We got the #3 pick. Discuss the possibilities.

How many times must Dame say he wants to stay in Portland?? He’s never given an ultimatum. He just wants the team to be better. If Dame gets traded, it will be because WE want to move on. Dame wants to stay.

 

Ant/Nurk/Nas gets you there. 125%.

Risk is 2024 free agency, and we'd need to find a C or go small ball with Pascal, but I like the switchiness.

 

Ujiri went from the next great GM to arguably the most hated.

Guy values his guys like Olshey did it seems.

 

I mean regardless, Masai is not doing that.

I feel like we've already beaten down Masai to the point where he would take 3+Simons begrudgingly for either, but definitely not both. I just can't see Masai doing that.

 

I took this as our FO subtly telling Miami to fuck off. Any Dame deal without Bam would be rebuffed anyways.

But yeah, no way we're really getting Bam.

 

He really just does love his players.

He got a ton of credit for making the Kawhi deal, but he's lost most of his trades since.

Trent for Powell - Wash

1st for Thad Young - Lost

1st for Poeltl - Lost, especially if Poeltl leaves this off-season.

But a lot of this is probably just under the misguided view that his team is better than they are. Flipping 1sts for non-difference makers in the hopes it fixes the team is exactly the same thing Olshey did for years.

 

Better than actually trading the pick for a guy who doesn't end up moving the needle. I think Miller is going to be VERY good in-time. If Dame isn't prepared to see it through then that is a bummer but we can move him at his request.

 

Who's this Screech dude? Go way goofus.

 

one man's viewpoint:
Norlander: Why Dereck Lively II is my No. 3
Head on over to my annual big board mock draft to get more of a sense of where I'm coming from on this. It's key to know I'm projecting LONG-TERM. I have the Duke one-and-doner third on my big board because I think he has a healthy chance at having the third-best career of any player in the 2023 pool. Keep in mind Lively was viewed by some as the best prospect in the high school Class of 2022. He was an above-average defender at Duke, and got off to a slower start because of an offseason injury. I think he adds 15 pounds of muscle in the next couple of years, fills out his frame and grows into a good 3-point shooter. Combine that with his size, high-end defensive ceiling and his fit as a switchable 5, and it's all very tempting.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...this-summer-after-bradley-beals-move-to-suns/

 

Finkelstein: The case for Brandon Miller over Scoot Henderson
Admittedly I am conflicted about whether I favor Miller or Henderson. On one hand, Miller's size, shooting, passing potential, rate of improvement, and even rebounding are all extremely encouraging, but the lack of rim pressure and the struggles he has as a finisher, are concerning. On the other hand, Scoot's burst, power, explosiveness, instinctual creativity, floor vision, and passing are all top notch, but the shooting, defense, and even the subtle inconsistencies in that killer instinct he gets credit for give me some pause. A month ago, I would have said I was 60/40 Miller, but the more intel I gather and the more I revisit the film, the closer this gets for me.


Ward-Henninger: The case for Henderson over Miller
Given the current state of the Charlotte Hornets, positional fit should be irrelevant with the No. 2 pick in the draft. They need to take the best prospect, and that is Henderson -- the type of strong, athletic, dynamic guard who tends to have success at high levels in the NBA. I had one source tell me that he wouldn't be SHOCKED if, when all's said and done, Henderson has a better career than Victor Wembanyama. You just don't hear anyone saying that about Miller, who has more to his game than just "3-and-D," but also has a much longer and more arduous path to superstardom. Even next to LaMelo Ball, Henderson will be impactful from Day 1 given his NBA frame and experience playing against grown professionals over the past two years. If I'm the Hornets, I'm not overthinking this. For two years, Henderson has been second to Wembanyama on draft boards for a reason. He's a potential superstar that you're lucky to get at No. 2.

 

geeeeezuzzz...the bloviators and talking heads have ABSOLUTELY no new information and nothing new to say so they are all recycling weeks old bullshit...over and over and over...trying to pretend they are connected and in the know...when that are not, at all...desperately sucking on straws dipped into the 30 rivers of malarkey flowing out of every NBA front office and the seeming infinite tide pools of horseshit from agents and wannabe Woj's just making shit up or recycling what has been recycled 7 dozen times

LOL at NBA front offices being divided on Dame...yeah, there's nothing but objective opinions there....no vested interests in muddy waters around Portland and Dame

I honestly think we know more here about Dame's intentions and Portland's plans than any of these ass-hats bloggers and tweeters you guys are posting here. BGD is like a farmer mucking out the stalls

 

We are drafting Scoot. This is the sign.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/basketball/scoot-henderson-nba-draft.html

 

I swear that NBA Central twitter feed / news feed whatever the hell that is just goes down a list of semi gettable stars and links them to the Blazers for no good reason. As much as no real news from the Blazers camp is deafening and annoying for us fans I think in the end it will turn out for the best. This is the first time since Cronin has been the GM that I have at least a little faith he will not totally screw this up since the Blazers camp is so tight lipped.

 

LOL… now we are trading the 3rd pick for an injury prone 33 year old?! These rumors are ridiculous.

 

If we trade 3 for old PG instead of drafting young and cheap PG with pick 3 I will be done.

 

The rumors are coming in fast and hard. I don't believe any of the new stuff I think it's all smokescreen from us and others. I trust what we were thinking a week ago a lot more than the rumors today. That being said, nobody fucking knows. On Friday we could have a second superstar with Dame and new role players or we could have picked and kept everyone and be waiting for Dame's trade request.

 

If that were the case we would have kept him. There was no reason to trade him if he were going to stay.