Zombie Derrick Jones to Portland

probably, but not certain:



start with the 131.5M number. Than assume both Powell and Jones opt-out. That would put the Blazers at 110M in guaranteed salary. Nurkic's salary is non-guaranteed so the Blazers are at about 98M in guarantees. But they won't waive Nurkic so it's back to 110M

the tax line will be around 36M and the Apron will be around 142M. So, theoretically, Portland has 32 million in room. But that would only be if they renounced all of Powell, Jones, Zach, Kanter and Melo....which wouldn't happen. So, cap-holds alone would push Portland over the apron (Powell, Kanter, and Zach have over 30M in cap-holds). And that's probably true even if there is a mutual parting of the ways between Jones and the Blazers
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but I still question the sustainability here. If Portland goes over the tax line next season, then they'd be liable for repeater tax in the 2022-23 season (taxpayers in 3 of the 4 previous seasons). And look at what their situation is that year (last column)



88M for three players. Call it 91-92M for 4 players as they'd have their 1st round pick. And say Powell has been re-signed for 20M. So then Portland is at 111-112M for 5 players. That would be about 30M margin, maybe less, between the tax line and guaranteed salary. 30M to sign 9 players. It could be a 20M margin if Olshey has re-signed Zach...and we all know he wants to.

so, 20-30M between where they are and the repeater tax; and they'd be looking at re-signing Nurkic, RoCo, Simons, and Little, plus at least 4 other players. I just can't see this ending well. The only path is to say, all-or-nothing next season and if they don't win it all...go full rebuild.

but whichever way it goes, fucking Olshey shouldn't be in charge of it

 

Just ignore marangatan

 

Majority teams will be in the same boat unless in next couple year margin goes way up. These owners in the last negotiation with players wasn't the smartest and there going to loose big. But will this money you have to throw out to the players and the owners get ding big time will this lead to Jody to sell the club.

 

When was the last time we had a free agent whiff this hard?

The funny thing is that if you go back and look through this thread, you'll see a bunch of people who are unhappy with the signing because we didn't think DJJ fit our system. I'm still not convinced that DJJ couldn't be useful if he was used correctly, but this sure seems like another example of Neil being terrible at free agency.

 

Olsheys misses in free agency outnumber the hits, by a lot. And his additions almost never seem to line up with what Stotts prefers. No way Stotts would want guys like Jones, Aminu, and Turner if it were up to him. He has no idea how to use non shooters/scorers; I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the only recent free agents that didn’t bust were Melo and Seth Curry.

I doubt Jones will opt out, so hopefully the new coach (assuming we don’t make a deep run) can better utilize him, or Olshey can use the expiring in a trade.

 

The Jones benching was predictable. It's partly why I was so skeptical in this thread initially.

But we SAW him flourish in some games and it was obvious that Terry didn't know how to maximize him. That's a coaching problem because Jones' strengths PERFECTLY align with what this team needs most. Our dumbass coach doesn't understand any system except his own antiquated one. Don't put this one on Neil at all.

 

How can you not put it on Neil when it's Neil who employs the coach? He signed DJJ knowing full well how limited Terry is. If a lot of people on this board could see it coming, how could the guy being paid to know this shit not know it?

 

yes, Terry could’ve done more to get Jones involved, but let’s not pretend that he’s some super talent waiting to be unleashed. He was still a net negative offensively in Miami who got benched in the playoffs. There’s always optimism from me when a guy first signs, shit I even hoped Hezonja would contribute, but Jones just isn’t very good. With a new coach he can maybe be a little less shitty, but he’s still not someone I’m dying to have in the rotation. Neil whiffed.

 

Maybe he thought Terry would change. That was the discussion early in the season. Terry himself said he'd change

 

then he realized Kanter and Melo are awful fits for the defense they originally wanted to run. That’s on Olshey as well.

 

Again I disagree. Kanter of all people showed he was successful in trapping guards yet Terry couldnt teach guys to rotate. One miscue and he reverted back to his old drop scheme. Hell, even when Nurk successfully trapped, he called it going rogue. Dude is stuck in his ways and can't coach players who dont play his way. Is this even debateable?

 

I have heard coaches talk about change for 20+ years. It's all bullshit. They never change. Not Dunleavy. Not Cheeks. Not McMillan. And not Terry. We have had the worst string of unadaptive coaches I have ever seen.

Remember the running gag every year about how we were going to pick up the pace and run? And every year it didn't happen.

 

The whole league is has become a 3 gunners league!

 

I was curious so I thought I'd try and find how other teams used their MLE's:















that's just MLE signings. there were others like Rajon Rondo for 7.5M; Nerlens Noel for 5M

looks like Olshey whiffed to me

 

Is Spoelstra a dumbass coach too? He benched DJJ and made the Finals.

 

really? most of those guys haven't made much impact

 

I wonder if Jae Crowder would’ve chosen Portland if they offered him the MLE.

 

That was the one that jumped out at me. The Dallas and Miami signings would have been reasonable, buts that's only because I now know we could have used more depth.

 

Crowder and RoCo at forwards would be pretty good