Defense would be a issue. That's why we draft a defensive center with that #1 pick. But my real point is that they need to sell the farm to get LA.
There is no way you are going to get Chris Paul and potentially LeBron James all for LaMarcus Aldridge.
Well, obviously nobody would trade Chris Paul & LeBron for Aldridge... that's just plain RETARDED! That said... Kyrie Irving is NOWHERE NEAR the player that Chris Paul was when he first came into the league! And, LeBron... !? Who's the "LeBron James" that's available in this draft!?
If we dealt LA for the #1 pick, it wouldn't just be for the pick, but for the cap space. Or if Cleveland wanted to shed Jarrett Jack. But with cap space we might be able to sign Monroe, Deng, Bledsoe or a collection of improved bench players.
So, a bunch of players worse than LMA, and a draft pick who may or may not pan out as an All-Star player.
If you figure you can lose with him or lose without him, you may as well take a home run swing (make the trade). If you think you can add pieces to the team and get over the top, keep him.
After having the best most exciting season in over a decade, why would Blazer fans want to start all over? Can't imagine Allen wants that.
Here's the prob I'm not sure LA = Kyrie Irving in value let alone throwing in another first rounder for him. So when I read, the only way someone would move LA for the first rounder is if Kyrie is included, I understandably scratch my head.
He doesn't. Olshey even said so. Yet here we are, discussing the same stuff over and over again. Let's get the Finals over and get to the draft/summer FA period. That's where I imagine we as Blazer fans will be surprised by some moves to bring in a better bench.
The move that makes sense for Cleveland would be to trade Lillard and a future first to Cleveland for Irving and the #1 pick this year. I have yet to see a convincing post on why LMA would sign a max deal with Cleveland after next season. I don't see it.
Who has the higher trade value between Irving and Lillard is debatable, but the Cavs have to add the #1 overall pick on top of it??? Come on, that's ridiculous.
Is it anymore ridiculous than sending Irving and the #1 to Portland for LMA, who won't re-sign there? At least Lillard has 3 more years of a contract, if he makes the decision to accept the Q.O. so he can get out of Cleveland, too.
Well, because it's a max deal, so it's more money than he can get anywhere else. In theory, he wants to win. He's going to have an easier time making the playoffs in the east than in the west. SO he gets what he can also get here. 5 year max, and an opportunity to make the playoffs. If the deal was Waiters, Thompson and 1, let's say, it gives them roughly 10 million dollars in cap space. They can trot out Irving/SG/Deng/Aldridge/Varejao with Jack, Hawes, Bennett off the bench, and a full MLE still to use as well. That team can easily compete for HCA in the much weaker east. Why would he leave?
