With the #7 pick, the Portland Trail Blazers select....

Definitely would rather have Cronin as GM than you.

 

Yes, I agree Dame had far more open shots due to playing off LMA and Simons was very efficient despite seeing double teams all the time due to being the only offensive threat on the floor. Thanks for proving my point!

 

I think some people see another Dame/CJ situation. Two undersized, ball dominant, non defense playing guards. So if you think that then trading him for a two way forward that better compliments Dame would be a good thing. Then move Hart to SG and have better roster construction

 

If we can get a borderline all-star two-way wing then sure. But for Jerami Grant and moving up two spots? Hell naw to the naw naw NAW, HELL NAW!

 

So who are wing players that people would trade for #7?
Players that might actually be available via trade

 

In his rookie season (2012-2013) Lillard averaged 15.7 shots per game and had a true shooting percentage of 54.6 %. He was 22 years old for the duration of the season.
This past season, Anfernee Simons averaged 14.0 shots per game and had a true shooting percentage of 58.3 percent. He was 22 years old for the duration of the season.

Lillard takes a lot more free throws than Simons, but didn't reach Simons 58.3 true shooting percentage until his 5th season at age 26 (2016-17, 58.6%).
Lillard surpassed the 60% true shooting mark in his career in his 8th season at age 29 in the 2019-2020 season.

Simons was obviously not simply chucking the ball (overall) to get whatever his point totals were.

 

Gordon is a decent comp although Gordon is a much better rebounder. Their eFG% marks are the same

Gordon has a little better 2ptFG% for his career. But Grant has a much better 3ptFG%, a better FT%, and a better TS%

Grant is a better shooter and he hasn't had the advantage of playing off of, and with, Jokic

 

Dame wouldn't like it, but moving Hart or Nas to the 2 and picking up Smith Jr or Banchero would be something new and potentially special.

And yes, although Ant is swell at catch and shoots, I am one of those that without much squinting sees the pointing Spiderman meme when it comes to Dame/CJ and Dame/Ant...

 

I found "your point", which appeared to say that Dame was injury prone, to be kind of bizarre. He's going to be 32 years old, you got that right at least, but prior to this season, over a 9 year career, he had missed 36 games to injury (not rest games). That's 4 games a year. And in the 3 years prior to this season, he had missed 1, 8, then 5 games; that's while playing in 24 of 25 playoff games.

you were acting like his 'missed' games record was a negative, when in fact his played games record was a significant positive factor. He's a durable NBA payer

 

I get it. I was just pointing out a thought process

But since you brought it up, a win now scenario with Dame is better served with Grant and whatever vet two way forward we could get for 5. At least for the next 2 years

I hate that option, btw

 

I think the plan is to trade Simons in the Grant trade and selecting either Bennedict Mathurin, Johnny Davis or Shaeldon Sharpe to go with Dame in the backcourt.

 

Move Hart to SG? I thought he was already there.

Seems like Dame, Hart, and Simons is a good 3 guard lineup.
But instead of 32 minutes for each, I would probably give Hart
6 minutes at SF so Dame and Simons can get about 3 minutes more per game. (depending on how the game is going and who the matchup is against)

I am not including Ant in a trade unless a star is coming back. A star player who we can not duplicate their talents with someone cheaper.

 

I can see Cronin right now working on a trade.

Simons to Houston for Eric Gordon and a pick. The pick is top 20 protected and Houston put protections on the pick that if it happens to land on an odd number they keep it, if it lands even the Blazers get it.

 

Hahahahaha! Yes and if the pick doesn’t convey, we get Orlando’s 2035 second round pick.

 

Starting sg

 

good catch

 

I strongly disagree. I think Ant next to Dame is way, WAY better than Grant next to Dame. I'd much, MUCH rather add to Dame and Ant (our cornerstones) than trade the younger of the two. That's just extremely poor decision making IMO. Now maybe, maybe if we could get a top 2 pick I'd consider it because I think Jabari Smith and Banchero might be special and they are at the most talent poor position in the NBA (PF) but even then I would hesitate. I'd much rather draft Duren or that guy with the amazing measurements and move Nurk who is injury prone and bound to get a big contract. Trading Ant before we see what they can do is a giant mistake. I also expect Ant to come back from the summer and play defense. Ant showed glimpses he's the next Dame and he's only 22 and had better stats than Dame when he was the focus of the defense. Trading him would be an unforgivable mistake. I also think trading the #7 for Grant would be beyond idiotic. Trading the 7 for CHA's picks and then trading one for Grant and drafting Duren or the great physical stats guy (7 footer with huge wingspan forget name) at 13 or 15 and then S&T Nurk for Boucher or another decent 4, yeah I'm down for that.

 

Then I guess I need to find a new team because that would be even dumber than Cronin's other two trades. Trading Simons is a step BACKWARDS unless we get an All-Star caliber wing. Simons will be an All-Star of this I have little doubt. He's 22 and had a better statistical season than Dame's rookie season and he was the focus of the other team's defense with no LMA to take pressure off him.

 

I know the whole franchise and all of us want to pigeonhole Ant as the starting SG, but it's very easy to get him minutes off the bench the same was Miami is handling Tyler Herro. Bottom line, with 96 available minutes to go around at the guard spots, having three guys (Dame/Hart/Simons) all averaging 32 mpg is a fairly seamless fit.

Herro coincidentally is also about to get a near max extension this summer.