Official Around the NBA April 2019 Playoff Edition

I would trade Zach in a heartbeat for the right star. Not a fan of Blake though.

I'm not sold on Zach. I don't think he's going to be the star player we had hoped.

 

Yup, we agree. Honestly, if we didn't have Turner I wouldn't even consider it. But Turner is such a steaming turd burger that getting rid of him - even at the cost of Blake's contract - is very enticing. But even then I'm still not sure it's worth it.

 

I just want him to be a better defensive version of Udonis Haslem. Anything beyond that would exceed my expectations.

 

Modern medicine is MF. One day ACL and Achilles injuries will be like a month recovery.

 

It's not as bad as your claiming. If we trade even salary for Blake (or anyone making a big salary) the finances don't change a whole lot next season. The following season the cap is supposed to jump to about $118 million.

Sure, it would make it difficult to add pieces around them as we'd have to bargain shop and have young guys fill out the roster. However that isn't any more difficult than making the team this summer better with limited options. Our top-4 would be better though so I'll take that route.

 

When @Spud147 and I are done with our takeover, Becky Hammon will be head coach, Gillian Murphy trainer, Cyndi Lauper will sing during halftime, and every Blazers fan in the arena gets a free chocolate.

 

It just sucks that we wasted such a high pick on him. He should have been a late first rounder.

 

Zach Collins is weak as fuck. I can’t believe he was the 10th pick. John Collins would have been perfect

 

The team we smash every season partly because their starting PF its weak AF on D.

 

CJ was a high pick too. Didn't flourish until his 3rd season.

Zach has showed flashes of greatness.

Cats acting like he should be producing now as a 20 year old big are asking too much IMO.

He only needs to get stronger physically. That's his issue.

 

I hope you are making the chocolate treats.

Ps. Not a gross "women in the kitchen joke. I just know you make excellent desserts. If you remember, you sent me some brownies quite a few years back for winning gramp's prediction contest!

 

No. I have been saying since day one..... DAY ONE...... that we didn't need another project big. I was not happy when we drafted him. I don't care if he has shown flashes. I don't care if he's 20 years old. Dame is getting older and we NEEDED guys that could produce NOW. We could have used those three draft picks to get someone that would be a part of our rotation now, not five years from now.

 

just a FYI, that 118M projection has dropped to 116M

as far as me "claiming" it's bad, I really didn't...it was just the math of average salaries over the next 2 years for Dame-CJ-Nurk and 4 for BG. The margin in Portland's favor will be a little larger next season because of the first year rather then the average, but the raise in both salaries and the cap makes the overall connection consistent over the next 2 seasons. Granted, my "80M luxury tax" was pretty heavy hyperbole, but I had high-octane coffee this morning; don't blame me, blame coffee-bean direct

now, the trading "even salary" stuff....hmmm. ET + Meyers is 5M short. ET + Mo is about the same. And who really thinks that Detroit would be willing to trade Griffin for ET + Meyers + a couple of late future 1sts? Yeah, I know...expiring contracts, but if it comes to that, plenty of teams would have better expiring contract offers IMO, and several would have cap-space which trumps expirings

finally, let's assume somehow, the Piston GM lost his mind and traded Griffin for ET + Meyers, Then we're dealing with your "it would make it difficult to add pieces around them"....add Harkless and Portland is at 116M next year for 5 players. With Meyers gone, add Kanter for 8M. Add Zach, Simons, Skal, and Trent for a little over 10M. Portland is now 2M over the tax line...and they only have 10 players. Resign Hood for 4M. Add a couple of vet exceptions for 4-5M. Or resign Layman for 3-4M instead of one of the vets. Buy a 2nd round pick and add another million and you've got a team that's in the range of 11-14M over the tax line. I really wonder how good that team would be without Aminu and Curry, especially is what Dviss is worried about, a BG injury occurs

but this is how it always seems to go around here. Whether it's trade ideas for PG13, or Kawhi or Butler or Griffin, there are always a bunch of people (and apparently Olshey is one of them) believing that somehow Portland can offer their crap contracts and a couple of non-lottery picks and come away with a high tier player, a multi-time all-star. And the luxury tax be damned.

yeah, it would be great if Detroit would cooperate with this pipe-dream trade but I just think the Blazers are going to have to give-to-get in a trade unless they just confine themselves to trades like Biggie for Skal

 

I get what you are saying but 5 years from now is hyperbole. There is a only one Meyers on this planet.

 

I've not given up on Collins but outside of some pretty nice defensive potential I don't think he's shown a lot to really be excited about. His offense doesn't come and go, it's basically nonexistent. He's not improved as a shooter and his finishing inside is spotty at best. Some of that may be remedied by him building some strength, but he's got a long way to go.

John Collins is absolutely the better play right now. Yes his defense is not as good as Zach's but he's also got a ton of legit NBA skills that are already highly developed. Aside from being a better rebounder, passer and finisher than Zach he's EVEN better in his three point shooting. Not to mention he's an excellent pick and roll big and we have THE BEST pick and roll point guard in the league.

So yeah, anyone taking Zach over John right now is crazy.

 

I do remember but not sure about brownies for 20,000 people

 

There you go, moving the goalposts. I never said that a Detroit trade would happen, just disputing your belief that it is too much money if it did happen.

 

Who are you guys rooting for in the SA-Denver series in the case that the Blazers advance? Common sense says we want HCA, but damn the Spurs are looking like the tougher team right now. I still think I want the Spurs though

 

I want the Spurs too. If anything so When we kick thier ass, LMA wants to be back with us more than ever and demand a trade to us. Turner and a pick for LMA.

 

That's not even remotely true. Name one big man that we have developed under Stotts?

Nurk came in and almost immediately started beasting, so he doesn't count.