FIRE CRONIN

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Fez Hammersticks, Feb 4, 2022.

  1. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    The question in that scenario is what they do with Nurk/Hart/Simons. Letting them walk for nothing makes the team more attractive to an owner who wants maximum flexibility to build the team they want (and the patience to see it through). It also makes the team more attractive to someone more interested in profit than winning.
     
  2. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    There are a TON of teams and fan bases who wished they were heading in that "wrong direction" every season.
     
  3. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    that's not significant at all.....I mean, don't you, by yourself, make for about a half-ton of fan-base?
     
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  4. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Hart has value in the trade market, so it would be stupid to decline his option. The Blazers could just pick it up and trade him for an expiring contract plus a pick/young player/etc.

    At the least the Blazers should also try to resign Simons and Nurk to good value contracts, and/or short years. Maybe the Blazers could take a hard line and not resign them if the $ demanded is high. But having an ultimatum to let them walk at any price would hurt the value of the franchise.

    An NBA owner paying ~$2 billion is not short on cash to where they are worried about every $ of potential profit in the the next few months. The NBA has strict rules on the level of debt an owner can have when financing the purchase of a franchise, so they need a ton of assets, or be part of a group with a ton of assets, where they are not at all short on cash. A new owner is likely thinking of long term profit over many years and decades, as well as the luxury of being one of 30 people owning an NBA team. Now I agree that they may not want huge long term contracts for questionable talents such as Julius Randle. But I strongly disagree that new owners would want a terrible lottery team devoid of talent without starting level players just to have salary flexibility. Not that I think you were arguing for that extreme point.

    For all we know a new owner could love the idea of Nurk or Simons. Or they could love to trade away Dame. Or they could love all three. Or they could wish to see all three go. Its really a guess what a new owner would want; but I'd say judging from what we have seen of prior new owners; they are generally happy to spend money initially, even grossly overpay for talent, and try to win immediately. I don't know that we have ever seen an owner recently buy a team and immediately run it as one of the most frugal groups trying to maximize short term profit. That type of frugal owner is usually one that has had the team for a long time, doesn't have many assets outside the team, isn't a passionate fan, and may even explore selling the team soon. That frugal owner seems closer to the profile of Jody Allen than what we have seen of new owners.
     
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  5. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    I can't speak for how qualified Cronin is compared to other assistant GMs. Obviously with the hiring of Billups, the organization doesn't appear it is a priority to hire a head coach with prior head coaching experience or a GM with prior GM experience. Not to mention we add players without NBA experience to the roster every year.
     
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  6. BoBoBREWSKI

    BoBoBREWSKI BURP!

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    Cronin gets my vote. I hope they give him a chance to prove himself and continue to build the roster off the moves he's already made.
     
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  7. Phatguysrule

    Phatguysrule Well-Known Member

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    I'd obviously prefer a more proven GM. But no proven GM is going to come here right now, so it's a moot point. Neither will any highly desired up and comer.

    This situation is as likely to be career suicide as it is to make a career. Maybe even more so...
     
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  8. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    Not to over-state the obvious, but people really need to look at this. Cronins moves did not get the team under the lux tax without more cuts. Getting under the salary cap to any meaningful extent would take dropping 3 of our 4 best players as well. How do you dump the substantial salaries of CJ and Powell and still be in this position?

    This why I face palm every time the issue of trade exceptions comes up. Even if the chance comes along, why would anyone think the Seattle Mafia will allow the trade exceptions to be used? To get out of this mess and actually field a competive team is going to require a very good and very creative GM.
     
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  9. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    Not to nit-pick, but Cho lasted less than a year before being fired - and quickly landed a job with another team. Failing at your first job is almost never a huge handicap in the NBA. Seriously - how many NBA coaches and GMs haven't been fired at least once?
     
  10. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    Oh I think Vulcan understands that they have to go into the tax and I don't think they'll make whoever is running this team stay out of the regular luxury tax but if we're not in the finals most years then they won't allow us to be in the repeater tax either, which was what this year's dump was about and I think it must've also been about getting far enough below the tax that they'll be able to get under it in the future if they're facing the repeater tax and still aren't going really deep into the playoffs. That's what I'm hoping at least.

    There is no way for this team to both be honestly promising Dame they'll do what it takes to build a contending team around him and try to stay under the tax threshold every season. So if they're bent on having a cheap roster that comes in at just above the salary floor every year, they better tell Dame and he'll ask out. Then they can do the youth rebuild around what they get for Dame along with Ant, our pick, etc. Or they can just sell the fucking team.
     
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  11. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    The moves got the Blazers under the luxury tax threshold for the 2021-22 season, which was needed to avoid being repeaters. Nobody expects the Blazers to be out of the tax next season.
     
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  12. Phatguysrule

    Phatguysrule Well-Known Member

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    They aren't planning on staying under the luxury tax. At all. They will be giving Dame, Ant, Nurk, Hart, Little all big raises. They'll be in the tax.
     
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  13. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    It's actually brilliant timing if things go the way they're assuming they will. The cap will explode for 2025-26 which would be the third season in a row that they'd be over the tax. It will make it easy to dodge the tax. Maybe (if they have any interest in it) they could put the same kind of meticulous plans into winning a championship but that would assume they'd be the ones still owning the team at that point. At least they have something to sell any interested buyers on.
     
  14. Fez Hammersticks

    Fez Hammersticks スーパーバッド Zero Cool

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    *tap* *tap*

    Check 1 2 3
     
  15. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    If the rumor is true that the Blazers have offered the #7 for Grant and DETROIT is the side holding out for more.... That right there should be enough to fire him.

    The only thing I'm not sure of is how much Burt/Jody/Vulcan are micromanaging Joe. Gosh we need new ownership ASAP
     
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  16. Freshtown

    Freshtown Well-Known Member

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    where did you hear this?
     
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  17. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    Michael Scotto of Hoopshype made a comment that seemed like the ball was in Detroit's court.
     
  18. blazerfan11

    blazerfan11 Well-Known Member

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    Don't you think that's more likely a rumor started by Detroit to pump up Grant's stock? Grant's trade value is going to slide if he's still with the Pistons at the start of next season.
    Why would a team trade the #7 pick for a guy who will be an unrestricted free agent after next season?
     
  19. Blazinaway

    Blazinaway Well-Known Member

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    It's a joke if Det is "holding out", they'd jump on that in a heartbeat, IMO just more BS rumors, if POR did do that I am done as a fan until ownership changed
     
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  20. blazerfan11

    blazerfan11 Well-Known Member

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    Detroit is both saying they don't necessarily want to trade Grant and trying to increase his value by putting out ridiculous trade rumors.
    The ball is in their court. They'll probably take the best offer they can get at the time of the draft.
     

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