http://www.csnnw.com/portland-trail-blazers/breakfast-blazers-olshey-may-not-be-done-roster Good morning, and welcome to Breakfast with the Blazers, which will hopefully become a daily item on the Trail Blazers as you ease into your day with a cup of coffee and/or your first meal. This spot will allow you to catch up on what happened last night, or look ahead to what is pertinent today with the Blazers. This morning, we look at one item from yesterday’s Media Day interviews that flew under the radar: Blazers’ president of basketball operations Neil Olshey said he is still actively trying to improve the roster by using the team’s $12.9 million trade exception acquired in the trade of Allen Crabbe to Brooklyn. Olshey said that over the summer the Blazers “tried to keep up in the arms race as best we could” – presumably referring to pursuits of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony – but in the end they didn’t want to part ways with “pieces of our roster we felt were irreplaceable.’’ As a result, Olshey admitted the Blazers did not accelerate their ascension in the West as quickly as hoped. “But things are not over yet,’’ Olshey said. “We have the biggest trade exception in the league; we are still aggressive.’’ A trade exception is valuable in acquiring a player from a team that is looking to dump salary by absorbing the contract without having to give anything back in return. In other words, the Blazers can acquire a player making $12.9 million without having to give up anyone. The Blazers get a good player, the other team gets cap relief. The $12.9 million trade exception was acquired because the Blazers sent out more money with Crabbe’s contract (about $19 million) than they got in return from Brooklyn in the form of Andrew Nicholson’s contract (about $6 million). Nicholson was later waived. The Blazers have until July 2018 to use the exception, and it could be something that it utilized quickly, such as if Cleveland needs to move salary to sign Dwyane Wade, the Blazers could facilitate by absorbing Iman Shumpert and his $10.3 million contract. Or it could be used later in the season, perhaps after a team that thought it would be a contender falls out of a race, or decides to go in a different direction. The point is, Olshey still has a chip he can play in improving the roster. For reference, here are examples of some players who could be absorbed using the $12.9 million: Denver’s Kenneth Faried ($12.9 million); Washington’s Marcin Gortat ($12.8 million), Sacramento’s Zach Randolph ($12.3 million), Charlotte’s Kemba Walker ($12.0 million), Orlando’s Terrence Ross ($10.5 million), Detroit’s Jon Leuer ($10.4 million). Certainly, none of those names are as impactful as a Paul George or Carmelo Anthony, but they could be pieces that improve the roster, even if it means going over the luxury tax threshold, which owner Paul Allen has made clear he does not fear. “I think back in February,’’ Olshey said. “Who would have thought the impact Jusuf Nurkic would have had?’’ In other words, stay tuned. Olshey is still at work.
I'd be interested in a full list of players making $12.9M or less. The names mentioned in the article don't do much for me.
He's the only name mentioned that I have any interest in. But didn't he just sign with SAC? Doubt they're gonna give him up for nothing after just signing him! Also, unless we made a separate consolidation trade, he'd further crowd the PF spot and I really do want to use the season to develop Biggie/Collins.
Well, hopefully you, Neil. I'd like to think you didn't just randomly make a trade and got lucky. barfo
Yeah. So far, this is a short list I've come up: Clarkson Courtney Lee Gortat Vucevic Asik Dudley Danny Green Dwight Powell I'm not saying I'm interested in all (or any!) of these players. But of the players whose salaries fall near our TPE these are the ones I would most expect Neil to trade for. I suspect that the TPE will be used after a consolidation trade, to address whatever position we've just weakened.
