The Blazers have to decide this offseason if they want to pick up Meyers team option on his contract for the 2015-16 season. If they pick up his option it will eat into their cap space next summer and use up a roster spot.
The only reason to sign him is to include him in a trade this season. But Olshey so far has shown all the trading skill of Pritchard. And on draft day, even less. So if Olshey is an incompetent trader, maybe it's better to just give Leonard away. His career track will go like Martell Webster, lasting for years, occasionally the worst starter on one of the worst teams.
On one hand with how he has developed I want to say we shouldn't but then again when we drafted him I said he was a two to three year project at least and he has shown some promise offensively at least. When you boil it down I think his salary would be easy to shed if we needed to so I have no fear of his 3.1 eating to much into the cap.
When do they have to decide . . . this is a big year for Leonard. Any sign of progress and the ability to make it as a big man in the league and he is looking at multi-million this coming up summer. Not a bad position to be in.
I think he'd need to show tremendous improvement next season to get 3 million on the open market. Portland should think about carrying less players, they have too much money invested in 5 3rd stringers, they should only have 2-3.
Ouch . . . if they don't extend, does he become a restricted or unrestricted FA? If restricted, I don't think they extend.
Young super athletic 7 footer, those are players that teams love to take risks on. Hell look at the fact Thabeet is still on a roster.
Yes, I've been saying that for awhile. He's not a rim protector. He seems to have a nice shot though and could be a decent PF. Still, he's defense needs work even for a PF. I just like Thomas Robinson better at PF.
Someone would probably give him a chance, but 3 million? I don't think so. And wouldn't say he's "super" athletic. He's athletic, but not outstandingly so.
3m is a lot but I could see a team like the Jazz/Boston, a team content with sucking for a few years, giving him 3y 9m with the last two years being partly guaranteed. Leonard is a player just screaming of potential and every team seems to think they can mold a young athletic big. It would surprise me if he got more then 3m but I don't see his 3m salary as a hindrance to trading him if we need the salary cap. 76ers love to take on salary for 2nd rounders and we could probably dump him to a team that wants to see if he is worth it.
Someone always says that in a Meyers Leonard thread, but projects are supposed to develop. After 2 years, a 2-year project is part of the rotation. 2 years doesn't mean that after 2 years, only 2 more years and he may be only 2 years away (total 6). He has not only not improved in any way, he has regressed. Early in his rookie year he could catch the Lillard alley oop pass and always make it. He had lost that courage by late in his rookie year. Since then his main priority has been to protect his contacts from getting knocked out. When he is within 5 feet of any potential collision, he turns his back to the action and often actually bends into the natal position and covers his head with an arm. I have never seen such a coward in the NBA. If you watch a high school team, there will be one freshman substitute every decade who acts like that. But at this level it's amazing, especially from a guy that tall. He was known in college as being too emotional and close to crying, and has a mental problem. I feel sorry for him, but I also know that he needs about 6 years to become barely passable in the NBA.
Olshey and the coaching staff see him and see the work he is either putting in or not putting in this off season. I trust them with whatever decision they make.
So you think that a GM who drafted a player is neutral and objective about losing face to his boss, the owner, if the player needs to be cut.
