Plausible destinations for our vets?

Both GS and the Lakers get worse with this move. Sure I'd much rather have their pieces than our junk, but I see no motivation for either of those teams to do these deals.

 

Grant and maybe Timelord are the only hopes. Timelord probably in the next few months if he can get a string of healthy games by the deadline (yes probably unlikely)

Still that unlikely health is way more likely to fetch a FRP than the horrible play of Ayton and Ant.

Grant I think could have got a pick back in the summer but sounds like Cronin overplayed his hand and now we might be stuck with him until next off-season and hope he has more value in a future season.

 

What an impression Grant left on the Lakers last night. Any wasn’t much better, but never thought he was a Laker target. Luckily there are other teams but these guys have zero value.

 

But Deni is almost like a draft pick, due to his age. A draft pick that isn't a total unknown. So I had no issue with that trade at all. I think we likely found 1/5th of our starting lineup.

 

That's a great trade if you have a need at that position once the rest of the roster is already known and you already have enough talent.

That's not the situation we're in. The fact that we may have thought we were ready is concerning.

 

Are we going to find the other 4/5th of our starters in the next 3 years and also have them ready to contend? Seems like that is a one in a million type of chance to all come together so quickly. So at the end of those 3 years Deni will need a large raise if he is still a starting level player here.

Would have been worth doing that type of trade if we were close to being a contender or even if we were just one/two other big moves away as during much of Dame tenure. If we had two established starters and Deni was the 3rd, there are scenarios it could be a good deal. But when you need 4 additional big things to happen it wasn't a good move.

I still think holding onto the vets Cronin has done since the Dame trade are all much worse moves though. At least Deni might still have value to flip in a year or two once its apparent we can't contend with him while he is on his reasonable deal. So at least this is an acquisition with upside, unlike the Ayton acquisition, matching Thybulle, Clippers trade, signing GP2, overpaying Ant/Nurk, etc.

I guess thats where we are with Cronin - his bad moves look decent just because they're not as bad as his REALLY BAD moves.

 

That's like never eating on an empty stomach. You'd never get to a point of having a "known roster" until you start filling in holes. Deni is so versatile he can fit in anywhere.

 

It's more like not trying to eat all of breakfast, lunch, and dinner by 9:00 a.m...

You'd fill those holes by drafting best player available. Then when you have enough talent and duplication you'd trade known quantities to plug those holes.

As I've already acknowledged the problem with Deni isn't so much that he is taking a spot we may fill in the draft (his versatility mostly removes this as a concern), but that it's too soon to be adding proven players. We should still be in talent acquisition mode. And that means we need to maximize the value of every single move.

So trading two picks who could both wind up being a player as good as Deni, and maybe even one being better, is not ideal. That's problem number one.

Problem number two is having a ready-made player like Deni (even as versatile as he is) will probably prevent us from getting as high of a draft pick eventually, if not this year then next, thereby preventing us from adding as much quality talent in the draft.

It was just too soon to make that kind of a trade. You make that trade to put you over the top. To help you compete better in the playoffs. Not to get you from, say, being an 18-win team to a 26-win team.

 

Deni is the same age as Knecht, whom we may well have taken with that pick. And Dalton plays the same position as Sharpe. The Deni trade was a good move by Cronin, and his locked in for several more years on a cheap contract.

Some fans seem to have fetishes about draft picks, but the goal is to acquire good players.

 

Remember when we (especially me) were so scornful of Miami's offer for Dame because we saw Herro as the poor man's Anfernee? Well, they've gone in opposite directions since. Of course, that could have something to do with their respective coaches. (And Herro still has a much more punchable face.)

 

Not at the expense of two potentially good players (possibly 3).

 

Age is part of it but not the only reason. A veteran NBA player is more known and predictable, usually they aren't much better or much worse than expected. A draft pick is MUCH more unexpected, the player could be worthless or could be a star. They have far more variance. That variance is bad when its a good team that needs a dependable role player. That variance is good when the team needs to hit some home runs just to make the ball game respectable. The Blazers need to be taking more swings at getting stars since they have ZERO.

