Trade Ideas Thread

Too get a high-tier offensive player than can create their own shot at a higher level than Middleton can.

 

I hope you're right!

 

The shitty part about any CJ trade is that the other team is going to have to approach us. We will not be soliciting teams with offers that include CJ. I guess Neil could reach out to another team for a separate deal and they could inquire about CJ but Neil seems to have his head so far up his ass about CJ that he probably wouldn't give up that extra pick to get Middleton over here. The CJ situation is a bit of a mess. I really don't think we can contend for a championship with him and Dame as our back court (it's too weak defensively and too redundant as strong as they both are offensively) and Neil seems to think they're like the best back court ever or something.

 

I think you're right. I also don't think many, if any teams look at CJ + his contract as a positive asset. His contract is a liabilty to any team who doesn't think he's an all-nba player. I suspect there are a bunch of teams that would not even take CJ + his contract for a 2nd round pick.

This means, in general, teams are going to want to dump off a bad contract to take CJ off our hands. A bad contract for CJ, probably doesn't really move the needle for us in terms of building a contender around Dame. Middleton is interesting, because it is possible the Bucks view his contract similar to how we view CJ's.

I don't agree that you can't win a championship with Dame/CJ. I don't think you can win a championship if you have a Dame/CJ backcourt and you don't have an all-NBA versitile forward to cover up for their weakinesses. That's a big ask.

 

I really think there is at least one team (Philly) that would see CJ as a big net positive even with his contract if they were able to off load one of their bigger contracts that isn't Simmons or Embiid. That's why I've been saying that the move that we could probably make and should make is CJ and Ariza for Harris, Richardson and pick 21 (I don't think they would or should need to add in Thybulle). I honestly think they would do that trade and I am sure that trade would make us better. I think we could start Dame, Gary, Richardson, Harris and Nurk. Harris is not the best defender at SF but he's not bad either, the truth is he should be defending PFs in today's NBA at the 4 he would be mobile enough to defend the perimeter and is strong enough to handle himself in the post defensively it would be like having what Melo was this year except a lot more athletic and Harris is a fantastic scorer he hits the three and can get by defenders and take it to the hole... the guy is overpaid for sure but he is good and would fill a position of need. The prize is Richardson who can shoot the three, especially when open and is a great perimeter defender and against some defenders as we saw against CJ, he can get his own shot. Really all of the other stuff like free agency (aka how we use our MLE), how we use two first rounders and who comes back from this last season will work itself out. This trade takes two of our starters and gets us two starters and a first rounder. It makes our defense worlds better. I don't think it makes our offense any worse, it will just be Dame leading and everything else more evenly spread out and cohesive.

 

This seems like something Neil may try to do if he ever did decide to move on from CJ:

https://tradenba.com/trades/wjswR4A6D

Bucks get CJ
Spurs Ariza and Hood
Blazers Middleton and LaMarcus

Dame ? Simons
Trent ?
Middleton NAS
LMA Melo
Nurk Collins

We might have to send the bucks a pick or such, maybe the spurs something too.

Then in free agency try to use the MLE on a combo guard.

 

Christian James McCollum
for
James Khristian Middleton

Got to do it just for the names.

 

As much as I HATE the idea if LMA coming back to Portland, this trade idea has some legs

 

I want CJ on another team, and I think Middleton is quite a bit better than CJ and would fit better with Dame than CJ

that said, I'd probably be reluctant to give up a pick too because CJ's contract is as big an impediment to Portland upgrading the roster as CJ's fit and usage. And, while Middleton is the better player, his contract is even bigger than CJ's. More than that, I just don't think a Middleto for CJ swap is enough of an upgrade to significantly alter Portland's trajectory. They's still be a 2nd elite player away from being a contender, and they'd still have no cap-flexibility

 

If we don’t get LMA this upcoming season vía trade, the ship may have sailed.

 

What ship?

 

Except it has LMA at the 4, which is probably where Stotts would unfortunately play him, and he isn't a 4

 

I agree with this, I'd likely take Middleton over CJ, and can see an argument for Milwaukie to take CJ over Middleton. But I don't think it jumps us up another tier. Maybe it would.
As for including a pick, I'd probably consider a swap, CJ and 16 for Middleton and 24?

 

yeah, I guess that makes it a little better, but it's still generally a rather lateral move. The 'needle' moves a little but it sure doesn't jump

 

Yeah, I think barring some crazy splash, which I think isn't gonna happen, like the Giannis pipe dreams, a slight shift, and then another move could be the best we get. Full health, some development, and a CJ-Middleton swap maybe shifts needle from battling for 4/5 to battling for 2/3.

 

i look at through the lense of the trade also allowing for GTjr expanding his role/PT in addition to the swap of principals. through the addition of GTjr's plugability into the SG, i view it as a net gain.

 

What about a 3 way deal with Philly and Milwaukee

Philly Out: Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, Matisse Thybulle, #21
Philly In: Khris Middleton, #16, #24.

Milwaukee Out: Khris Middleton, #24
Milwaukee In: CJ McCollum, Trevor Ariza, #21

Portland Out: CJ, Ariza, 16
Portland In: Harris, Richardson, Thybulle

Lillard/Simons
Richardson/Trent
Thybulle/Hood
Harris/Melo
Nurk/Collins

 

It seems unlikely MIL and PHI in the same conference will want to trade with each other... also I'd prefer Middleton to either Harris or Richardson, usually its better to get quality over quantity. Its not like Harris contract is better than Middleton, and then we'd probably have to pay Richardson a lot more to keep him next summer.