Maximize 1-4. Lillard, Sharpe, Grant Hart and GP are great to have as multi-position defenders and both will score more IF the team needs it ... and the team makes use of their strengths. Nurkic is what he is ... a Top 15 center with obvious strengths and weaknesses ... and gets dinged up ... and the contract is long but okay. Having a better backup 4/5 who plays D would be good, though I do like the effort of Eubanks. The W's -- A bunch of back-up forwards is good ... Winslow, Walker, Watford ... but none at this point is a quality 6th man on a GOOD team. SIMONS has the most value in trade for bringing in a 2-way, quality, balance-the-roster SF. And though I like Simons and a Simons/Sharpe backcourt in the future, Ant is the best trade piece. Would he bring in a Jaylen Brown? Doubt it ... even with serious additions. In a package with Nurkic and ... go after Ayton and Cameron Johnson? Or about straight up to the oft-mentioned Raptors for OG Anunoby? Yes. Straight up for OG? Hate to say it and they get the likely BEST player (especially for the future), but yes. While Cronin simply does not want to trade Simons ... which I've read over and over again ... and Nurkic and Hart as the OBVIOUS trade candidates ... to get that SF, it's Simons.
I don't know why people here and reddit consistently defend Nurk. In my view, he is clearly our weakest link and we desperately need to upgrade at the 5. Nurk is a solid backup big, but should not be playing heavy minutes or starting on a team that is seriously trying to contend. He basically plays flat-footed and is routinely outshined on both ends by any other 5 who can jump or move laterally. I don't know how a lot of you can't see it. I love his passion, but he is absolutely not a modern big in today's league, end of story.
To start the 1st and 3rd quarter, the Blazers were down a combined 41-10. Those are massive holes to have to dig out of and all courtesy of the starters. I'm curious as to what the local media and podcasts will have to say about such abysmal starts to games?
Honestly I don't know if anyone is worth keeping. The team needs picks badly. Shaedon would be the only one I would miss.
Unfortunately, we're paying Simons at a near-best-case-scenario salary. Nobody is going to give value for a dude who's worth $25m/year and is making $25m/year. He's clearly a better player than Hart, but Hart is a lot cheaper and is an expiring contract, so he probably has more trade value.
Simons is also only 23. Although he has pretty much the worst advanced stats on the team, he still has plenty of runway for improvement and growth. Easily more value than Hart.
Yeah, I don't think it will be hard to find teams that value Ant with his contract. He is the piece that I think Joe should be looking to move first for a SF that makes sense playing with Dame and Hart on the perimeter and eventually Dame and Shae on the perimeter. I also think there will be teams that will value Nurk. I think that we could get value for Nurk from Toronto. I think he would be a good C that they could start before going to the small lineups they've been almost forced to have out there 48 minutes a game. They've been rumored to be interested in him in past seasons. The fact is we need two solid post players neither has to be a star. We also need a bigger 3 and D SF than Hart that will allow Hart and Shae to cover the minutes at SG. If Cronin can pull that off I think we will be a tough out in the first round of the playoffs this season and who knows what we could do if we get past that first round with how much parity we've seen this season so far?
If I had to come up with one guy who is not the problem whatsoever it’s Josh Hart. Should be an all time fan favorite if he stays here.
THANK YOU. He's like a poor man's Iguodala/Jimmy Butler, plus he's got a great (and quirky) personality.
Agreed that he's not the problem. It would be nice if he was a tad more assertive and took the open shots he gets instead of deferring all the time.
Why do you say that? Do you have any inside rumors? If you are basing it solely on his contract status -> I highly doubt he gets traded.
