I don't think you could realistically trade Dame when we did and be in a situation where you didn't have to tank this season. And Dame hasn't been healthy enough for us to have really had much success if we had kept him regardless of who else we brought in. Trading Dame seems like it was the best option. And pretty much everything was going well with the rebuild until we decided not to tank this season. The Deni trade was questionable, IMO. I didn't think that we were close enough to competing that we should have given up such quality draft draft capital so soon. I think that trade (Because Deni is so good) probably convinced Burt Kolde that we no longer needed to build through the draft. So we very well may have traded two or three top four or five draft picks for Deni. And I'm just not sure that we had enough depth to make that kind of a move yet. Once again, don't get me wrong, I love Deni. I just think trading for him probably cost us a lot of depth moving forward. It may well have cost us Flagg.
Yeah, I totally disagree. The goal is to get better players, and Deni has arguably turned out to be better than any player in last year's draft and probably better than the 4 pick in this draft. I can understand if you don't like that they did not do a full on tank job. But not trading for a young player like Deni, just to tank, would have been idiotic. You don't waste that opportunity IMO. Did Utah trade any of their guys? Nope they are still sitting there waiting to play with whoever they draft. I am more of a one-in-hand instead of two-in-the-bush guy. Joe has made mistakes, but he and his scouts nailed this one. They knew way more than any of us about Deni. The key factor here is that he is still only 24.
A complex chain of events can eventually be used to confirm MANY possible theories. So I’m not saying anyone is wrong just that getting Den Avdija was outstanding. Better than expected. Schmitz like him in his draft, and management laid the foundation months before the trade. A 14th pick is great to have but not compared to Deni. The 2nd best pick in 2029 is potentially a good pick; the Blazers still have the best of 3 (and the 3rd best). Brogdon I don’t count as much as he wasn’t being kept regardless. Not trading away Ant, Grant and Ayton hurt the tank that should have been. Getting draft capital is key this summer.
Except it was more like a 1 in the hand maybe four in the bush situation... It cost us the picks we traded, plus probably a couple more high draft picks. It probably led to the team going into win now mode and costing us a ton of draft capital. The trade wasn't a bad trade. It was a great trade. It was just the wrong time to make that kind of a trade. We didn't have enough talent to make that kind of a trade yet, IMO. It's probably made it much more difficult to get to where I think we all want to get.
It's also the lost draft capital we could have gotten this season and next season. How many wins is Deni worth? 8? 10? 12? What pick would we have with 12 fewer wins this season? How about next season? The timing is so critical on this one. Again, I love Deni. I'm happy he's on this team. But we're going to need a lot more talent to compete with the other young teams in the future. I'm just not sure where we're going to get that talent...
You’re not wrong — and that’s not a backhanded compliment. The Deni trade was the right one to make, IMHO. The minimum 3 trades NOT made tanked the tank. With good health and the veterans still around, there was no path to a high level tank. Deni was, arguably, a roadblock to a tank — perhaps why Washington did the deal as well as draft capital and salaries. He turned out way too good for a tank. Cronin has a HUGE job in front of him this summer with Grant and the 1-year contracts.
I can’t believe so many of you even bothered responding to this thread instead of just moving on & letting it move down the list & go away.
There is never a player worth tanking for. If an organization intentionally loses games, it is sending a message to its players that it’s okay to throw a game, to lose to “beat” the system, which is never a good lesson. Any team that intentionally loses games should receive a million-dollar fine and lose its first round pick.
You sure about that. I've read people say that had Flagg not reclassified to graduate early, he'd be mocked behind Dybantsa for '26. And Cam Boozer also has plenty of future superstar buzz.
We stopped tanking prematurely this season. Means we'll probably have to tank/rebuild sooner and/or more than if we'd stayed the course... Agreed. It sucks. Just gotta hope for uncommonly good luck now. *Edit* Or maybe some kind of back room deal in which we get a frozen envelope for not tanking?