Once a team has a couple stars then you fill in the decent but not great players around them. I mean we should try to acquire role players like Deni too, as yes they have value, we just shouldn't acquire them at the cost of potentially getting a star. Thats why the 2029 pick lost bothers me the most - it has huge potential upside. The 2024 draft was such shit I'm not worried about that pick. As Phat said Deni giving us a few wins the next year or two provide zero current benefits and potentially are actually a cost.

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/st...trade-deadline-2025-player-eligibility-dec-15

NBA trade deadline 2025: Player eligibility as of Dec. 15


The NBA calendar hitting Dec. 15 marks yet another significant date, as 85 free agents signed in the offseason will be eligible to be traded.

To get a better sense of the 2024-25 trade market, we have organized the entire player pool into different roster types (franchise centerpiece, All-Star, starter, reserve, etc.), salary and years remaining on their contracts. You can use these tables when attempting to determine what trades are possible across the league -- especially since only the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic currently have cap space.

The 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement introduced new trade rules that are explained below.
Teams like the Atlanta Hawks ($25.3 million), Brooklyn Nets ($23.3 million), Chicago Bulls ($17.5 million), Memphis Grizzlies ($12.6 million), New Orleans Pelicans ($9.9 million), Portland Trail Blazers ($6.9 million) and Washington Wizards ($12.4 million) have large trade exceptions and can acquire a player without sending back salary because of a previously created trade exception. The Dallas Mavericks have a $16.2 million trade exception but are not allowed to use it because they would exceed the second apron.

A new rule allows a team that did not use a signing exception this summer to acquire a player using the non-tax, biannual, tax and room exception to sign a free agent are allowed to acquire a player.

Trade rules
The NBA and players association adjusted the trade rules, allowing teams below the luxury tax more flexibility and spending power to acquire players in a trade.

The Sacramento Kings acquired DeMar DeRozan this offseason with the $7.7 million Expanded Traded Player Exception, a $2.7 million increase from the previous CBA.

The high-spending teams over the first and second apron saw the Traded Player Exception decrease from 110% last season to 100%.

Dec. 15 signing restriction
These 85 players who signed new contracts in the offseason will become eligible to be traded Sunday -- though some of them can veto trades because of the one-year Bird restriction (see full explanation below).

