Its good we got rid of CJ's "overpaid" contract so the Blazers had all this "flexibility". Nice we were able to use it to both pay way more than any other team would to keep Nurk, then to hard cap the team for a 3rd PG. Great job Cronin!
Put Demarcus Cousins on the Blazers this year and they still aren't a playin team, or a top of the lottery team, so why did retaining Nurk matter? It the Blazers were contending sure go build the best starting lineup you can. But when the team is outside of the playin they need to accumulate assets, not finalize the 8th man in a rotation. Blazers having nothing in place of Nurk on the salary cap would be more valuable than what they have with him on the roster right now, and for FOUR years at $70 million.
Overpay $20 million on one player, $25 million on a second, $15 million on a washed player, $18 million on a player with potential that never develops, and a supermax for a declining star. All these actions combined basically guarantees the team won't ever be able to be a contender. Yes you could look at any one contract and say its not a death sentence to the franchise; if everything else with the Blazers roster and salary cap was setup perfectly they could contend with a bad Nurkic contract. Yes there's a couple percent chance one of these players outperforms their contract. But take a bunch of those poor decisions together and its a near guarantee they won't all work out in the franchise favor. If the Blazers keep paying their own free agents more than the market they will be destined for mediocrity or worse. Goes back to Darius Miles and Zach Randolph; but then we saw it with Turner, Meyers, and now Nurk.
"destroyed"...? Poeltl got in foul trouble...a situation Nurkic is more familiar with than Poeltl (Nurk averages 6.5 fouls/100-possessions; Poeltl 4.7) so last night was a minutes game where Nurk played 11 more. Poeltl had a better TS%, offensive rating and rebound rate than Nurk. Nurk had a better assist rate, BPM, and defensive rating. Poeltl a lower turnover rate (and yes, off and def rating are too noisy) the first time the two teams played this season, Poeltl had 31 points (14-17 on FG's), 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. Nurk had 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist in the two games they've faced each other, Poeltl has averaged 23-11-4; Nurk has averaged 17-8-4. Poeltl was 20-25 on FG's (80%); Nurk was 15-23 on FG's (65%). I don't see any destruction or dominance here. Not even distraction judging by the FG%. Poeltl has a decent statistical edge; Nurk's team is 2-0 against Poeltl. Poeltl's advantages overall are his consistency and his current salary. Nurk can morph into beast-mode but it's way too infrequent, and the variance between good-Nurk and bad-Nurk is huge with bad-Nurk hurting the Blazers more than good-Nurk is helping
Poetrl has $9 million on his contract; while Nurk has $80 million. Yes the Blazers will still be paying Nurk this huge contract in 2026.
Poeltl is an expiring, and said to be looking for 20 million a year. I don't love comparing contracts when one will be an UFA in 5 months, with no way of knowing what he will require to retain, and even if you could retain him.
Problem for Poeltl is he is on the Spurs not the Blazers. If he was on the Blazers he'd probably be in line to receive whatever contract he is looking for. Centers just don't get paid above the MLE anymore unless they are Jokic/Embiid level stars. Look at all the recent champs; none of them had a center paid even the MLE. You do make a valid point though; we will have to see what Poeltl gets paid this summer.
I don't want to pay Cs a lot. But with past champions, Brook Lopez was over MLE. I feel Anthony Davis sill primarily was a C, but I guess we can pretend he's a full time PF for the Lakers. Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka were both making over 20 million for Toronto. Tristan Thompson was making over MLE for Cleveland. Looking at some of the top teams this season, Steven Adams is making over MLE, Sabonis, Valanciunis, Zubac makes just slightly more, Ayton makes more, Gobert makes more. So all the playoff teams in the west except Dallas, essentially. In the east, Horford makes more, Embiid, obviously, Lopez, Jarret Allen, Bam, Robinson, Capela, Turner, Vucevic. So all of the teams in the east pay their Cs more than MLE. So, I'd say you're wrong on that. Do I want to pay Nurk what we are? Not really, for what I feel like he provides. But let's not create a false narrative about what Cs make because GS gets away with Kevin looney as a spot starter or something.
He chooses his nights. Overpaid? Perhaps, but alternatives post information are slim. Let's hope something moves the needle for him.