Exclusive Anthony Davis Sweepstakes Entry: Blazers

Kanter Tax-MLE
Hood $4.15 million

 

Yup. The NBA is wide open now. More wide open than ever.

 

I don't know, Bones. Other guys are better-versed on the salary cap than am I, but I've seen people on here who've worked it out. There are ways. People around here just keep bracing themselves for the worst. I think Hood and Kanter want to stay and I think they have reason to stay and I think there's reason to believe the money might not be a determining factor in either case.

You can think that's overly optimistic. I can't tell you not to be. I just think we have a shot, a better shot than you do.

And here's the other thing to that: If we lose both of them, we're still going to be really good. We were really good before we had either of them. We'll find people to play capably if they leave. Like Olshey or not, he finds those guys. He found Curry and Stauskas, and both those guys won games for the Blazers this season. He turned Stauskas into Hood. He got Kanter when the Lakers had more money to offer. He turned Biggie Swanigan into Skal.

This free agent market has so many elite guys commanding huge contracts that guys will miss out and will sign Curry-like contracts. I am very confident of that.

The Blazers are going to be all right. Better than all right. I think the gloom and door and worrying how they'll do it is misplaced. They will find a way.

 

Thanks, hoopsjock.

 

No way Hood takes that little.

 

Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see.

 

He took less than that this year. Seemed to really like this team and situation. He's got a really different mindset than most NBA players and it was a perfect fit with the leadership of Dame. I could see him caring more about that than money.

I'm not predicting he will, but it's certainly a possibility.

 

I just doubt it, he’s never made real NBA money yet. I think he can get around 8-10m on the open market he’d have to take a big pay cut to stay here. I hope he does but I also can’t fault him for wanting financial security.

 

Yup, only way itd be possible but Hood isn't gonna take half of what he'll be offered on the open market.

 

I get all that but he does seem to have bigger priorities than just money. The market this summer is going to be weird too.

 

Cool

 

Okay?

 

Well if we can’t sign him I’d be okay with Kanter getting our full MLE then going out and trying to lure guys like Carroll/Ariza to buy into a championship run.

All while trying to deal ET+Hark+25 for someone who fits the roster

 

Cool.

 

Ha ha ha ha, that wasn't even a response to you.

 

Cool!

 

Damn right people are salty.

Most of us have come to accept that free agency is pretty much a scam and that only certain teams get to sign high impact FAs. Now, teams like Portland are being told they aren't supposed to trade for good players either. About the only thing left is to make sure small market teams aren't allowed to draft who they want.

The success of the Bucks and Blazers this season should have given fans of small market teams hope. Instead, they just keep finding new ways to tilt the field against us.

 

I think this is my favorite offer so far. Would have to be done after July 1st. Makes a ton of sense for all teams involved.

NOP Gets:
CJ McCollum
Zach Collins
Maurice Harkless
Gary Trent Jr.
11th Pick (MIN)
2020 POR 1st

MIN Gets:
25th Pick (POR)

POR Gets:
Anthony Davis
Gorgui Dieng
Miles Plumlee

ATL Gets:
Solomon Hill
2020 POR 2nd
Cash (POR)
--------------------------
NOP In: McCollum, Collins, Harkless, Trent, #11, 2020 POR 1st
NOP Out: Davis, Hill

Great haul for Davis. They get a star who fits great next to Jrue. They get a great prospect in Collins whos the ideal C to put next to Zion. Harkless gives them some forward help that they need if they want to be good. 11th pick should provide good value. Future first as well.

MIN In: #25
MIN Out: #11, Dieng

Minnesota trades down 16 slots to shed Dieng. The difference between #11 & #25 is less than most years, and shedding Dieng could be the start of the possibility of pursuing D'Angelo Russell.

POR In: Davis, Dieng, Plumlee
POR Out: McCollum, Collins, Harkless, Trent, #25, 2020 1st, 2020 2nd

Portland gets Davis, keeps Nurk, creatively saves MIN $16M without anything being sent back to get the 11th pick to include. Dieng is a rough contract but he can play and would give us some helpful C depth.

ATL In: Hill, 2020 POR 2nd (31-55)
ATL Out: Plumlee

ATL takes on a very similar contract to Plumlee's in Hill, who only makes $200K more. Portland is unable to take on Hill (would be taking in apx. $50K too much) so taking on Plumlee works. For the extra $200K, Atlanta gets possible 2nd round pick. Cash can be included if needed.

 

The universe is basically telling us to go all in. One aspect to consider is that if Davis doesn't resign after a year the Blazers will have significant cap room to go after someone else with only Dame/Nurk and rookie scale contracts on the payroll. Depending on how well they do with AD they may actually lure someone to play with Dame.

 

Assuming we win the AD sweepstakes by offloading CJ and other scrubs to NO.
2020 Playoff WC first round: The Blazing Good Guys (aka Yours Truly) vs The Fakers (aka Cheaters and Liars).
Do you expect AD to pull his weight or do you believe he will defer to his Daddy (aka LeBronzo) ?
I expect the ladder ... I just don't trust that AD. I hope he is traded to Miami ... so Pat Riley can try a Masai Ujiri ... and fail miserably ...