OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA: DECEMBER 2024

Ant/Grant and probably Ayton have to be dealt. Bite the bullet and get rid of them. Their values will just continue to plummet until they are expirings. This, to me, is the real acid test for Cronin. Can he navigate these transactions? Honestly, I say no. Next year will be the same starting 5, I am afraid: DA, JG, AS, TC and SS (who will probably be injured...).

 

I read here that they have no value and I read that their value will plummet over time. If they have no value I am not sure why we are worrying about it plummeting.

 

An expiring, especially a big one, will have "value". Not really the kind POR needs though. I am obsessed with getting another FRP in this draft. Who is gonna deal their 2025 FRP this season??

edit. after checking tankathon. ain't nobody partin with a 2025 FRP.

 

Portland has played 22 games. Timelord has only played in 7 of those games and ranks 13th on the team in total minutes, 43 minutes less that Jabari Walker. He hasn't been much of a factor, either way

Clingan's absence hurts the defense obviously. But the reality is Chauncey limits Clingan's minutes when Ayton is healthy. The trend may have slowed down if Clingan had been around, but it still would have trended down

 

by the way, since the Blazers landed Timelord they have played 104 games. Timelord has played in 13, averaging less than 20 minutes

 

An expiring contract only has value if used to exchange for a worse contract or a worse player.

 

Especially a team close to making the lottery. It drastically limits the options for 2025

 

Then the expiring contract would not have value.

 

Most the 2025 playoff teams have already traded their pick as well.



2026 draft is super strong so it should be fine to target those picks instead of 2025.

I'm more concerned that none of our vets have decent FRP value than I am concerned with the year of the pick.

 

Actually most of the lottery picks have been traded away as well - they just have protections. NOP, TOR, IND, SAS are the only lottery teams with no restrictions on their picks.

 

Toronto and Philly will pass us soon.

 

So there are 10 picks from 2025 draft that have not been traded. But Indy and Toronto have traded their 2026 picks so they cannot trade 2025. Thus these are the only 8 teams that can freely trade their 2025 pick

1. Boston
2. Brooklyn (can trade own or New York or both)
3. Dallas
4. GS
5. Memphis
6. New Orleans
7. Orlando
8. San Antonio (can trade own or Atlanta or both)

These teams can trade others teams picks;

1. Atlanta (can trade Lakers pick)
2. Utah (can trade either Cleveland or Minnesota pick)
3. Thunder - also have a pick to trade but there's a half dozen swaps so its extremely complicated to figure out who's it is.

Other teams do have protected 2025 picks to trade but as they are protected they may not convey. The above teams can guarantee a trade partner can acquire a 2025 pick from them.

 

Dallas or Golden State I could see possibly trading a pick to win. Thunder perhaps too. Boston I'd think would only look at trading their pick if Porzingis was likely out for the year - then they might consider it. Otherwise they have major problems matching salary. Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Orlando are too young or don't seem close enough to contending for a trade to make sense. Brooklyn, San Antonio and Utah are rebuilding so there is no chance.

So trading for a 2025 pick might really just comes down to these 4 teams;

Dallas
Golden State
OKC
Boston

 

I could definitely see Memphis going after Grant. I think he'd be a great fit there. Their primary issue has been health. Otherwise, they can compete.

 

I just watched about 10 minutes of the Raptors/Thunder game.

A couple takeaways:

Thunder play a smothering style of defense. It’s unreal. Suffocating. No wonder they’re #1 in the west.

Gradey Dick looks like he’ll be a very nice player.

Scottie Barnes is a great gadget Point forward.

They interviewed Masaij. He’s all in on the rebuild. Them trading for Ayton is a pipe dream.

 

unfortunately, I think any team (other than Cronin's team) trading for Ayton is a pipe dream

 

Brooklyn can't keep 4 FRPs. They're primed to make a trade.

 

That’s the whole point. We are better with DC and RW. Ayton needs to go.