Trade Idea Vote After #3 Pick - Blazers first off season priority

Now that the Blazers won the #3 pick......

What should the Blazers first off-season priority be?

 

Depends who's there at three.

Dames not getting traded so it can't be a priority.

 

Also depends on who is available for #3

 

Where is the option to trade out their #1 groupie, Sly?

 

Evaluating players at the combine.

 

Yeah. Heard you gave him a Steve Smith card you cheap sunuvabitch!

 

But otherwise, no.

 

Wow, majority consensus is to trade Dame.

Going to be a real hot topic I guess. Like the French Vs The Anglo.

Definitely going to be some opinionated debates this summer.

 

“If Scoot Henderson did what he did against Victor Wembanyama in October at a later date closer to the draft, Brandon Miller wouldn’t even be in the conversation for the No. 2 pick,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “People forget about that.”

MORE: Scoot Henderson: ‘I feel like I can damn near do it all at this point’

This guy is a warrior with heart and looks as solid physically as you can get. Wemby is going to be a stud but he could not contain the most NBA ready player in the draft in that big game in October.

 

I loved Clyde back then more than I love Dame now and I was okay with him moving on when the team was better than it is now. I will be a BIT disappointed if we just get an Otis Thorpe for Dame (given the haul that Utah got) but it is what it is. The only way I could get behind keeping Dame was if we got Wemby, but we didn't, so: time to blow it up and build around Shaedon.

 

Nah, got to swing for the fences as its Dame Time.
The NBA is all about 3 point shooting as a way to outscore teams knowing the risk of live or dying from it.
You add an all star forward to this team we are in the mix!

 

Depends what allstar - add Giannis yes most certainly. Add DeRozan or Markkanen; no the team is not in the mix.

 

That’s a reasonable take, although there’s a big difference between Clyde pushing to be traded vs Dame wanting a shot to win a title here. The unfortunate fact for those of you on the board who hold this opinion is that it’s not the one Cronin and Co. plan to execute. I think there’s zero chance of using the pick as anything other than a trade chip to get more veteran help for Dame.

 

I'm fine with trading the pick away for a veteran if the team then has a realistic chance to contend.

But just trading it away for whatever veteran help we can get regardless of the Blazers contending would be foolish. Those type of mediocrity moves such as acquiring Roco/Nance/Afflalo/ Turner is what got the Blazers into the current mess. That same stupid strategy is not going to get the franchise out of it, and would only accomplish throwing away the second best draft pick the Blazers have got since 1984.

 

I don’t see this as the blazers making just one move. I think they will be looking to upgrade both SF an C, along with getting some vets on the bench. I’d see something like moving Ant & #23 for OG and shopping for a C with #3, Nurk and filler.

 

should be more options in the poll

I voted 1st option because it was closest to what I want, but not that close. I'm on the fence about trading or keeping the 3rd pick. I'm also inclined to believe that if Portland keeps the pick, Dame still won't ask to be traded. I know he might but he obviously wants to find reasons to stay

trading #3 + Ant satisfies the 1st option of pick + 'youth'. Trading Nurkic doesn't fit any of the options, meaning the options are too limited

I think, if the target is Siakam, the most Portland should pay, pick-wise, is #3. To pay more the Blazers would have to move the 23rd pick in order to free up future picks. Siakam isn't worth all that.

Bridges/Brown would cost more, but again, there's a point when Portland would be paying too much

and of course, even if those players are available, other teams could easily move in front of Portland

 

The first move you list for OG makes sense.

I just don't see a center upgrade making sense though; who is a center worthy of the #3 pick? Embiid is the only one and we'd have to include much more. Towns on his massive contract is not worth #3. Maybe Claxton is the best out there, but he's not worthy of the #3 pick.

Makes more sense to get a superior forward if we are shipping out #3. If we trade away Nurk I think with a few vet min backups, MLE targets like Hartenstein we can hold down that spot fine. Its just not a critical position compared to wings or lead guard.

My hope is we bring in some vets friends for Dame to have playtime with, such as Grant last year, but keep #3 as we did with Sharpe. Hitting on the #3 pick with their cheap contract and having salary space to bring in veteran help at that starting position may be the most likely path to contending with Dame.

 

Perhaps, but the Lakers are in the WCF and they have been brutal from '3' all year.
The Nuggets are in the WCF and although very efficient, shot the 2nd least '3's in the league this year from what I heard on the DP show.
The Heat aren't really a '3' shooting team either.

Only the Celtics of the final 4 teams are a team that shoots a lot of '3's and shoots them well.

Talking to a number of fans at the Draft party last night, some felt Dame was holding the team hostage a bit. They love him and want him to win a ring, but it is highly unlikely that happens here. In the meantime, the franchise is stuck with 'what do we do that Dame wants or he might ask to leave'. Yes, he's been loyal, but someone pointed out how much money he has been paid for that loyalty. I'd be pretty loyal for that amount as well. There was one person there that said keep Dame no matter what. When I asked him what the Blazers combined regular season and Playoff record was over the last 4 years with Dame, he changed the subject.

Blazer fan first. Do what is best for the team. Trying to mortgage high lottery picks, young talent and future 1st round picks for a player that likely doesn't put us over the top seems like a huge risk.

 

There’s been some speculation about Ayton being in play. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of that idea, but it’s worth considering. Using the No 3 pick can include options like pick swaps or other players to balance the trade out.