The bench is a bit of a conundrum for me. Do we feel comfortable rolling with any of these dudes next year? What are the glaring holes? Eubanks Watford Nas Reddish Thybulle Walker Winslow Knox Keon Mays I'd like to give Mays a shot as the backup point guard. It's hard to really know who to keep without having gone through the draft and free agency and trades. I'm fine with keeping most of those guys. I'd probably get rid of Winslow and Keon. I don't think Winslow can stay healthy and Keon has been a bust so far. We need a backup point guard We need a third center.
I like Eubanks, Watford, Nas, Thybulle, Winslow, Mays and Knox. Add in a dead eye shooter (Harris or Seth Curry) in a trade or FA signing and thats pretty good.
I posted this in another thread, but I'd like to get Claxton from BKN. I'm wondering if we sent Nurk/NYK pick/a bunch of second rounders would be enough?
probably not. That's the thing about Nurk. He can't stay healthy, and when he is, he isn't consistent. A conundrum. I think the sign and trade with the Mavs to get Christian Wood might be one of the only options. Wood (UFA)is likely gone from Dallas. Wood was special when playing 30 + min. , but Kidd sent him to the bench to rot with only 15 - 20 min. per game. I guess so Luka could get his rebounds.
I like Eubanks as a third string C. I like Watford and think he could be good enough to be a rotation PF. Nas is good enough to be a rotation wing but it's hard to count on him being healthy but given the extension I think he will be here unless he is salary filler in a trade. I'd let Reddish walk unless we could get him on a three year deal that isn't fully guaranteed and with a starting salary well under his QO. Thybulle is someone I think we have to retain... he is the perfect SG/SF to bring off of the bench. Walker will stay and he will be an end of the bench player. Winslow definitely should not be on this roster next season. Knox is worth the 3M option being picked up. I hope some team sees some value in Keon and we can ship him off as salary filler in a big deal. I would love to see Mays on the roster, I think he could start off the season as a third PG if we trade Ant but if Ant is still here Mays could be our best PG on the bench. So that is Thybulle, Watford, Mays, Eubanks, Nas?, Walker and Knox that I wouldn't mind seeing on our bench next season... that is six or seven out of ten possible bench slots taken. We will need a bench C and if Ant is traded we will need a backup PG that in theory is better than Mays but Mays might beat out for the second spot on the depth chart.
Here's my list: Currently under contract (keeping 5 out of 9) Dame -> Keep (unless asking for a trade) Ant -> Trade (unless Dame asks for a trade) Nurk -> Look for a trade, but most likely back Sharpe -> Keep Little -> Trade for a better fit Knox -> Let go & terminate team option Keon -> Trade (hopefully someone sees value in him) Watford -> Keep Walker -> Keep (but usable as trade filler) Free Agents (keeping 6 out of 7 - but most likely will loose out on 1 or 2 players) Grant -> Keep with salary <$30M/yr (ideally it would be <$25, so a slight overpay) Reddish -> Keep with a salary <$5M Thybulle -> Keep with a salary <$5M Winslow -> Keep with a salary <$3M Eubanks -> Keep with a salary <$3M Mays -> Keep on a minimum contract Williams -> Move on Two Way Guys (keeping 1 out of 2) Badji -> Keep Butler -> Move on This leaves Portland with 10-roster spots filled, and 5 "open" positions.
I agree with most of this. I'd keep Knox though. His salary is very affordable and I think he could be a nice fringe rotation guy to keep on the bench.
Agree with most, but I'd trade ant regardless. But I'm very underwhelmed by him so I realize my opinion is somewhat skewed.
I would swap Reddish and Knox. Knox is cheaper and give better consistent effort. I would let winslow go, this ankle injury does not sound good. I think we should trade little and Keon for their sake. I was thinking a trade of little and Keon with second round picks for Royce O’Neal. He’s the perfect vet that dame is looking for, especially off the bench
So many things have to go right for us to get a player or two that makes us title contenders I just can’t see it happening. Feel like the team and Dame know it, part of reason he’s putting out it out there if team drafts and keeps pick then it’s time for him to be traded. in my opinion if you get 2nd or 3rd pick you explore all options but I would be more apt to hang on to one of those two picks rather than trade them. So rare you get a shot of pick that high, these are normally the type of players that can change franchises. I know that would likely mean the end of Dame here and that would suck but I don’t want to mortgage the future for moderately improving the team now. if we get 2nd or 3rd and Scoot was available I’d take him and trade both Ant and Dame, I know most will call that stupid but I think Scoot is special (reminds me of D wade). Scoot and Sharpe would be damn good start to rebuild. Add in player you’d get from Dame trade plus draft picks and you have start to a great rebuild. I’m ok with rebuild as long as you have strong core to rebuild around. Plus I think Chauncey would be great with young core, mold them into a team he envisions. I’m sure this won’t be popular and feel bad for saying trade Dame but don’t see a way to give him team that makes us title contenders.
I'd say if Dame asks for a trade, Portland should pivot and go process. That would mean trading Ant & Nurkic, and trying to do a S&T for Grant. Try to build draft assets. None of those players should remain Blazers if Dame's gone
You trade him for a salary dump? There has to be something you'd expect in return or else you'd prefer to keep him, right?
I would hope so. Honestly if we are trading Dame, I would have Ant and Shae starting in the back court, we could draft a really good wing with our pick (unless it's the first pick), we could draft a promising big with the Knicks pick and we could start the youth rebuild from there.
We sent them the MIL 2025 pick because Pelicans beat the Clippers in the play-in. Yes, the Pistons then used this pick to trade with the Knicks to come up to draft Duren, but they also took on additional salary (Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks). We would never have been able to do that. And it's not like MIL 2025 pick could have been swapped for #13 last year straight up. So, the only way we would have been able to draft Duren (assuming you still want to draft Sharpe) is if the Pelicans had missed the playoffs and sent us the pick that went to the Hornets instead.
