Agree with the 2 year vet min w/ option for 2nd. Also willing to throw in 3-5 mil a year worth of playtime incentives (820 minutes /year)
At first I thought veteran minimum, but I've decided to go with no at any price. Zach likely won't play all next season and clearly would not be signed for the sole purpose of what he provides next year. I don't think its worth using a roster spot to have him as a multi year project. The guy will have missed more time than played even when adding in his college year. He never had the impact of Greg Oden or Festus Ezeli when healthy, were not talking about taking a gamble that could pay off with all star potential. If he eventually recovers his career it will be as a role player, and after playing time when he is rusty and not contributing. That ultimately won't provide much benefit even on best case scenarios. We need players who can contribute on the court or veterans who can contribute in the locker room. Zach doesn't provide either of those, he would be a distraction. We need players who can help Lillard and Billups now or it will be time to blow the team up. Let Zach walk.
What will be the purpose of this option for Zach next summer? Its likely Zach will be rehabing all season, so we will have the same questions and unknowns of Zach production next summer as we do today. Many had similar thoughts about resigning Rodney Hood, but he was actually recovered and playing. Now he looks like he doesn't belong in the NBA. Give Zach's spot to someone who has a better chance of contributing this coming season. We don't need multi year veteran minimum gambles.
Zach at $7million is stupid, the team would have DJJ, hopefully resigned Powell, a new MLE acquisition, Roco, Nurk, CJ. Depending on the other deals, Zach could actually prevent the Blazers from using the full MLE, being hard capped, or going into the luxury tax which would be a waste. If a contract is needed than sign someone like Kanter for a few million, he can play even as an emergency starting center. Now if we are only talking about Zach for the vet minimum, just sign a veteran minimum guy who can play, and those players could be traded if need be.
I haven't even thought this today which makes me feel like a real dick but poor fucking Zach. I've just been thinking about how this effects the team but that guy despite his hands of stone and penchant for fouling way too much, is a hard worker and you know he's got to be heartbroken. That being said maybe he can rehab on some other team's dime next season.
Re-injury happened in December, and he could have possibly returned in May/early June. If he recovers he can absolutely see 41 games next year, and the team can know enough to extend the option or not.
There is no cap space to sign Olynyk for anything other than the taxpayer MLE (~$5.3 million) or vet minimum and he’s going to get more money on a contract from someone else. I’d prefer him over Kanter off the bench but I don’t see how he ends up a Blazer unless.
I said vet minimum but after reading this I can see that may be a better plan so I changed my vote. Blazers will be over the cap anyhow and he could be packaged in a trade at the 2022 deadline with his Bird Rights intact. I don’t like letting him go for nothing because he’s shown flashes of being a stretch 4 who has some post moves and is a good help defender.
Also could package him in a deadline trade and the other team keeps his Bird Rights. If they are going to keep him, the QO makes the most sense in terms of flexibility for trades.
He’s been on the roster too long to qualify for a two-way. It’s only for players with less than 4 years on a roster and he has 4 already.
Trade him for a decent draft pick to OKC...they've got a truckload, just make sure it's this draft so we can add an affordable rookie to take his spot
That’s not an option, is it? In that scenario it’s either extend the QO, or he’s a free agent and OKC can just sign him to a contract without giving up a pick.
Just want to point out that unless he’s extended a QO, he is UFA and can sign wherever he wants for the vet minimum and above.
yeah he is basically a UFA because i see no way we extend a QO of 7M. it would be too stupid for us to do that.
I’m not convinced it would be a bad idea. I’ll be surprised if Neil doesn’t extend the QO because he and his Bird Rights can be used in a trade for salary filler. That $7 million expiring contract is valuable to make trades with teams also over the cap, which is pretty much everyone with players worth trading for to upgrade the roster. Thinking about it, it would be bad business to let that asset go if there are trades to be made. I’m sure when Neil offers it people will freak out but in terms of roster flexibility, it’s the best decision to be made. It’s a valuable contract even if he isn’t a valuable player because the team who would get him in a trade has the option to keep him if they choose to do so, or he’s $7 million gone. Neil needs all the chips he can use to make deals and Zach’s QO contract is one of them. If you let him walk, that one less chip.
QO gives also the player right to veto the trade. I guess he won't, but you never know. I also saw now that since he didn't meet the criteria his QO will be lower and not the original one at 7M. In general it all depends on Powell's new contract and what trades will go through, but I doubt there is any value in keeping Zach even for a trade. Too much of an impact to our already bad cap situation.
He just had surgery if everything goes well you could see back on the court late December or January. If that's the case then you need give qualifying offer.
Collins at $7M will play as much as Ezeli did for his $7M. We got nothing out of yet another player leaving.....a Neil specialty.