Not sure this deserves its own thread and wasn't sure where to put this, so here it is! Some think the Blazers failed tanking is a blessing in disguise! https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/...rN-miS1MCoCwUEfWFt_aem_Svz1LUhTIJWFhFoIU3-Swg The odds of the Portland Trail Blazers securing a postseason berth were always long. They were chasing numerous teams while proving unable to defeat winning teams along the way consistently. Nevertheless, the exercise of the chase, which essentially halted with Friday’s loss at Chicago and mathematically ended on Sunday, could pay dividends moving forward. “It’s a necessary process as you’re climbing and getting to that point,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “For our guys to have played in so many meaningful games this year, where all the possessions matter, everything counts, that was new for a lot of these guys. That was new for me, as the coach. So, it’s so much fun to be able to be in the mix like that. And we’ve all grown because of it.” The Blazers (35-44) were officially eliminated from contention Sunday when the Sacramento Kings (38-40) won at Cleveland to remain 3½ games ahead of the Blazers, who have three games remaining after defeating San Antonio. The dream died with a win, but according to forward Toumani Camara, strides made over the last 38 games were valuable. “I feel like we didn’t really have too much of an expectation when we started the season,” he said. “We had a lot of ups and downs and stuff like that. And we’re down a lot of people right now, so we’re just trying to stack up as many wins as we can and get better every day. That’s been the main emphasis for us. Trying to focus on us and see what we can do in the future. We have a great group of young guys.” Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) drives against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) APAP Before the season began, bookmakers set the expectations for the Blazers with an over/under win total of 22.5 victories. At the season’s midpoint, the Blazers were on pace for 26 wins at 13-28. Still, acquiring a high NBA lottery pick appeared far more likely than making a run at the postseason. Then seemingly out of nowhere, the Blazers elevated their play, won 10 of 11, and found themselves within a few games of 10th place and the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. That was quite the contrast from last season when the Blazers finished 21-61, one of four 60-loss seasons in franchise history. While the run of victories highlighted the team’s growth and potential, what came next further illustrated its youth and inexperience. The Blazers lost their next 10 games against winning teams, while mixing in five victories over some of the worst teams in the NBA. That trend continued for the rest of the season and ultimately did in their chances. The Blazers went 2-13 against winning teams, with the two victories coming against Memphis, minus Ja Morant, and Denver without Nikola Jokic. The Blazers also dealt with more than their share of injuries. Center Deandre Ayton, who played his best basketball with the franchise during their winning stretch, was lost with a left calf injury. Jerami Grant followed with a knee injury. Robert Williams III rarely played, also because of a knee injury. Anfernee Simons (forearm) and Scoot Henderson (concussion) have missed the team’s last several games. But despite the setbacks, the Blazers kept winning just enough to remain in the hunt. Forward Kris Murray said the team embraced the challenge, and the competitive vibe around the team elevated. “You kind of want to be in those scenarios,” Murray said. “It’s a long season, and we had tough points this season. We got really good highs, really good lows. And I think just kind of being in that conversation and kind of treating every game as a game seven these last few weeks has been really good for us, and it’ll help us in the long run, for sure.” Kris Murray #24 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket against Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs at the Moda Center on April 06, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Trail Blazers won 120-109. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)Getty Images Billups said he enjoyed witnessing his team embrace the intensity of the race. “It was nice,” he said. “Guys got up for the challenge every single game. We chased that thing. I loved how we showed up. There were so many games that we didn’t play great, but man, we would scrap our butts off understanding what was on the line. So, I think we learned so much because of it as a group.” A valuable lesson learned was how important each game can be. Looking back, Billups said he could identify a handful of losses that should have been victories. “I always tell our guys all year long, I’m saying, ‘These are the type of games that bite you in the end,‘” Billups said. “You can look at six or seven of those games, and it’s like, well, we had this game. It was over, in my eyes. But it just happens.” Murray agreed. “We know we’ve had a few games this year we kind of let get away,” he said. “And that could have been the difference between us being in the play-in our playoffs versus us going home early.” The bar will be raised next season. The Blazers have signed general manager Joe Cronin to a contract extension. Billups could be next. He has just a club option remaining on his deal. The Blazers could make impactful roster moves this offseason. Growth from its core should be expected, as well as a .500 team, at least, for next season. Billups also hopes to be better. “It’s just been so much fun for me, to be playing for something at this part of the season,” he said. “I’ve learned a ton. I’ve grown a lot in those moments, too. All in all, it was amazing.”
I know the popular position on this is that FAs never choose Portland and never will... I think the 2nd part is highly questionable. It's my belief that the main priorities for most players is A) get paid & B) be part of a winning/contending team. Historically they've rarely had the capspace to go above a MLE type offer. In just two short offseasons Portland can clear all sorts of capspace by letting Ayton, Simons, Williams & Thybulle walk. Even after resigning Sharpe they should have plenty of room to lure a top target. If the future core of Scoot, Shaedon, Camara, Deni, Clingan, 2025 FRP & maybe Murray looks to be ascending next season, I could easily see guys with options being very interested in a substantial offer to join the 2026-7 PTBs. STOMP