Eligible to be traded on Dec. 15
Player Team Roster Status Salary Restriction
Vit Krejci ATL Key Reserve $2,162,606 SR-12/15/24
Cody Zeller ATL Rotation $3,500,000 SR-12/15/24
Neemias Queta BOS Key Reserve $2,162,606 SR-12/15/24
Xavier Tillman BOS Rotation $2,237,691 SR-12/15/24
Luke Kornet BOS Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Keon Johnson BKN Key Reserve $2,162,606 SR-12/15/24
Shake Milton BKN Rotation $2,875,000 SR-12/15/24
Trendon Watford BKN Rotation $2,726,603 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Taj Gibson CHA Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Seth Curry CHA Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Jalen Smith CHI Key Reserve $8,571,429 SR-12/15/24
Tristan Thompson CLE Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Spencer Dinwiddie DAL Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Naji Marshall DAL Starter $8,571,429 SR-12/15/24
Markieff Morris DAL Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Klay Thompson DAL Starter $15,873,016 SR-12/15/24
Dario Saric DEN Key Reserve $5,168,000 SR-12/15/24
Russell Westbrook DEN Key Reserve $3,303,771 SR-12/15/24
Vlatko Cancar DEN Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
DeAndre Jordan DEN Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Simone Fontecchio DET Key Reserve $7,692,308 SR-12/15/24
Malik Beasley DET Key Reserve $6,000,000 SR-12/15/24
Tobias Harris DET Starter $25,365,854 SR-12/15/24
Kyle Anderson GS Key Reserve $8,780,488 SR-12/15/24
Buddy Hield GS Starter $8,780,488 SR-12/15/24
De'Anthony Melton GS Key Reserve $12,822,000 SR-12/15/24
Aaron Holiday HOU Rotation $4,668,000 SR-12/15/24
Pascal Siakam IND Top Starter $42,176,400 SR-12/15/24
James Wiseman IND Rotation $2,237,691 SR-12/15/24
James Johnson IND Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Mo Bamba LAC Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Nicolas Batum LAC Key Reserve $4,668,000 SR-12/15/24
Kris Dunn LAC Key Reserve $5,168,000 SR-12/15/24
Kevin Porter Jr. LAC Key Reserve $2,237,691 SR-12/15/24
Derrick Jones Jr LAC Starter $9,523,810 SR-12/15/24
Norman Powell LAC Top Starter $19,241,379 SR-12/15/24
James Harden LAC Top Starter $33,653,846 SR-12/15/24/1YB
LeBron James LAL Franchise $48,728,845 SR-12/15/24/NTC
Luke Kennard MEM Key Reserve $9,250,000 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Thomas Bryant MIA Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Alec Burks MIA Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Kevin Love MIA Rotation $3,850,000 SR-12/15/24
Taurean Prince MIL Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Gary Trent Jr. MIL Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Delon Wright MIL Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
PJ Dozier MIN Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Joe Ingles MIN Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Luka Garza MIN Rotation $2,162,606 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Javonte Green NO Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Daniel Theis NO Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Cameron Payne NYK Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Isaiah Hartenstein OKC Starter $30,000,000 SR-12/15/24
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ORL Starter $22,757,000 SR-12/15/24
Gary Harris ORL Key Reserve $7,500,000 SR-12/15/24
Cory Joseph ORL Rotation $3,303,771 SR-12/15/24
Moritz Wagner ORL Key Reserve $11,000,000 SR-12/15/24
Paul George PHI All-Star $49,205,800 SR-12/15/24
Eric Gordon PHI Key Reserve $3,303,771 SR-12/15/24
Reggie Jackson PHI Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Caleb Martin PHI Starter $8,149,001 SR-12/15/24
Kelly Oubre Jr. PHI Starter $7,983,000 SR-12/15/24
Guerschon Yabusele PHI Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Kyle Lowry PHI Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Andre Drummond PHI Key Reserve $5,000,000 SR-12/15/24
Tyus Jones PHX Starter $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Monte Morris PHX Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Royce O'Neale PHX Key Reserve $9,375,000 SR-12/15/24
Mason Plumlee PHX Key Reserve $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Bol Bol PHX Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
Damion Lee PHX Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24/1YB
DeMar DeRozan SAC Top Starter $23,400,000 SR-12/15/24
Alex Len SAC Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Jordan McLaughlin SAC Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Orlando Robinson SAC Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Charles Bassey SA Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Sandro Mamukelashvili SA Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Chris Paul SA Key Reserve $10,460,000 SR-12/15/24
Bruno Fernando TOR Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Garrett Temple TOR Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Drew Eubanks UTAH Key Reserve $5,000,000 SR-12/15/24
Patty Mills UTAH Rotation $2,087,519 SR-12/15/24
Svi Mykhailiuk UTAH Development $3,500,000 SR-12/15/24
Saddiq Bey WSH Key Reserve $6,440,678 SR-12/15/24
Anthony Gill WSH Rotation $2,237,691 SR-12/15/24
Jonas Valanciunas WAS Key Reserve $9,900,000 SR-12/15/24

 

snoopin around realgm and found this recent post. make of it what you will.

"Agreed. That said, I think Rob Williams is Thunder bound. I would put money on it. They have a need and have the players and picks to get a deal done.

A trusted Blazer insider on the RGM board has confirmed he's heard from multiple sources the Blazers have a standing deal on the table for Williams that will return a first round pick, so the Thunder really seems like the only logical destination when looking at pick stash, salaries and need."

I don't expect it to be a good FRP returned for him, but one thats heavily protected and likely ends up as 2nd rounders or just doesn't convey for anything if it doesn't meet the convey criteria within the timeframe."

"That said, the Blazers insider I mentioned in regards to Rob Williams also had a note on Simons, in that, while he's having a bad year, it's not wildly effecting his trade value one way or another. FO execs don't swing their value of players as wildly as fans do, and according to him, that's the case with Simons' trade value."

 

Picks and young prospects please

 

As long as there are draft assets I don't care about incoming talent or horrible contracts.

 

I very much hope so, but after 4 years of Cronin holding onto his guys for far too long I'm very doubtful.

 

Maybe Grant or RWIII can get a late 1st - I'll be shocked if Ant does. Ayton we probably have to chip in a pick.

 

As long as our vets are gone and the horrible contract ends by 2026 I really don't care what we get.

Of course I'd love a FRP - but if Cronin can't get that I just hope these guys are sent elsewhere either way. Last Blazer that was this bad to watch was cupcake Raymond Felton.