Untouchables, Tradeables, and Keepables

[GhostOfPGA]

If you are Olshey, what would your list look like?

Untouchable:

Dame
Nurkic

Keepable:

Trent Jr.
Melo
Whiteside
Hood
Little

Tradeable:

CJ
Zach
Simons
Ariza

Everyone else is expendable.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Dame

Nurkic
Trent
CJ
Zach

Ariza
Melo
Little
Simons
Whiteside
Hood

Hood I don't think comes back from injury. Whiteside isn't worth the headache. Simons I've lost nearly all hope for. Little has promise but is raw. Melo and Ariza I'm fine keeping but they're so old I don't know about them at all next year or for 82 games... probably best to plan on not having them but if they surprise us great.

Keepers I might trade but it needs to bring in a starter. Otherwise yes, they are keepers.

It's funny you list 11 names and then say others are expendable... there are no others; just a few irrelevant scrubs.

 

[GhostOfPGA]

Let me explain the difference between tradeable and Keepable;

tradebale players are guys who can bring back value and have enough salary to be filler pieces in a big trade.

keepable guys are players with low contracts (like Trent Jr.) or vets who should come cheap, and obviously Hood who has no value rn but is still a good player that we hope can contribute.

 

[Mediocre Man]

No one on our team is untouchable

 

[GhostOfPGA]

No one on our team is untouchable

Lillard is absolutely untouchable, he is so important to the organization, you may be able to replicate his stats if traded but no one can match his leadership.

 

[julius]

The only untouchable is Damian.

There are several "I'm listening, but it's unlikely" players.

There is 1 "meh, you can go" player (Mario).

It's funny how fans can go from "trade the bum" (Trent most of last year and a chunk of this year) to "Trade CJ and start him!"

 

[GhostOfPGA]

The only untouchable is Damian.

There are several "I'm listening, but it's unlikely" players.

There are 1 "meh, you can go" player (Mario).

It's funny how fans can go from "trade the bum" (Trent most of last year and a chunk of this year) to "Trade CJ and start him!"

I’d definitely start Trent if CJ got us a legitimate SF.

 

[illmatic99]

Think Collins is being misused as a PF. I wouldn't throw him to the curb just yet, especially with nurk's injury history

 

[julius]

I’d definitely start Trent if CJ got us a legitimate SF.

I wouldn't mind starting him at SF

 

[GhostOfPGA]

I wouldn't mind starting him at SF

I don’t think he is big enough, I just can’t see him guarding LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, etc. for majority of the game.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I don’t think he is big enough, I just can’t see him guarding LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, etc. for majority of the game.

I think Trent will guard them better than Melo or Hezonja.

I do agree for next year we need a big forward, what Aminu or Harkless gave us would be perfect. Maybe Ariza can do that for one year.

 

[Scalma]

Dame and Nurk are the franchise players. Everyone else can be had but I’d rather not move guys like Trent

 

[GhostOfPGA]

I think Trent will guard them better than Melo or Hezonja.

I do agree for next year we need a big forward, what Aminu or Harkless gave us would be perfect. Maybe Ariza can do that for one year.

We need to think bigger, we gotta try to land an actual threat on the offensive end with the ball in his hands (who can play defense at least above averagely).

 

[Tince]

Lillard is absolutely untouchable, he is so important to the organization, you may be able to replicate his stats if traded but no one can match his leadership.

If Portland got offered LeBron and AD, they'd do they deal. There are a handful of other combos they'd probably do as well. Obviously, the other team would never make those offers. So I guess it's safe to same Dame is untouchable for what we'd get offered for him.

 

[tykendo]

No one on our team is untouchable

Dame is untouchable. NO PLAYER is coming back in a trade for a guy who has reached rare air in Portland. They do not exist in today's NBA. We lucked out with Dame in so many ways. He IS Portland. Drafting a "Dame" again, would be like lightning striking twice. RARE.

 

[julius]

I don’t think he is big enough, I just can’t see him guarding LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, etc. for majority of the game.

There isn't anyone they're getting next year that can guard those guys.

 

[HolyBackboard]

No one on our team is untouchable

Dame is.

I don't care if Milwaukee offers Giannas, Dallas offers Luka, or the Lakers offer LeBron. The answer is NO.

What Dame has done for this city, this franchise, and us, the fans, goes beyond basketball. Damian Lillard wants to be a Trail Blazer for life and he absolutely should be.

 

[RR7]

Untouchable is Dame. He'll more than likely retire a Blazer. Not going anywhere.
Beyond that, I think next closest is Nurk, in what he brings to the team. We've been able to see the huge difference side by side with Whiteside, and what we were really missing this whole season. Obviously, you get a package of him and pieces for a better C, you take it, but I'd say there's probably 4-5 that fit the bill in the league.
I like a lot of the other pieces on our team, and prefer tinkering to wholesale changes, but I think anyone else, if the right move is there, you do it. I really like Trent, loved it when we picked him, but if you're starting him at the 2, you NEED to find a playmaker in that CJ deal. Comparing him to Matthews, it worked to have him at the 2 because we had Batum at the 3 who could create, and you had Aldridge at the 4. Removing CJ removes the only other player than Dame who can get a bucket consistently when needed. I'd run it back with minor adjustments next year, barring a blockbuster being available.

