From Blazers Edge: The Portland Trail Blazers made trade waves on Monday by packaging a first-round 2020 NBA Draft pick, another in 2021, and Trevor Ariza for Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington. Now that the dust has started to settle, the Blazer’s Edge staff is here to deliver their opinions and grades for Portland’s seemingly win-now move. The trade: Blazers Receive: Robert Covington Rockets Receive: 2020 first-round pick (No. 16), 2021 first-round pick (lottery protected), and Trevor Ariza Steve Dewald: I’m still in disbelief that the Blazers tossed caution into the wind and made a win-now move in Damian Lillard’s prime. Seriously, it would have been borderline criminal for Portland to keep all their picks during this stretch of Lillard’s career. Covington instantly addresses needs on both ends of the floor. His exploits on the defensive end deserve the lion’s share of the attention, but his offensive floor is higher than both Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless. That said, I am bummed about the potential of losing out on a pick in the first round of the loaded 2021 draft class. But I am relieved that the Blazers aren’t going to make a pick inside 2020’s barren mid-round range. Grade: B+ Kyle Garcia: I’m just in shock. I’ve been checking my pulse since the notification came in from Woj trying to make sure I’m alive and this isn’t all a fever dream. I love that Neil Olshey was finally willing to go for it and make a move that actively makes the Blazers significantly better. Covington has been the player Portland has needed for years, and now they’ve got him. While it doesn’t feel great to potentially miss out on a first round pick in the 2021 draft class, getting rid of the 2020 first round pick and Trevor Ariza for RoCo is 100% worth it. This is a great deal for the Blazers. Grade: A- Let's look at it again now that Covington is gone. Covington is 6'7" and now 31 years old. The 2020 first round pick, number 16. "But I am relieved that the Blazers aren’t going to make a pick inside 2020’s barren mid-round range." Taken #16 was 6'8" Isaiah Stewart. He has played and started 68 games for Detroit this season. 20 y.o. now. #17 was 7'0" Aleksej Pokuševski 20 y.o. now. #19 was 6'7" Sadiq Bey. He has played and started 79 games this season for Detroit. 22 y.o. now. The 2021 first round pick, number 23. Taken #23 was Usman Garuba #35 was 6'7"Herb Jones. He's a starter for the Pelicans. He's 23 years old. If you had an opinion at the time, what was it? And how would you grade this transaction now? Joe Cronin might be doing something similar in 2022.
I liked it. I thought that Collins still had a future as a Blazer and that RoCo was MUCH better than he turned out to be. I think was at a "B" level or so... not thinking it was a fantastic trade, but not thinking it was a waste of draft picks. At this point? It was an "F". A total failure of a trade. By the time we traded for Nance, it was apparent we were just wasting draft picks and my D- grade from there is just about what I'd give it now.
I think it could have worked out in better in different circumstances. If the team were better defensively in general. It does look like he's done as a starter at the end of his contract.
at the time, two 1st round picks was too high a price to pay. From hindsight, it was even worse the Nance trade was bad too; not so much because of the pick but because of the total-idiot protections Olshey allowed the Bull to attach
It's funny how a lot of people wanted Olshey to make this sort of trade, then pretended like they knew it was a horrible trade all along, and now they want to trade a lottery pick for Jerami Grant.
I liked the trade. I had called it actually. I thought two picks was a little much, but I believed Roco was the type of player we needed. He just didn't work well with Stotts ball. He was underutilized, and Stotts ruined him like he did Batum. Probably had the worst numbers of his career here.
Acquiring RoCo was a move that at the time I said was a small overpay but I didn't really value picks at that time because Stotts didn't play young guys unless he had to due to injury and we were supposed to be in "win now" mode. At the same time I bemoaned the fact that I was sure that was Olshey's "big" move so that meant more Dame/CJ bullshit. I just wanted CJ moved for good value. I much rather would have moved CJ with two firsts to get a legit star player. Honestly I really wish that Olshey knew that Christian Wood was available for Ariza and one of those picks and could have sold Wood on coming here. But Olshey fucking sucked at his job and Stotts sucked at a vast array of what his job entailed. If we have to grade that trade in the context of what Joe just did with RoCo I obviously give it an F. I'm not saying Trevor had a ton of value but I just don't think Gary, Trevor and two first rounders when those assets were traded got half of the value they should have in return when that return is Keon, Justise, Bledsoe's 80% expiring contract and a 2025 second rounder. I think Gary at 3 years older than Keon looks like he's going to be a much more valuable commodity (I could be wrong) I'm sure as far as building a contender around Dame right now Gary would be a fuckton more valuable. That leaves two first rounders and Ariza's fully expiring contract for Justise and Bledsoe's not fully expiring contract... yeah, that's quite the huge L for our team.
I just saw a random Youtube suggestion video about how "The Raptors absolutely FLEECED the Blazers" about Trent. Damn. I'm glad we kept Ant that was the right move there, but we should have never traded for Powell or Roco without moving CJ first and getting a new coach.
Yeah, Olshey fucked us and then this season Cronin has shown me clearly that we need a clean break from Olshey with an outsider taking over control of this roster. I know we're talking about people's jobs so I don't take it lightly when I say that the entire player personnel apparatus in our front office needs a huge overhaul, I think almost everyone should go and we should bring in someone and a team they hire with new ideas that don't have the stink of Olshey on them.
