We got the #3 pick. Discuss the possibilities.

I think I know the interview you are referring to but he seemed open to both. Maybe he helps us out and gives us a heads-up that morning.

 

I think MM said it, but we really need a power forward. Our rebounding was HORRIBLE last year. Grant doesn't play like a power forward.

I wish Siakam wasn't making so much damn money.

How much cap space do we have? I'm wondering if we can absorb some salary in a lopsided trade.

 

Simons + Nas make 31 mil. That's more than enough to absorb his contract.

 

Yeah, I'm just wondering if we can grab Siakam without giving up the #3 and then flip the #3 for something else. The team needs more than just Siakam. I'd really like to get a different center. So tired of Nurk. I really don't want to give up Sharpe, but I'm also wondering if the right combination of moves would be worth giving him up.

Nas/Keon/#3 to Orlando for #6 and #11 and WCJ. (4 million gap)

Nurk/Sharpe/#11 to Toronto for Siakam. (14 million gap between Nurk/Sharpe and Siakam)

Ant/#6/future picks for Brown. (7 million gap between Simons and Brown)

So we'd need 25 million in cap space. Can we get there if we renounce cap holds?

 

I wonder how Boston feels about Trae Young. If they like him then Brown to Atlanta seems like a no-brainer because Brown has already indicated he would like to go home. But do they like Trae?

 

I just don't see it with Brown. He has moments of excellent play, but he's frequently a non-factor.

For the last 3 years - tell me who is who:

ORtg-DRtg differential:
-0.33
+12.3
+2.3
-2.3

TS%:
0.580
0.627
0.559
0.573

3P%
0.363
0.392
0.322
0.366

WS/48:
0.113
0.145
0.131
0.109

BPM:
2.0
2.2
2.4
2.0

VORP:
2.17
2.83
2.83
1.87

 

There is no path that leads us to a championship without taking big risks.

And, IMO, Scoot is far less likely to lead us to a championship than Dame and Siakam.

 

Then answers are:
Brown - 26 -> $31M expiring contract
Bridges - 26 -> $22M contract with 3 years left
Siakam - 29 -> $37M expiring contract
Ingram - 25 -> $34M contract with 2 years left

In every category I listed (except BPM), Bridges had the best performance... in some situations significantly better. He also has by far the best contract.

I know some will dismiss all these stats saying the 'eye test' is what matters most. For me, he is best in class there too. He does SO many under-appreciated things during the course of a game (like Josh Hart did). However, Bridges is significantly better than Hart.

 

You have to be a good 3 point shooter to be a 3 & D player.

 

Sorry if this has been posted

https://www.blazersedge.com/2023/5/...oston-celtics-miami-heat-brown-lillard-simons

 

To be fair, the 2020-21 was shortened and the last two seasons, we rested Nurk at end of season to tank.

 

He does have the best contract for sure. But because of it, I don't think Brooklyn really wants to trade him. He is from Philly (100 miles away) and he seems happy there as well. They would have to love Scoot more and Scoot would have to drop to us.

 

We would have kept Hart if he were willing to stay. No doubt about it.

 

Bridges does have a big hole in his game and that's rebounding. Dame had a higher rebounding rate this season and their career marks for rebounding rate are very similar. And, Bridges has a career assist rate 10.1%. It was a little higher this season, but it's still really low for a 2nd-3rd option

and so that dovetails into who would be best being paired with the weak-rebounding/poor-assisting Grant. That would be Siakam. He's the best rebounder of the group and at the same level as Ingram as a passer

I haven't thought about Ingram because I've read no rumors about the Pels tearing things down

 

The theory is they traded Hart because he didn't want to stay in Portland and he wasn't going to sign here. At least that's the theory I've read on this board a hundred times. Also, if we'd kept Josh, we wouldn't be holding the #3pick right now.

 

But we saw Bridges in Phoenix for years. He does a lot of intangibles and makes winning plays with low usage, but that only really matters when you have other definitive key cogs in the offense. We need a guy who can draw attention away from Dame and run offense through in the playoffs.

Not sure Bridges has that. He's the final piece to a championship puzzle. We need a guy who will first help us get to the playoffs and win a few rounds.

For that reason, I put Jaylen and Siakam ahead of him.

 

I agree, and however you rate Grant, you have to gauge the prospective addition being paired with the weak-rebounding/poor-assisting Grant. That definitely puts Siakam and Brown on the top of the list. Then it just depends of price. Dealing with Masai Ujiri might be like negotiating with Ainge on steroids, and it sure sounds like he's been asking for 3 times as much as any Raptor player is worth

 

I dunno how much leverage he has after this mediocre season and both Siakam and OG due for free agency next.

 

Good list. Except:
Paul George -- No. Always injured.
KAT -- No. Huge contract and he's soft.

 

The Blazers might know who they are going to pick ahead of time.