@MM IMHO, the goal is to be a top 4 in the west team next year - not an easy task. After being down on Vonleh all this year, I now believe his effectiveness was limited by playing with people who suck. Now that he's playing with Nurk, he's playing much better, and I'm pro-Vonleh. So, I see our lineup looking like this: Dame/xxx CJ/xxx xxx/xxx Vonleh/Davis Beast/xxx While I'm Bullish on Vonleh, I'm down on everyone else - they're all trade bait, Turner included. That's a lot of xxx's to fill in before I can say that we're a top 4 team. This is my long-winded way of saying that yes, it's way too early.
Ed Davis was my favorite Blazers last year. This year, not so much. I've been beating the Kyle O'Quinn drum in the PF: number 1 priority this summer thread, and I'd go all in to get him to back up both Nurkic and Vonleh. I think the three of them would give us the STRONGEST front court (not necessarily the best) in the NBA. O'Quinn is an elite rebounder and a truly elite rim protector, has a very good midrange jumpshot and is a very underrated passer. Plus, he's cheap and not getting minutes in NY behind Porzingas and Hernangomez. He's the same age as Dame and locked up for another year on his current contract. Like Nurkic, he's underutilized in his current situation, playing behind the future of the franchise. Seems like a classic Olshey target. Whatever draft pics we don't trade, I'd use on a SF of the Future and a cheaper Crabbe replacement. Maybe they could even be the same player. BNM
Yeah, no way am I suggesting trading Vonleh. I have renewed enthusiasm that we might already have our PF of the Future. In the other thread, I was suggesting CLE's pick + Ezeli's nearly expiring contract for O'Quin plus filler. We've seen how much of a difference playing with Nurk has made for Vonleh. O'Quinn would give us another big, strong physical player to pair with Vonleh, and because O'Quinn shoots well from 16' to 3-point distance, and is a very good passer, he'd also make a great Vonleh back up playing next to Nurk. Remember when we kept saying we need a rim protector: Kyle O'Quinn - 6.7 BLK% Jusuf Nurkic (Blazers) - 5.6 BLK% To put that in perspective: Rudy Gobert - 6.3 BLK% Miles Turner - 5.9 BLK% Anthony Davis - 5.1 BLK% Hassan Whiteside - 5.0 BLK% Imagine how good our interior defense would be always having one of those two patrolling the paint. Imagine how good it would be when they are BOTH on the floor. They would have the paint on lock down. BNM
OK, you sold me on Kyle O'Quinn. I would rather use a first round pick trading for him (and filler to make salaries work) than on anyone in the draft. Twist my arm and I will even throw in Leonard or Davis. O’Quinn is ready to go, a win now player. Plus, he has played with Harkless. They had a nice connection in Orlando.
He's wasting away behind Porzingis and Hernangomez in NYK (like Nurkic was in DEN behind Jokic). He was supposedly being shopped at the deadline. So, NYK definitely doesn't consider him part of their future. After spending ridiculous amounts on old players Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee, they need an infusion of youth. Give them the CLE pick and Ezili for O'Quinn and filler. It's not a blockbuster trade, but works for both teams and the kind of value deal Olshey has made his trademark. BNM
Realistically we cant afford him anyhow. But there was a point where many felt we needed a major upgrade like that and I was almost on board.
