We’re fucked if we’re relying on the 25th pick to be a rotational player as a rookie. We’re not at that stage anymore. Portland’s actions re: workouts suggest they may already have multiple options (trades) lined up that they’re confident enough in at least one of them happening. Just waiting for draft night. I know there was a similar assumption last year, but we’re in a great position this year. Those big expirings have value. Minnesota is reportedly shopping Wiggins aggressively. That’s the type of player we could get.
In rotation during his rookie contract, not necessarily as a rookie. It's like what we're doing with Simons/Layman/etc. And of a similar mindset as what the Spurs have done (Murray/White/etc) in recent history. Simons should see minutes next season, if we can get our #25 pick this year to play rotation minutes in year 2, that's a success.
Blazers find a player they like and who is likely to be taken in the 2nd round, then trade #25 + Turner to move down into the 2nd round. They get the player they want and shed Turner.
I was staying out of it because technically they are both right. Trading away a contract doesn't open up cap space. It could possibly give the team the higher MLE but that still depends on what we do with guys like Aminu and Layman. Besides, this conversation is a little pointless when teams aren't going to waste cap space before this free agency period for the 25th pick.
Yet again coming back to the drum I've been beating for at least a decade now. Why the hell is the draft before free agency?
The time to trade our pick with a contract was at the trade deadline, if we were going that route. Without giving an offer a team couldn't refuse (i.e. the Nets giving up two 1sts for one year of Crabbe) there isn't a super realistic way to cut salary other than to wait at least 10 days after free agency dies down and do what Denver did last year. That's most likely too late though for the purposes we need to clear money for.
I definitely misspoke saying "cap-space", but they could, in theory, open up the full MLE, which was the point I was trying to make.
I also misspoke. We would not have cap space but be able to lower our tax burden to a point where the full MLE was available. We agree.