Forum Game Official Blazers Offseason Trade/Free Agency Prediction Thread

I really hope Little Starts!

 

MARKET - I don't think Hood or Kanter have the market some people are rampantly speculating they will have. The Blazer media is getting carried away with this as well. Those players are not likely at all to be getting paid ~$10 million per year. Now if we had the cap space maybe we make some stupid decision to pay them that much, but fortunately Neil prior bad decisions have protected himself from himself. We have seen teams be very cautious in the dollars they throw at role players from 2017-on. Of course any overpaid contract offer is possible, but what are likely outcomes and what is possible for underpaid contracts as well?

KANTER - A rebuilding team is not going to want Kanter. Playoff teams don't want him as a starter with his poor defense. Center is currently the deepest position in the league with quality minimum salary players. How much are teams paying for their backup? I don't think any team offers him more than the $5milion tax MLE.

HOOD - Rodney Hood is the player we likely prefer. The most ideal scenario for us would be he accepts the ~$4.5 million raise we can pay him from his last year contract. He wore out his welcome in Utah, Cleveland wasn't interested in resigning him. He has confidence, motivation, and attitude issues in prior stops. Will another team pay him more? It's possible, but he could also be one of those guys at the end of musical chairs with no place to sit.

OFFSEASON - My dream offseason would be us signing Kanter with the tax MLE ~$5.5million and Hood at the $4.5 million max raise. Both one year deal with second year player options. However if Hood will only take the tax MLE at $5.5 million then I think we have to give him that. Then we don't have more than the minimum to sign Kanter so he is gone.

AMINU - Either way I'm walking away from Aminu, his defense is slipping and I expect it to continue to decline slightly each year going forward. His offense is always below average, you just pray he is making threes and he didnt for 15 of 16 playoff games. Plus he feels entitled to a starting spot, so I think bringing him back and sticking him on the bench will not sit well with him. I want us to have options of who to start at forward. Aminu and Harkless provide too similar of a skill set, we don't need both of them. Plus Aminu salary will count about 3x the actual cost in luxury tax and I'd rather see Jody Allen pay that when the need to the team is greater. Now if we trade away Harkless I'd reconsider this, as one of Harkless and Aminu is good to have.

 

I’ll take Grant thank you. There’s your backup/third PG.

 

Ok call your shot, let’s see who gets it right. Who is Portland signing?

I’ll start it off: Kyle O’Quinn. That won’t be the only signing, but it’s the one I’m calling.

 

I kind of think this as well. I don't think Hood and Kanter are going to get paid like a lot of people think. The market for centers was not great last free agency. I'd like to the Blazers to turn the page on the Aminu era. Let's step out of comfort zones (Stotts) and move onto Zach or someone else.

 

FWIW....

https://www.blazersedge.com/2019/6/...-farouq-aminu-agent-extension-nba-free-agency

 

Curry: Lakers

Kanter: Lakers

Aminu: Dallas

 

A reclamation project:

Dragan Bender