LA gone before or on draft day

Ric Bucher thinks he, Deng, and Granger are the top three veterans likely to be dealt.

http://sulia.com/channel/basketball/f/02c5b17d-c5b6-49fa-a05c-64d19f34b477/?source=twitter

 

We get Deng and Granger? Beause it sure isn't draft picks.

 

Well, Aldridge is definitely our most tradable asset, so if Olshey really wants to shake things up this is the way to go.

 

I don't see it.... I guess we will find out though

 

This reeks of a slow news day. When there's a draft as uninteresting as this year you get quite a few stories like this one. People just taking whatever uninteresting tidbits they can and try to stretch it into something suitable for consumption by the public. Sounds like he took the "Cavs interested in Aldridge" story from back in April and just expanded it to Deng and Granger.

 

The Cavs do have the cap space to absorb all of LMA's $14.6M contract for next season. Olshey could do a whole lot of reworking of the roster with the #1 pick, the #10 pick and $20M or so in cap space. I seriously doubt this is going to happen, but if NO doesn't think he can put a contending team together with LMA in the next two seasons, then I guess it's an option.

 

this.

 

how bout a Hou big 3 with LMA and Dwight joining Harden? Asik/Parsons/ and their pick for LMA?

 

I'd be shocked if LA were dealt for any of the mediocre packages discussed here so far. Agreed this is slow news day + NBA media guy needing to relay something/anything

STOMP

 

I really hope there is some truth to this

 

Not going to happen. Not even remotely likely.

 

This is kind of a silly statement, don't you think?

 

I would put the odds at 25%.

 

agree, I don't think it will hapen but I certainly would never say "not even remotely likely", I'd say 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 odds

 

Those are "high" odds for any rumor, considering things that are actually negotiated probably don't have those odds. Still, that looks about right.

It seems completely plausible that LaMarcus might want to play in or close to Texas, play for a contender during his prime years, and not go through another rebuild with the Blazers. Just because he isn't a vocal jerk doesn't mean he hasn't had these conversations with Olshey. That's part of what the end of season interviews are for.

There certainly must be opportunities to scoop up a bunch of assets/draft picks/cap room in exchange for LaMarcus Aldridge and I cedrtainly hope Olshey is at least talking to other teams about them, whether anything comes of it or not.

 

I think it comes down to whether the Blazers think that they can put together a contender through incremental improvement over the next couple of years so they don't risk losing LMA as an UFA after that. If not, then I think you have to be thinking about what's the best path to building a contender within Lillard's window. If you could make a deal with the Cavs for the #1 pick without any contracts of greater than 1 year coming back, then you'd be looking to doing the minimal patching together of a roster this year, really sucking, getting a high pick in the 2014 draft and having plenty of money to spend next summer. I'm really tired of missing the playoffs, but I could see the logic behind a plan like that.

 

ugh. What use do we have for Parsons when we have his nearly exact duplicate in Nic? Asik is an average C. They don't have a pick this year, so I'm guessing you mean next year's pick. And with LA-Harden-Dwight, that trio will be among the tops in the west, so it's gonna be a garbage pick.

These are some truly awful ideas. I think our primary goal in any LA trade ideas is to rebuild with high upside players/picks, not build a dynasty for other teams in our conference.

 

I'd do this.

 

I like those odds - much higher than I would have put them!