You said they own both picks. They own one that has protections. Protections that can be renegotiated and you yourself used to post about Portland renegotiating with Chicagos hold on one of our picks. It is not unfathomable that OKC could lift protections for merely a 2nd thrown their way.
I think it’s unlikely that they would take 2024 BUT I think they might take 2026, thus opening up another pick that could be traded.
please....for all intents and purposes, sitting here in 2023, OKC does own both picks. Miami can do nothing with them because of the encumbrance I have also said, several times, that Miami might be willing to give 2025 back for a 2nd or two, insuring that they get 2026 unprotected. That would allow Miami to trade their 2024 first to Portland but that pick, with Dame on the Heat, is not going to be a good pick Portland will not be getting that 2026 pick as for Chicago, you may be confusing me with somebody else. I have argued that 2nd's are not enough incentive for Chicago to reduce the length of the encumbrance. Blazers are going to have to give up that first at some point in time unless they spend the next 5 years in the lottery...which is entirely possible
Even if the 2024 pick isnt great, it’s still a pick. It’s another asset that we could take back and use to improve the team.
and I have said that about 4 times in this thread and the other one. Squeeze Miami for everything you can, especially considering Riley is already acting like a fucking snake and reducing assets. prick the one issue is it would require OKC's cooperation
I've never thought Portland would get 2026. OKC likely would prefer 2026 for many reasons (stronger draft, more likelihood Miami implodes by then so higher pick). But adding a 3rd first from Miami with 24, 28 and 30 is something we absolutely should ask them to do. I'm not saying Chicago would let go of the 1st for 2nds. They could lift protections if we flipped them 2nds. Same thing applies here. That was a quick search
and what did I say? If the Blazers could work out a deal....like by making the next pick unprotected or top-4 protected...that would free up future picks. that option is still available again...I didn't say I hadn't talked bout that Chicago obligation. I have. But my thinking was Portland was going to have to lift lottery protections and make the next pick either unprotected or top-4 protected
Its the same pick obligation. If the '25 conveys OKC doesn't get '26. It's not a big deal to change protections...
That's exactly what the rest of us have been saying about OKC lifting protections. It isn't unfathomable for it to happen so we get three firsts from Miami.
I will feel a lot better about this trade if we can get 5 or 6 firsts and 3-4 young players. Obviously it sucks that we won’t get a player on the level of a SGA like OKC got for PG, or a player like Bridges that Brooklyn got for Durant….. but this would at least be something I could stomach.
which is what I have said about 5 times in two different threads. OKC could be a bit of a monkey wrench but I'd think they'd prefer the unprotected 2026 to the lottery protected 2025
I just hope Schmitz is right about Jovic if he really loves him and is a centerpiece to him in this trade.
If Portland sucks long enough without Dame, Chicago will take what they can get in payment for an owed pick. It is highly likely that a Dame trade will result in several picks returning. If Chicago won't go for 2nd rounders and/or a player like Nas in trade, then they get the worse of a couple picks or pick swaps. Otherwise, Portland is in the lottery for a while to rebuild and Chicago can dangle. Freeing up the picks is smart but not as high of a priority as it was in order to keep Dame and that ship sailed.
I liked Jovic prior to his draft. Pre-draft clips mostly show just the good, but some will go over weaknesses, and he's got them. For a young Euro, he has the beginning of a host of skills with both size and athleticism as well as a pretty decent frame. I haven't seen him play on the Heat. Inconsistencies. NBA body. Add in other youth in 3-teamers ... really go get them like Nic Claxton ... then I don't care where Dame goes as long as it isn't the Lakers, Warriors or Clippers.
I’m not giving them any of our 1sts from trading Dame for our 1sts back. With Dame gone, I see no reason to even worry about it until we are in the playoffs again. If we suck and it never conveys, whatever. If we lose a 1st, be happy that this young team finally made the playoffs.
One issue with Novic is his body odor. To be frank, it's a fragrance that could curdle milk at fifty paces, became an unwelcome guest in the team's sanctum. The situation reached its peak during a heated scrimmage when Novic's noxious cloud knocked out three of his teammates. Reports suggest that one unfortunate soul, unable to escape the offensive odor, passed out mid-dribble, leaving the court smelling like a gym sock dipped in expired milk. The team's attempts to address the issue were nothing short of absurd. Star player Jimmy Butler, desperate for a solution, presented Novic with a lifetime supply of industrial-strength deodorant. Rumor has it that the locker room even commissioned a local artist to create an air freshener sculpture in Novic's likeness, in a misguided attempt to mask the offending scent. The pungent predicament caused the Heat's chemistry to evaporate faster than sweat on South Beach. Team dinners turned into solo ventures, as Novic's aroma cleared the restaurant tables around him. The once-solid bond between teammates now felt more like a fragile web of scented disgust. I don't think we can tolerate that in the Portland locker room.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thisleague-uncut/id1668189953?i=1000619090952 Haynes goes into the Dame trade request. Dame was told on Tuesday they were most likely going to keep the pick. On the Monday meeting Dame vented about not trading the 3rd pick - was unhappy about promises not kept. He was told we were going to trade the pick. One last chance to improve the team via trade on FA day but nothing happened so he asked out. Feels like Cronin/FO thought they could keep stringing Dame along and Dame finally had enough. Probably not surprised by the request, but thought they had more time. Haynes also alludes to the fact that Dame didn’t ask out after the Denver series loss because of Chauncey - didn’t want to abandon Chauncey after getting hired.
