That's way too much considering that if we want Ayton really bad that we can let Nurk and Hart walk, keep Ant and just sign Ayton because they already said they wouldn't match a max contract. I do think we could get Ayton in a sign and trade that has Hart and Nurk outgoing but I think it's pretty complicated with the BYC situation. So unless we're letting Hart walk and only sending over Nurk and a future pick, I don't think the deal gets done. That wouldn't make much sense though, it would be better to just keep the pick, let Nurk and Hart walk and sign Ayton outright before we sign Ant.
I’d much rather keep Hart over Simons. Hart is the guy I want in backcourt with Dame. I don’t want 3 guard lineup and Simons won’t come off the bench.
It's a center better than Ayton. It's getting a center that isn't costing $30+M. Embiid, Jokic, KAT....nowhere near the Finals. Meanwhile, both teams still playing, have 6'9" centers that are the last offensive options on the team. I'd rather get 2 athletic wing/forwards, than spend that kind of money on a center. Even one as potentially good as Ayton.
I thought I was the only one who wanted to sell high on Ant and keep Hart...who is a perfect 2 guard...I also really want us to have Eubanks coming off the bench..loved his hustle and hook shot
The ideal would be to sign and trade Nurk for a forward who can stay healthy and have a positive impact on both ends of the court. The value of traditional centers is way down - and you know Nurk won't be happy with anything less than big money and a big role. The realistic choice is whether we over-pay Nurk for his sporadic contribution, or let him walk for nothing.
I don't see why the Suns would be remotely interested in Ant at the price he's going to command given their current situation at guard. So I think it's either let Nurk and Hart walk so we can sign Ayton or move on... most likely we just need to move on but we'll see. In a month this will all be clear to us and that's some sort of comfort.
I agree that the Blazers should keep Hart and Eubanks as well as Nurk, and forget about Ayton. We should re-sign Simons for no more than $9M/yr and he should be playing PG off the bench for the Blazers to be contenders in the next 2 years. Hart does seem to be the perfect SG for this team. Nurk will be fine playing with Dame, Hart, Winslow, and the new PF from the 7th draft pick (ideally Murray), and the Blazers will be Championship contenders with the new defense strengthened habits coached by Chauncey and his staff. The Blazers have a strong bench that will get even stronger after the draft and off-season. With the expanding talent in the FO, and the Phil Knight offer, there is a lot of reason for optimism!
A center was on a team that lost in the Finals.....well, that happens every year. And Brook Lopez was "on the team that won the championship"....but was maybe 6th in value on that team behind Giannis, Middleton, Jrue, Portis and Tucker.
A couple things stand out. The large majority of his blocks, he keeps in play and his teammates recover them. There is the occasional volleyball spike out of bounds, but mostly it leads to immediate fast-break opportunities for his team. The guards at Memphis were TERRIBLE. Didn't play much PnR. Imagine him with Dame or Ant. His effectiveness and efficiency would be even higher. That he can switch out and play at least decent defense on smaller players is huge in today's NBA, while still being able to recover to the rim. His catch radius is insane. A lot of those lob passes were not very good (would fit in perfectly here) and yet he seems to catch errant passes effortlessly. He can pass a little. Needs to execute a little better, but has the right thought process. Also, the very few times he took an outside shot, it's not bad. He has okay form, good rotation and a nice release that is fairly high. Needs to obviously develop touch, consistency and tweak form a little. Needs a little more arc on his FT's and smooth out his release through his lower body. Still very raw, as you would expect from likely the youngest player to be Drafted. He put ups his numbers at 3 years younger than say a Keegan Murray. Lots of time to develop.
More then a couple for me. If I'm constructing a team, my Center needs to embrace/excel at defending the paint, boards, setting picks... big man stuff. Its also important that in today's game they're athletic enough to switch onto wings and stay with a quick guard for at least a few seconds. Check check check. That Duran seems coordinated too, fantastic. I could care less about post up moves. A mid-range jumper is nice but not a must have as one non-shooter who sets great picks & plays the dunker spot can happily exist in an effective offense. My biggest question on him is how is he as a guy? Is he a worker or entitled prima donna (Dwight Howard)? If he's the former and his medicals check out, thats someone I'd be strongly considering with the #7. STOMP
I'm just not a huge fan of Nurkic. So what ever happens I'm fine with other than paying him a bunch of money and acting like he will be a huge part of this team.
