Exclusive 2022-23 Portland Trail Blazers Roster

Dame / FA
Ant / Sharpe
Barnes / Little
Grant / Winslow
Nurk / FA

I think that team wins 50 games if healthy. Moreso than the talent, I think hoops wise, it just fits. Just add decent backups at PG and C. Hits on those FA can elevate us even more.

 

I'm not saying we need to make a move right away, but I just think that the Dame/Ant experiment probably won't work out and we will either need to commit long term to Dame or to Ant. I don't see the team trading Dame unless he wants out, so I think ultimately it will be Ant who goes. I think Simons needs to be in that lead guard role to really thrive and reach his maximum potential.

 

It's certainly a fair question. There is no doubt that Barnes is a better positional fit than Hart, though I will question if he is more of 4 than a 3 at this point in his career.

That said, in a vacuum, I actually like Hart more than Barnes as a player. Additionally, I think Hart actually has a bit of a dawg in him that this team really needs. We've generally been a pretty soft team, and I think Hart can help with that in a way that I am less sure about with Barnes.

I think I'd pass on that deal, but I certainly understand the appeal.

 

I get the appeal of Hart, but he's not the proven shooter that Barnes is. And Barnes also started on multiple finals teams, while Hart has yet to play a single minute in the playoffs (obviously that has more to do with their teams than the individuals). So there's something to be said about experience as well. And I wouldn't dismiss Barnes' defensive impact either.

 

Hoopsjock reported the protections are basically a non issue as the Blazers have a verbal deal with Chicago to modify.

 

If we elect to trade Hart to improve our front line, Id go with the last category you proposed, acquire a 3/4 from that group.

 

Yep, Barnes is definitely the more proven shooter and has far better length to provide frontcourt help. No debate there. I put a bit less stock into Barnes's playoff experiences with the loaded warriors team, and I think his playoff performance has been rather mixed. Draymond suspension aside, one could argue he was the primary culprit in the warriors blowing that series to the cavaliers. He was atrocious the last several games of that series despite having open look after open look.

Regardless, that was so long ago that I'm not sure it's fair to consider his playoff experience as either a positive or a negative.

We're probably splitting hairs here as Barnes is a good player who I'd welcome in Portland, but I do feel like Hart's potential to provide some much needed emotional leadership to this team is being undervalued.

 

Wow Barnes is only 30; I feel like he has been a veteran for quite a while and is 35.

I'm not sure Sac would do that trade, they seem to want to do whatever they can to make the playoffs.

First we need to officially bring Ant back, maybe he will get maxed and we prefer to get something back in a sign and trade. Second we don't know Sharpe is ready for a single minute this year. Summer league might give us some info there.

Also who else are the Blazers acquiring in free agency? If we add a forward near Barnes level then a trade for him is not really needed. We do need guard backup if one of Dame/Simons/Hart misses time.

Despite all the above I think Barnes is a good idea though. I'm more just listing the concerns to consider if we try to add him. I'd tend to think he is more likely to be flipped at the deadline if say Sacramento struggles. Possibly just for Joe Ingles contract and a pick or something.

 

This morning the Blazers talked with Houston about Eric Bledsoe and a first round pick for Eric Gordon and SF Kenyon Martin Jr...a SF that would work next to Grant. Said Portland has talked with 12 teams about Bledsoe deals but this is the current one

 

A buddy of mine sent me this via BlazersEdge... This feels like a gross overpay and I might go so far as to say that the FRP needs to be coming from the other side. All Gordon does is rob Sharpe of minutes, and while Kenyon 2.0 is somewhat exciting, he's not worth a future 1 AND Gordon's salary...

We're going to have to move Bledsoe soon, but I have a hard time believing that this would be the "best" deal we could find...

 

we have absolutely 0 need for another 6'3 shooting guard.

 

Yeah adding Gordon doesn't make any sense with our roster as is.

Do we have possible deals in the works for Ant? Or a deal for Hart? Durant trade with Sharpe going out? Would Eric Gordon go to a third team? It would seem one or more of these would need to happen.

If we end up with Ant, Hart, Sharpe, Gordon, Keon all on this roster and no starting forward Blazer fans will go nuts.

 

That would be a terrible trade.

 

Agreed, hence my thoughts on the FRP part... If we're taking on Gordon as a salary dump, WE should be the beneficiaries... At that point he becomes a veteran bench guy and hopefully a valuable expiring contract next season...

 

talk at the draft was that houston was mulling offers for gordon where they were receiving a first rounder in return.

 

Maybe the first-round pick was actually coming to us? Either way, if we are interested then I would say Ant was on his way out for a sign and trade....unless we were thinking of flipping Gordon before the season started

 

Saw those, but it also didn't happen -- don't you think they would've taken them and laughed all the way to the bank??? Those felt very much like efforts to drum up a deal to me...

I won't quote the piece, but to make these matters worse, the suggested protection on our pick was only top 5. It's a terrible offer...

If somehow there were a team out there who really WAS interested on Gordon, then we could potentially make this a 3-way, but straight up, it's as bad as we've seen floated since the deadline...

 

In real life, if it did, then great. But in the proposed "rumor" it was very clearly coming from us...

 

If you can turn Bledsoe into Gordon and Martin (who is 6'7.5 SF) you do it.....Gordon just is a bench insurance policy like McLemore was with Ant....we've already approached 12 teams about Bledsoe without any interest according to the article so this is a chance to use his contract for some value...and nobody knows if Sharpe will be able to play up to NBA speed his rookie season...hell CJ didn't crack the rotation until his 3rd year or Gary Trent...I'm not going to crown Sharpe a rotation player until he is one.

 

Sans the FRP, I think I agree, that I'd take it. But the offer as is, is just way too much.