With the #7 pick, the Portland Trail Blazers select....

Ivey isn’t dropping. He’s the most dynamic guard in the draft in a guard dominant league.

I’m really hoping Dyson drops in our lap. I’m all in on Dyson. A young 6’8” prospect with elite ball handling ability. Great defender.

Players that go on growth spurts at 19 years old like that are a dream. Because the background as a guard is there but now they have versatility to guard multiple positions which is insanely important in todays NBA.

 

One of him or Murray will drop to the 7th. I like either.

 

The mostly obvious: Smith isn't dropping out of the top 4. Holmgren? No. Banchero? No. Ivey? Hard to see it unless SAC falls in love with Sharpe, but no.

The 4-6 possibles: Murray looks like a PF, but as a SF? Maybe? Depends on the match-up? [Regarding SAC at #4] Sabonis is a 4 ... can cover minutes at the 5, but he's a 4; they have Barnes. Ivey or Sharpe?
Detroit #5 gets interesting followed by Indiana. Murray, Sharpe, Mathurin seem like the obvious draftees. Dyson Daniels could show up at 6 and beyond.

Blazers at 7: Sharpe, Murray, Mathurin, Daniels could be the names mentioned. Two will be there. I'd prefer them in order of Murray > Sharpe > Sochan > Daniels ... Mathurin is later with guys like Duren. Eason? His hands fumble a bit, and though his measurables (height, wingspan, hand size) look spot on by position, he looks less "smooth" than Sochan. The more I see of Sochan, the more I like him as a Blazer. I really like Keegan Murray. I'm moving towards the 'keep 7 option' rather than trade out or down. My preference? Get 4 to make sure to get Murray (over Ivey ... where I see the athleticism and skills but rate as equal to Murray with the favorable position), but more likely get 5 from Detroit along with Grant -- one stop shopping.

Still keep 7: Sochan or Daniels? Sochan at 7 may be reaching ... maybe. Daniels? I'll wait to see more.

 

I'd trade Dame if we got Ivey.
Ivey is 20 and Simons is 22.
Plus I'm sure we could get more for Dame than for Simons.
Edit: by the way, Ivey is Not a point guard and can't play point guard (right now) unless you want as many turnovers as assists. He definitely can pass the ball, but he's looking to score first, as he should with the kind of athleticism that he has.

 

I have a new idea for how the off season goes. First we trade 7 to the Spurs for 9 and 25, then we trade 9, 36 and the Detroit 2025 second round pick to the Thunder for 12, 30 and Dort (He fits into our smallest TPE). Then we trade 12 to the Rockets for Wood and 17 (Wood goes into the big TPE). Then we trade Bledsoe, 17 and our 2028 first rounder lotto protected to the Knicks for Randle. After the draft we sign and trade Ant to the Pistons (who we discuss this move with so they take Murray at 5) for Grant. We draft Orlando Robinson at 25 and Dalen Terry at 30. Our team is full. We extend everyone: Grant, Wood, Hart, Nas and Justise. Yes we let Nurk walk.

Dame, Terry
Dort, Hart, Keon
Grant, Nas, Greg, Didi
Randle, Justise, Trendon
Wood, Robinson

Maybe I'm crazy but I think with all of that shooting and defensive switchability, this team could contend. I realize that Dame is the only bona fide superstar but the season before last Randle was all nba second team. Grant was on the Olympic team. Wood has not had the teammates around him to put him in the role that would be most beneficial to his success, the same could be said for Grant since he's been on Detroit. Dort could be a defensive player of the year. I think our bench would be deep but I am really high on Terry and Robinson.

 

all that shooting you say

theres literally one reliable shooter on this team and its fucking dame lillard

thats terrible team, im flabbergasted

 

Didn't they say something similar about MeyLeo?

 

If you don't like it then I know it must be good.

 

Ant for Grant....AND just let Nurkic go? Did drinking start early today?

 

Let’s try to remember the other team has to agree as well

 

This is terrible bro

 

career 3pt percentages:

- jerami grant 34.9%
- lu dort 33.3%
- julius randle 33.2%
- christian wood 38%
- josh hart 34.7%
- justise winslow 27%

maybe these percentages look good to you, but that sure isnt a good shooting team or offensive team in general, not even close and im sure i can find other flaws in this team

 

I'm not sure that Nurk is worth what he's making right now because he can be played off the floor due to his lack of athleticism and due to his injury history. So I'm pretty sure he will be overpaid on whatever extension has already been agreed to. If we had Grant, Randle and Wood, Nurk would become obsolete. As far as Ant for Grant, I think that Grant is a better fit playing with Dame and if we have Dort it gives us a defensive lineup that Ant and Dame playing together most likely can't give us.

