Rumor Damian Lillard Would Like Blazers To Acquire Deandre Ayton

On ball defender has been used for a while and there is a difference between on ball & off ball. Do some research.

 

The Fundamentals of Off Ball Defense - YouTube
YouTube · DICK'S Sporting Goods

 

LOL...I know what the textbook definition is. I don't know how you'd measure it, or if whoever is using the term is subjectively adding or subtracting context that alters the definition

 

In my opinion, we must use the cards we have (TPE, Bledsoe, #7 pick and #36 pick and 2025 Buck’s #1) to acquire TWO key players;! Ayton + Collins / Ayton + Grant / Collins + Grant, keeping Nurkic….but we need TWO to create a team with significant possibilities to win a title.

 

The thing about getting both Collins and Grant is that neither will want to come off the bench IMO. So that means one moves to SF. Which is fine I think it would work as they both would still get minutes at PF.

But if we do get Collins, do we really need Grant as well? I would not complain about the depth, but Collins next to Little or Winslow or even Hart at SF (depending on the matchups) is not that much of a drop-off. The extra 20 million could be used elsewhere.

 

I think there would be some serious ego issues if we got Collins and Grant. There wouldn't be enough shots to go around.

Dame
Ant
Grant
Collins
Nurk

Someone is going to be pissed. I'm going to put my money on Grant.

 

I'm not sure Portland could get a good player, or even a decent role player at #16 (assuming the Hawks would add 16 to Collins...they should though). So maybe the 16 for Grant is the best Portland could do with the 16th pick, and I think Grant would be just fine at SF

on the other hand, having a decent rookie with some upside and that 21M TPE (+ 6.5M & 3.3M TPE's) going into next season's trade deadline might give Portland a lot of trade leverage

 

i dont know why people think we can get both collins & grant without trading ant

 

i dont need to assume what would it take to get collins or grant

theres simply no way in adding two of collins/grant/anunoby without giving up 7th pick, milwaukee pick, ant and little or hart

 

Thanks, for the great insight. I think it's very plausible to get Collins and the 16th pick for Bledsoe and the 7th. I think that it would be pretty likely that Detroit would take total cap relief and the 16th for Grant.

That's without trading Ant, Nas or Hart, or the Bucks pick for that matter. Did you see what Wood went for? That sets the market. It seems to be a buyers market. We may have set that market too with how little we took for starting quality players who have never been all stars.

 

i do hope you guys are right, but it doesnt seem to me that pistons, hawks & raptors want to get rid (which is not the same as being open to discuss the trade) of grant, collins & anunoby (we on the other hand are under the pressure to improve the team and those teams know it)... bledsoe big expiring contract has value for sure, but im not sure how does tpe work... pelicans pick would do wonders for us and i believe we wouldve been able to get two players to improve the team

but like i said, lets hope you guys are right

 

You can't have too many good players.

 

Yes you can - if the "good" players come at the expense of great players or you continually trade the future (draft picks) for "good" players.

Not interested in trading for good. Olshey did that for years and it got us nowhere other than losing lots of picks where we might have gotten more talent (although Olshey's talent picking skills in the first round were mighty suspect - Zach Collins & Caleb Swanigan?

Not interested in good players to keep us in mediocrity. We need better.

Collins - not particularly interested
Grant - not at all interested
Ayton - not at all interested

Are they good players? Yes. Are they difference makers? No.

 

I wouldn't hate Lu Dort even though he's undersized. Kenrich Williams is a good underrated guy with some size who's a good POA defender, can shoot, and has shown some secondary playmaking ability from the same team. Otherwise, it's hard to find good POA defenders that are available and have size. Jonathan Isaac is another guy but who knows with that guy... I'd be willing to take a chance on DeAndre Hunter if Atlanta is wary about paying him next off-season. The next best bet might be to take a chance on someone with the physical tools that hasn't put it together like the Warriors did with Wiggins. I don't know who that would be off the top of my head though.

 

Agree on Dort although of course we would all like that POA with more size. They are just so difficult to come by. Isaac is a TREMENDOUS defender across so many levels, but his health has been such an issue, it is taking a pretty big risk to count on him....even if we could get him.

 

this is where Billups respect and command of the team should help get players to buy in

 

How much backlash would he face in ultra-liberal Portland?