Lots of UFAs, especially Max/All-Star types, leave for nothing but cap space and 2nds. Only 3 of the last 39 resigned with their original team as UFA (3 more if you count extensions). 27 left for bupkis.
I think it's simple..there was not a good enough deal available on a team that Lamarcus would agree to be traded too and the deals that were out there would have required overpaying someone who was not worth a max deal and saddling the Blazers with a long expensive contract. I think Olshey wants cap flexibility and no long contracts while the opportunity is there to build around guys that have more value with less risk. Vonleh to me was a coup. We got the #9 pick from last years draft without tanking.
I honestly can say that I do not mind that this happened. They took a risk trying to build a contender with the existing core - and it almost worked. The last 2 years were pretty enjoyable before the injury issues at the end of the year. Can't always be in a constant rebuild. They tried to go for it - and we got great basketball for a bit of time while they also managed to develop some of the young-ones, pretty good imho.
Yeah they went all in and the engine block blew...now they have to completely dismantle the engine and rebuild it
If you do not take risks, you will never succeed. There is nothing wrong with taking risks - and given how well this team worked - and how durable they were for more than a year, it did not seem like a bad risk. It is what it is - but it gave us 2 very enjoyable years watching and cheering for a very good team while managing to jump-start a rebuild when the engine (Wes) blew.
If we're using a car analogy, it's actually more like knowing when to trade it in. With LMA's FA clock ticking, we were like the guy whose truck has been running like a champ and is now at 98k miles on a 100k powertrain warranty. Sure, you've upgraded a few things here and there, had to replace a broken mirror and tune up the cruise control, but the engine's never had a problem. It's Labor Day weekend and dealers are desperate to throw deals your way. You could trade it in on a sweet 0% down deal on another new-model truck that may or may not end up not being as reliable, or may get t-boned the second you drive it off the lot, but if you don't you're running the risk that your truck is going to do what most trucks do right after their warranty period ends and have the entire engine block blow and leave you with no truck, and nothing to turn in except scrap metal and parts scavenge. Historically, the vast majority of UFA all-stars leave (consider 9 years the warranty period for keeping your good players), and the majority leave for nothing but cap space/trade exceptions and some 2nds. Those who are traded generally bring back some good deals.
We gambled this season that a deep playoff run would convince LA to stay. Wesleys achilles put an end to that, but really we were having issues before Wes went down. AA might have helped that but he went down also. A series of unfortunate incidents, story of the Blazers. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
It was a good risk at the time, imo. Especially after last year's playoff run. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
There is some truth to it (even if you misspelled Maserati). When our Subaru's engine blew up - we got rid of it, but I am now rebuilding the engine of my Alfa Romeo race car - some things are worth the hassle to try and rebuild.
You can buy 15 subarus for one mazarati and they'll all probably outlast the mazarati....a car thief is going to steal the mazarati as we've just learned