 

Grant and Randle are currently the featured offensive players on their team. Playing with Dame and with each other, teams could no longer sell out on them. So they would get better shots. Christian Wood is obviously an excellent three point shooter. For Dort making a third of his threes is fine with me because he's a defensive monster but I would expect it to go up when playing with Dame because he gets guys open more than anyone on the Thunder ever could.

That's what you have to ask yourself, who have these guys been playing with that has the gravity on offense that Dame brings? The answer is no one. Grant did play with Joker for a season and he comes close to commanding the attention that Dame does but his gravity doesn't stretch the court in the same way and Grant shot 38.9% from three that season. So I would expect all of them to have the best shooting numbers of their careers. Everyone you listed besides Justise and Dort are very good shooters and Dort has been solid and is still improving his game. Justise won't be a shooter.

Like I said, if you don't like it, that makes me think it's probably a good thing.

 

Really hope that the only way #7 gets moved is if it’s being used to move up higher in the draft! Been a long time since PDX has been in the lottery and the goal should be getting a dynamic player who can help make the lottery a faint memory for the next 10+ years.

 

Nice creative idea but there are some problems;

First problem, the main problem, is it would be extremely historically difficult if not flat out totally unrealistic to have so many trades dependent on other trades being completed. The dependencies are especially tough with draft picks. For example the Spurs probably wouldn't want to finalize the deal until they can see who is available at #7. Then you have the Detroit trade dependent on that Spurs trade, which maybe yes a team could manage these two transactions. But then you have the Thunder trade dependent on that Detroit trade and thus also dependent on a Spurs trade. So now it is effectively a 4 way trade. Then the Rockets trade would be dependent on the Thunder trade, plus the Detroit trade, plus the Spurs trade. So your now negotiating a 5 way trade on the day of the draft. But that isn't all, you finally have a sixth team brought in still on the day of the draft in the Knicks, which is dependent on all 5 other transactions being completed, negotiated with 6 teams, without any last minute changes, but also completed within minutes of the initial trade and concurrently with all subsequent trades. That is beyond historically unprecedent number of dependencies in trades.

Second problem is the value the other teams are giving up, for example I don't believe the Rockets would ever consider giving up Woods just to move 5 spots in the middle of the first round.

Third you can't discuss a to be free agent Ant going to the Pistons at the draft, and have draft selections made with the assumption this will be completed. Ant can also blow the whole thing up if he prefers a 3rd team.

Fourth issue I have which is more just my opinion, is I don't see the reason to let Nurk walk. If he resigns for a reasonable contract just keep him. I'd say going from him to Woods is a downgrade defensively. With your proposed lineup, lets assume the Blazers overcame the problems I mentioned above and did get these starters, well the team could still add Nurk to that rotation (who is usually 22-28mpg) and still get all those starters, Nurk, and Hart all the minutes needed.

 

Just draft ONE of the studs that WILL be there at 7(Murray, Sochan, Daniels, Duren) and trade Mil pick/EB for Grant. Simple. Grant with any one of those guys will make us much better. I don’t expect any unprecedented trades or multi leveled deals to happen. Make the right pick and the obvious trade and let’s see where that puts us.

 

I like that order: Murray > Sharpe > Sochan > Daniels
I worry about Daniels not excelling on either end of the floor. Sochan may not have elite athleticism, but I think his basketball IQ and tenaciousness on defense will make up for that. He's also got the size to play PF and small ball center. He would get a lot of minutes at those two positions of need for the Blazers.

 

Which one of Grant or Randle is going to feed the ball to Nurkic like Winslow was doing? Nurk ended up with a very high true shooting percentage playing with Winslow. One of the top priorities for Winslow was getting the ball in good scoring position to shooters, not only Nurkic but helping a guy like McLemore reposition for an open shot. This all is ingrained in him. Nurkic's and McLemore's improved scoring isn't going to show up in Winslow's box score.
He played up-in-your-grill defense against anybody, including Kevin Durant and Lebron James. Which is also part of his DNA.
If the Blazers simply try to add "talent" without regard for chemistry it could very well be a repeat of the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. Play hard when they feel like it. Play as a team when they feel like it.
I think Billup learned something about that from the beginning of the 2021-22 season and I am hoping he has a big input to who we add to the roster.

 

After watching the effect that PJ Tucker and Butler are having with defense and hustle if Murrays not there at 7 I would select Sochan over Duren or Griffin or Daniels.