As expected, Afflalo is going to opt out

This is not to say I wish him gone. I think if given a full training camp and preseason in the right role he would have been more productive. With that said, I'll take the cap space and be fine with it. Although, losing the pick for nothing is not good especially if the team is forced into a rebuild situation after this off season.

 

I guess I'm confused... are we underwhelmed with the part where he was thrust into a role that he wasn't intended to fill, or the part where he hurt his shoulder and many didn't expect him to play again this season? Or maybe it was when he came back from said shoulder injury and tried to help the team in the playoffs? I guess I missed the part where he was brought in to be the starting shooting guard and develop immediate chemistry with the starters while also simultaneously playing through a shoulder injury.

 

if we're forced to rebuild it'll be fine because the pick is protected.

 

You guys and your cap space. We won't even really have any unless we waive kaman and renounce some of our guys

 

This was precisely my thoughts as well until I believe it was Pinwheel set me straight. According to him, the Blazers can wait until the last minute to renounce meaning they can put feelers out for some FA's and if they recieve interest and an actual commitment, they can then renounce them.

 

Yes, I understand that. In theory it sounds great. In the real world, it's not gonna happen. You think rolo, Wes and lma are gonna want to wait around for the blazers to figure out if they wanna renounce them while they go after someone else? That's a dumb move.

And I believe kamans decision has to come before free agency starts

 

Then I guess we will be crap for a year until were able to use all that cash if worse comes to worse this off season.

I really hope Neil can hold it together and improve on what he had last year. If he does that, I think you can hand him EOY for next season.

 

How will we be crap? We were thought of asa top team before injuries last year. If you bring everyone back with a few upgrades or tweaks where possible, I don't see how we can't compete again next year.

 

If we were to lose LA and Wes...We won't be nearly as competitive.

 

Afflalo wasn't here long enough to develop team chemistry, understand the playbook, acclimate at all. Then he's thrown into a starting role going into the playoffs with a bum shoulder..I think he was a good trade that had some bad luck and given a training camp, he'd be a great backup with the second unit. If he moves on I wish him well. Always liked his game.

 

THANK YOU. It's really that simple.

 

It's very simple. I'm underwhelmed with the player completely. If you go back and look at his time with he Nuggets & Magic, he was a marginal player on a bad team.

Will Barton is a better player than Afflalo as evidenced by comparing both their time in Denver playing similar roles.

 

Right. How dare people suggest results matter!

 

It's pretty simple, actually..you don't force them to wait. On July 1st you make a phone call - LMA and your TOP FA. If LMA is in, do you wanna join us? We need to know now since we will have to renounce someone.

Next call - LMA - player X is going to sign with us if you're going to resign with us as well. What should we do? We will have to renounce someone to make it work.

OR the very likely possibility of LMA taking his sweet ass time getting courted by these teams and listening to pitches and if he says, hopefully unlike LeBron, 'hey I'm going to leave so, renounce my rights so you guys aren't fucked', that would help him keep his image as a blazer in tact while still leaving.

There are ways, think outside the box.

 

We will see how that goes with Wes. If that dude found out he wasn't a priority, see you later.

In theory it sounds great, but it hardly works out that way.

 

AA was a starter much of his career. He was thrust into a role he had filled before and on paper was quite capable of filling again. That argument doesn't hold up.

If the injury was legit, that is a valid point - but the timing was sure convenient.

 

Update on the Blazers CAP situation -

Here are the Blazer salaries for 2016:

Damian Lillard $4,236,287
Nicolas Batum $12,235,750
Meyers Leonard $3,075,880
CJ McCollum $2,525,160
Steve Blake $2,170,465 (Opted In)
Allen Crabbe $947,276
Chris Kaman $5,016,000 (team option, $1M guaranteed)

Mid Level Exception $5,465,000 (CAP Hold)
Draft Choice #23 $1,112,900 (CAP Hold)
12-man roster minimum CAP Hold, $525,093
12-man roster minimum CAP Hold, $525,093

LaMarcus Aldridge $20,130,000 (CAP Hold)

Assuming (big assumption) that LaMarcus re-signs, and the CAP is $67.1M, that gives the Blazers $9,136,096 of CAP space.

To get that CAP space, the Blazers would have to renounce the rights to:
Wesley Matthews $10,868,460 (CAP Hold)
Robin Lopez $9.187,092 (CAP Hold)
Dorell Wright $4,075,500 (CAP Hold)
Joel Freeland $3,766,890 (CAP Hold - Qualifying Offer)
Alonzo Gee $947,276 (CAP Hold)
Tim Frazier $845,069 (CAP Hold)
Aaron Afflalo $11,625,000 (CAP Hold - Bird Rights)

If the Blazers don't pick up the option on Kaman, (and assuming they renounce the rights to the players above) they would be below the 12-man roster minimum (and therefor require the 12-man roster minimum CAP hold) and also still owe Kaman $1M. That would give the Blazers $12,627,003 of CAP space.

A CAP hold is removed if the free agent signs with another team, or the Blazers renounce their rights. The Blazers could wait until the moment before they sign a free agent to renounce the rights to a player.

 

They'd also have to renounce any available exceptions. But would have a room exception if they did end up with cap space.

 

Good call. The Blazers could renounce the MLE exception ($5,465,000), but would then need to add in the 12-man roster minimum CAP Hold, $525,093. That could potentially free up an additional $4,939,907, making the total available CAP space $17,565,910. The rest of the roster would then have to be filled up with vet minimum salaries.

 

Doesn't matter because a) free agents can't sign FIRST thing..B) if we strike out on our targets, we call Wes on July 1st as well with an offer.

Pretty much, it all hinges on the ability of.our targets to immediately give us a yes/no, which is ..ambitious, I admit.

Also, if.I were Olshey, I'd tamper with free agents to figure out where we stood. I'd rather get fined a Second rounder and a few hundred thousand and not fuck over the future of the franchise, in order to possibly build a championship team. That said, this could all go up in smoke come draft night.