conveyed in that time that they would not get the pick but I'm still unsure about that. I think the only way we can trade a first right now is to get the Rockets to agree to remove the conditions on this year's pick. Then we can trade any first rounder 2023 and beyond.
