Some GREAT info from Quick (What Billups investigation took place, where Dame stands with the Team)

Where did he say this? I didn't hear it. Also it would make a lot of sense if Dame knows Norm is not likely to come back. Now he's going into the next season knowing we have a worse roster. YIKES

 

Quick still thinks that CJ is going to be traded (gun to his head). But he also said he thinks Norm wants to be a #1 or a #2 and that wouldn't be the case if we traded CJ for another star level player.

 

I think that's a huge overpayment for Hayward, FWIW.

 

CJ also campaigned for him to come here the year before (on twitter when Grant was playing really well in a playoff game).

 

Towards the end. Maybe at like 17 minutes in?

Ropp - do you have any sense on Norman Powell?

Quick - I don't. I reached out to him today. I haven't heard back. The first step to all this is that he has an option to pick up or opt out. Everyone is expecting him to opt out because if he opts in he makes something like 11.8 next year, but if he opts out people are forecasting him to make around 20 million. My sense is he is probably leaning towards opting out and not signing with Portland. I think it's a tough sell for him at this point in his career in that I think he wants to spread his wings and blossom and become a focal point on a team, and I don't think he feels like he would be a focal point on the Blazers. He hasn't told me that, nobody from his camp has told me that, that's just a sense that I get. I think he's ready at this point to be a #1 or a #2 option on a team and obviously there's not that role for him in Portland."

 

Okay that doesn't sound nearly as bad as I thought. I think it's totally reasonable that he won't want to re-sign if CJ is still there taking his spot. Just means Neil has to be even more creative.

 

I think the sentiment still stands though. If Dame is the #1, and whoever we trade CJ for is likely to be another star level player, would Norm really be the #2? I think regardless of what we do with CJ, Norm is looking at being option #3 on this team.

 

Also, if I'm Norm and I'm watching this shit show play out, do I want to commit to Portland long term if I'm not 100% sure that Dame is going to be here?

 

Are there a lot of teams out there that are willing to build with Norm as their #2? I like him and would like to keep him in place of CJ but I'm not sure if him as a #2 in todays NBA is realistic.

Totally agree that this mess will likely scare off some players including our own.

 

I think he's the number 2 option if my trade goes down. Him and Grant.

On other deals, less sure. We'll see. Neil cannot sit on his hands.

 

he was vague all over that press conference...consensual is actually a legal term in this context

 

Neil: "Well, Norm... you see we got this shiny new Ben Simmons toy here... he has indicated that he is more than happy to pass up all his uncontested, point-blank shots to give you corner threes. What do you say, eh???"

 

shit....IF, the first thing that happens in the off-season is Powell signing elsewhere, and Olshey is still the GM at the end of that day, there's no fucking hope for the Blazers. None at all

 

Especially if he's the level of player people here think he is....

 

What? He is ready to be the 1st option on a team? #2 yes but #1? First off if that were true he would be getting more than 20 million per. At least Quick clarified it by saying it was just a sense he got without talking to anyone in his camp. But to me, it makes No sense.

We need to re-sign Norman.

 

Which is why if you could do CJ for Simmons, Powell is your #2 scorer because Ben's talents are greater on offense and passing.

Imagine how much our fast break points improve with Simmons and Powell pushing the ball vs just Powell often being a 1-man fast break. Simmons also takes pressure off of Ant and plays all the bench minutes when Simons is in the game.

 

I have zero interest in what Quick "has a feeling" about...that means he has a word quota to fill and not much else