IF....Portland takes Scoot Henderson at #3, it would seem someone natural to move Ant (Nurk...Little) to get the help that Dame desires. But what could we get and from whom? Orlando likes him, but they have Draft picks, not veteran players. Will the age old Toronto deal involving OG finally come to fruition? His shooting will fit in anywhere and his athletic ability combined with his shooting is quite rare. If we get Scoot (and keep him) this seems the most likely next step.
See like I said this is the problem is dealing the 3rd pick and Ant -- the combined value of both is worth a Top 15 to 20 ish type player and only a couple players even come close to that right now in Zion and Brown and you could argue those players for various reasons do not. This is such a hard situation the Blazers have themselves in and part of it is the fact Cronin made some bone headed deals leaving the Blazers with not as many trade assets and we can argue if all that falls on Cronin or did other influences factor in but either way this is why deals are much harder to do at the moment.
I don't think Ant and Scoot are a good package either so there would and hopefully will need to be a third team. I think Ant is probably worth a good but not great starting vet and salary filler (WCJ and Gary Harris) or a late lotto pick 11 and salary filler... if we're zooming in on one team.
I am honestly completely clueless about his value. In the past young guard who can score like this would have been worth more.
It had nothing to do with trading #3 AND Ant. This was more along the vein of if they take Scoot, Ant seems the odd man out and what can we get for him as a standalone or with another asset?
OK I see your point but this also assumes Dame does not want out that is the wild card atm we have no clue
I think the value of players like Ant is evolving...and it's not going up. Teams want versatility and they want that wing versatility (isn't that what we all desperately want for the Blazers?). They also want 3&D. Ant is not a wing and has not demonstrated any solid or consistent PG skills, so he has almost no versatility. He also has no D and isn't even elite at 3's. and teams probably look at Ant and do not see a good starting level SG or starting level PG. They see a 6th-7th man. Unfortunately they also see a 6th-7th man on a 26M/year contract. And with the new tax rules and a very punitive new 2nd apron, a 26M/year backup who has no versatility and plays no D is a luxury most teams can't afford now, I'm not saying all teams would see Ant that way, but I think a big majority would. And that will limit his value, IMO
Feels like it's Dame or Ant, one will go. IF Dame goes, I think we should hang onto Ant and showcase him as a starting PG in the short term. I think his value has untapped ceiling and if we're trading Dame we're certainly not going to be in a rush to make the playoffs...
Yeah. I posted it yesterday but he’s a pretty classic combo guard. He’s right there in the Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams mold. We just refuse, or he refuses to accept that he should be a bench player.
Ant is a very good offensive player who can score from all three levels. He’s hard working continues to improve every year. He’s also not afraid of taking the big shot. I personally like what I saw when he ran point with Dame out although took step backwards last year at PG. he would be a huge asset if they used him as 6th man. he wouldn’t be happy but if we traded Dame and kept Scoot I would love a rotation of Scoot, Sharpe and Ant.
Toronto seems like the most likely place to trade Ant ...I'd consider Ant, the 23rd pick plus Nas and Keon and some second rounders for Pascal...not sure their GM would though...he's a problem with Toronto deals.
I've asked this before, re. Ant, and didn't really get an answer... Are there next-gen stat splits for him -- offensively or defensively -- as a true PG, when Dame is not in the lineup? I think his floor is as a bench-microwave, but I think he's got the build and handle to potentially be a halfway decent defender against smaller guards and likewise, a serviceable starter at PG.
I pulled the stats months ago but I had to do it manually and it was a pain in the ass. Long story short, Simons plays significantly better as the primary ball handler without Dame.
That definitely tracks what my eyeballs have seen over the past couple years. I also wonder too how much his lack of defensive success has to do with having to guard bigger guards...
Ant is a good player. But if we can get a similar caliber player at a position of greater need we should do it.
so did CJ....it didn't mean anything. Actually, what it meant was that after a full season of CJ at PG, New Orleans was desperate to get Scoot