 

[wizenheimer]

Dame is probably untouchable for a variety of reasons

Nurkic would be nearly untouchable if he didn't have an extensive injury history....I think that has to be a back-burner concern

Blazers should listen to offers on everybody else, if the phone rings. They should be shopping CJ but Olshey won't do it. I think Zach and Simons are overrated

* I think the Blazers will let Whiteside walk unless he's willing to sign a small, short-term deal.

*There's decent reasons to pick up the guarantee for Ariza's contract next season. He's a decent, versatile, two-way player who fits, and he'd be one of those mid-range expiring deals that have decent value.

* I'm pretty pessimistic Hood will get back to where he was, especially not next season. Matthews never came close to being the player he was before the injury and that's common for an Achilles tear

* I wish Hezonja would go back to Europe

* and, I'll cop to it and eat crow: I was thinking Trent would never amount to much, but he's looking like a pretty good young player right now. If he keeps developing at pace, he's starting SG material

 

[KSF-ERIC]

If Portland got offered LeBron and AD, they'd do they deal. There are a handful of other combos they'd probably do as well. Obviously, the other team would never make those offers. So I guess it's safe to same Dame is untouchable for what we'd get offered for him.

I wouldn't trade Dame for LeBron who is too old and hasn't seen a playoff game in over two years or AD who isn't as good as Dame. I'd draft Dame #1 in the 2012 draft all day every day.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Keep Dame and Nurk. Give Melo the MLE. Keep Trent. Start him at the 3 if Hood ain't ready. Start Melo at the 4.

Let Hassan walk. Let Zach backup Nurk at the 5 and hope he gets better. Either let Ariza walk or renegotiate a smaller deal. CJ isn't going anywhere. Give Little and Gabriel time in the rotation.

Most important. Fire Stotts.

 

[Tince]

I wouldn't trade Dame for LeBron who is too old and hasn't seen a playoff game in over two years or AD who isn't as good as Dame. I'd draft Dame #1 in the 2012 draft all day every day.

I believe you wouldn't. Despite everything you just said, the Lakers wouldn't even consider a Dame for Lebron/AD trade for a split second either.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I believe you wouldn't. Despite everything you just said, the Lakers wouldn't even consider a Dame for Lebron/AD trade for a split second either.

If Lakers don't win title this fall and Collins or GT2 are in the trade, Lakers would take that deal and run with it. Does LeBron have no trade clause? He wants to retire in LA since he's doing all his movie producing.

 

[GhostOfPGA]

Keep Dame and Nurk. Give Melo the MLE. Keep Trent. Start him at the 3 if Hood ain't ready. Start Melo at the 4.

Let Hassan walk. Let Zach backup Nurk at the 5 and hope he gets better. Either let Ariza walk or renegotiate a smaller deal. CJ isn't going anywhere. Give Little and Gabriel time in the rotation.

Most important. Fire Stotts.

I don’t think Melo is gonna cost more than 3 mil

 

[GhostOfPGA]

Think Collins is being misused as a PF. I wouldn't throw him to the curb just yet, especially with nurk's injury history

I think he is a decent player with good potential, I only list him in tradeable because he could help bring in a big talent as filler in a trade.

 

[BigGameDamian]

I’d definitely start Trent if CJ got us a legitimate SF.

The best realistic SF that CJ could get us is probably Andrew Wiggins right now.

 

[GhostOfPGA]

The best realistic SF that CJ could get us is probably Andrew Wiggins right now.

That’s just patently false.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Every player on the team (with the exception of Dame) is expendable and replacable. Dame is our only player who is top 5 at his position. (IMHO he is the only one who is top 10, but I know the CJ partisans won't accept that) There is always room to improve!

As for Dame - there was a time people said Walton, or Clyde, or Roy, or even LMA was "untouchable". Look where that got us! The reality of the NBA is that players almost never spend their careers with one team.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Every player on the team (with the exception of Dame) is expendable and replacable. Dame is our only player who is top 5 at his position. (IMHO he is the only one who is top 10, but I know the CJ partisans won't accept that) There is always room to improve!

As for Dame - there was a time people said Walton, or Clyde, or Roy, or even LMA was "untouchable". Look where that got us! The reality of the NBA is that players almost never spend their careers with one team.

You don't think Nurk is easing into a top five center?

Id like to add, how was Portland's overall play before with Dame, but before Nurk?

If Dame is untradable, so is Nurk, for the mere fact of cohesion and a small and a big as a one two punch.

ala Kobe/Shaq

Walton got a title!

CLyde was traded....

Roys knees gave out.

LMA is soft.

None of these equate to Nurk.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I guess I'll be the first (only?) to say that with his combination of size, strength, shooting, defense, youth, and affordability, GTJ is basically an untouchable in today's NBA.