Merlin has a trade that he's heard about from Toronto. Bosh about to be traded so they could get something. Toronto trades Bosh to Miami for Beasley.
I'm glad the Blazers renounced Freeland and Koponen. Maybe now people will stop acting like these two players would have been more valuable than even someone like Sergio freaking Rodriguez.
- Tone says Orlando is a one and done team. Won't make it to the Finals again. - Merlin likes Conley Jr. but so does Memphis. He won't be available. - Question about Bayless, he'll be the backup PG. - Which means with the Blazers getting a free agent PG, Blake's future could be questionable.
Have we already picked up Blake's option? Because I'd rather save money by letting Blake go than by letting Freeland and Koponen go. And it only "saves money" against the cap - so it would only matter if we were going to sign a FA. And if the FA is a PG, then let Blake go!
- Merlin thinks Bayless in the PG of the future for Portland. - After wowing the summer league last year with 29 points and one assist last year, he'll average 18 pts and 8 assts for the summer and convince the Blazers he's ready. - The PG the Blazers will bring in will tutor Bayless for a few years before he's ready like a Steve Nash, but not Jason Kidd.
Will you be sad when you find out they haven't renounced them? Because they haven't. And I bet they won't.
- How are the Blazers going to tutor Greg Oden, is a question from a caller. - You can get guys like Bayno to tutor big guys, and big man coaches who study the craft. - There are a lot of big guys who've played in the NBA, who may not make great teachers or coaches.
Merlin is a dumbass. Will Merlin promise to eat his crystal ball if this doesn't happen? Because it won't. Why? Nash is not a FA, Kidd is. If Phoenix gives up Nash, then in all likelihood he and Bayless will be passing each other changing teams.
I agree with Tone. Sad. But there are places Blake could be useful and happy. Miami and Orlando come to mind.
Blake doesn't have an option, it's an unguaranteed contract that can be guaranteed on or before midnight of June 30th ... in other words he's tradeable between now and then unlike a player with a team option and whomever received him would have the option of using him like an expiring contract.
- Tone says next year's Rookie of the Year is Stephen Curry. - Thinks Harden will go top 3 in the draft. - Harden will be a better player than Curry though for their careers. That's about it.
It could be because he is close to signing a contract in Europe. If we renounce his rights now, it adds to the FA money we have to spend this year, which is the last time we'll have cap room again in a long time. Post number 666 baby! Hail Lord Satan!
Most interesting things to me the last hour - Koponen and Freeland could likely be renounced to free up more cap space. - Martell and Nicolas are the guys at the SF position. Travis will be the odd man out. - On a side, Toronto could trade Bosh to Miami for Beasley so they can get something and admit they'll probably lose Bosh to free agency. - A PG will most likely be acquired through trade. - Bayless in the PG of the future. - No Hedo, no Ariza. The team seems set on the SF position and don't need an upgrade.
Anyone who posts nearly 1,000 times in a Blazer forum is pretty much obsessed with the Blazers. Just admit it!
I think Harden has a good chance to be among the three best players out of this draft and I expect him to be better than Curry, but I don't expect him to go top three. I think Griffin and Rubio are the likeliest top two picks and Thabeet will be drafted too early due to lack of quality size in the draft.
How much can we really take from this? Has this show ever revealed things that were (a) surprising at the time but (b) turned out to be correct? And on the other hand, how often have things claimed on this show turned out to be total conjecture, and in fact, wrong? I sincerely hope they're wrong about renouncing Freeland (and, to a lesser extent, Koponen) and also about Bayless being the PG of the future (surely a man who played PG in college and who called Bayless "Jarrett Jack on steroids" can see that Bayless isn't a PG). And the stuff about Steve Nash just sounds bogus. Phoenix wouldn't give him up, and if they did, it would cost a fair amount and it wouldn't be to a regional rival!
