Free Agent Chinanu Onuaku, Cameron Oliver, Gary Payton II agree to Training Camp Deals with Portland

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From Draft Express on Oliver:
Oliver is quite intriguing from a physical perspective, as he measured 6' 8.25 with a shredded 239-pound frame, big hands and a solid 7' 1.25 wingspan at the NBA Draft combine, very solid measurements for a modern NBA power forward. In addition to his physical tools, Oliver is an explosive athlete capable of finishing above the rim both in traffic and in the open court, a physical skill that has also served him well on the glass while at Nevada. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Cameron-Oliver-82860/ ©DraftExpress
Oliver is an intriguing long-term prospect for a number of reasons beyond his physical tools, with his budding perimeter skills in particular catching the eye of NBA scouts during his second season in Reno. As a sophomore, Oliver shot 38.4% from beyond the three-point line, knocking down an impressive 2.3 per 40 minutes, the second-most among big men in the DraftExpress Top 100, behind only Lauri Markkanen. There are some concerns, however, about Oliver's jumper translating. He has a significant amount of lower body movement and shot only 67.8% from the free throw line in two seasons at Nevada, a statistic typically considered an indicator of NBA three-point proficiency. At this stage, Oliver is still a raw offensive player who tends to make some low IQ plays, force the issue and settle for difficult, off-balance jumpers. He's a capable spot shooter, lob catcher, and can knock down turnarounds over either shoulder in the post, but his decision making still leaves much to be desired. Oliver averaged 3.0 turnovers per 40 minutes in the Mountain West Conference and will have to prove that he can make quick enough decisions with the ball to fit in a free-flowing NBA offense. He has the physical tools and shot making ability to potentially impact a game but will he be able to let the game come to him at the NBA level where he won't be force fed opportunities to score or dominate the ball? Oliver's defensive outlook is similar in that he has the tools to be a major asset on that end, yet doesn't quite show enough consistency or discipline to be reliable right away. A physically imposing figure in the Mountain West, Oliver averaged 3.3 blocks per 40 minutes, the 4th best mark among DX top 100 prospects. He has the potential to be a versatile, impactful defender capable of moving his feet and guarding multiple positions while still serving as a defensive anchor of sorts when fully engaged. His awareness and effort, however, have been inconsistent in two seasons at Nevada - the main question marks that have likely relegated Oliver to second-round status. He tends to bite on fakes and has little feel overall defensively, though with time and patience he could become a valuable asset on that end. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Cameron-Oliver-82860/ ©DraftExpress

 

I’ll take that as a camp invite. Out of the three guys, he’s the most intriguing. He’s also from Oakland so I’d expect him to get close with Dame. That can’t hurt.

Btw we’re at 18 players. We’ve got room for two more. Those should be the two way guys.

 

So Caleb Swanigan with more explosiveness and defensive potential? Haha

 

Sad thing is I would probably take Oliver over Biggie.

 

Models his game after draymond and millsap.

 

Problem with Oliver he gets lazy on D. What I seen on his weakness on DX wasn't good especially on the defensive side of the ball.

 

I probably would too. I liked him comingnout of Nevada, I was surprised when he went undrafted.

 

So what’s the best case scenario here for Oliver? I’m guessing they’ll fill up the two way spots, so I don’t see that. Maybe they take the hit on one of the cheaper guys? We need another big.

 

I'd rather have Onuaku and Oliver than Stauskas tbh. I assume two-way contracts that we could convert into normal contracts depending on what happens at the deadline.

 

What would the hit on releasing Stauskas be?

 

It'd make them look bad for not signing Oliver outright instead. But I guess they could say "They outplayed Nik during Preseason so they got his spot". I dunno. Onuaku was released after Stauskas signed but still, that's why you wait on filling up that 15th spot.

 

I meant financially

 

$2M dead hit for a year.

 

So if I’m reading this correctly, it would cost Portland less if he was off the team? Or is that just how much he would count for on the sheet?

 

I don't know. The difference is minimal though.

 

Either way it’s not a huge hit so if either of these bigs look good and Trent or Simons show they’re ready, I’d hope they’d take the hit.

 

Neil has too big of an ego to do that.

 

I'm sure you're right. He also had too big of an ego to pay the Bulls to take Noah Vonleh. Oh wait...

When are you going to learn it's not about ego. Every trade Neil makes is for one reason - to save Paul Allen money. Look for him to move Stauskas + cash considerations at the deadline for a future top 55 protected pick to reduce Paul's luxury tax bill.

BNM