FWIW.... https://www.blazersedge.com/2019/8/...ail-blazers-salary-cap-space-free-agency-2020 How the Trail Blazers Might Create and Leverage Cap Space in 2020 Portland has plenty of options after the coming season. Are any of them significant enough to matter? With the 2019 offseason essentially complete, the Portland Trail Blazers’ front office can look forward to 2020 and beyond. There will be moves between now and then to strengthen the current roster, but the prospect of the team having cap space for the first time in a few years should hold the attention of the team as they move through the 2019-20 season. Depending on the player options for Rodney Hood and Mario Hezonja and where the Blazers’ draft pick falls, the team could open up as much as $19 million in cap space in 2020, enough to nab the starting-level wing they’ve been missing over much of the Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum era. As of now, Portland’s assumption has to be that Hood and Hezonja will both outplay their 2020-21 salaries and opt to hit free agency once again next year. Hood is slated to make $6.0 million, while Hezonja will have the option to play for less than $2.0 million on the second year of a minimum deal he signed this year. However, Hood and Hezonja both hold decisions that are outside of the team’s control. Should both opt in, that would push the team down to about $12.5 million in cap space, though the lost cap space would be the least of their worries in that situation. Should Hood play poorly enough (or get hurt) in 2019-20 such that he opts to take the $6.0 million rather than hit the open market, that would mean far more to the Trail Blazers in each of the next two years than the lost cap space. Hezonja’s play and option decision isn’t nearly as impactful, both because he makes less money and isn’t as important to their rotation. Assuming the year goes well enough for Hood to opt out, Portland has a very interesting summer ahead of them. They’ll go into July 2020 with eight players under contract: Lillard, McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, Gary Trent Jr., and their 2020 first-round pick. Should they go the cap space route, they’d have about $19 million to spend, plus another $5.1 million on the Room Exception once they’ve exhausted their available space. That should be enough for them to fill out their roster with a starting small forward and a handful of backups to fill the bench. Getting the right player at the 3 will be of utmost importance for them, as they’ve struggled to fill that spot in the past with a player who can produce on both ends of the floor.(CONTINUED)
I’d say that there is little chance that the Blazers play the cap space/free agent game next summer. Much greater chance they trade Bazemore and/or Whiteside for an impact player before the deadline.
I agree but if they had cap space this summer they could've had TJ Warren and KZ Okpala or Iggy and a 1st or Aaron Baynes and a 1st or any number of other cap saving moves for other teams. It does help with flexibility to have those options. If we stockpile picks the next time a star becomes available we have a better chance with more trade value.
Not trying to start this again and I'm not really a fan of Iggy's game at his age and fit in a Stotts offense but if the Blazers had the space I'd have done that trade to pick up a 2024 1st round pick and add a vet expiring wing.
I just think that the best shot for adding a true difference maker is going to be by using the ending salaries of Bazemore and/or Whiteside to work a deal for a high priced talent with a team wanting a reset. Letting those guys plus Hood and others go in the hopes of maybe one good free agent signing doesn’t seem like a play that Olshey will make given his past trouble trying to make upgrades through free agency.
Sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying. Yeah, there are always ways to absorb contracts when you have cap space. Still, I think Olshey will be looking for a bigger play than any of the guys you mentioned. He knows the window for a Dame/CJ title run is NOW. Mid level players won’t get the job done.
