Grant has already been in Portland working out with Dame recently. Dame wants him on the team. IMO, it's only a matter of what Cronin ends up giving up for him.
If we give up our lottery pick for Grant it means not only did we tank for no reason, but we actually screwed ourselves by tanking because they possibly could've prevented New Orleans from making the playoffs. So tanking would've likely cost us a 2nd lottery pick in that scenario.
I really think the worst that happens with Grant is that we trade back a few picks in the lotto from wherever we end up, pick up a second first rounder and send both that second first and the Bucks 2025 first to Detroit for Grant. If we just straight up trade our pick if it lands 6th-9th I will lose my fucking mind.
I think Murray is going to be really close right away and cost 1/4 as much. I like Sochan, Eason, I'm starting to really like Dieng I also think Mathurin and Griffin are good but don't have the size but those are guys who could help us. There are players like Duren and Davis that will probably be there that are more valuable as well but wouldn't be the best fit for us. All of these guys on rookie contracts with their ceilings are worth more than Jerami Grant. Jerami Grant is not worth a top 10 pick because of the fact that he's a notch below an all star, what he costs now and the fact that he's either a rental or going to cost you even more going forward. I'm cool with getting him for a later first round pick if we can get that by trading back in the lotto. I also think two future firsts should be enough and if we're bringing Grant on board we better plan on making the playoffs so we should be willing to take the protection off of the pick we owe the Bulls. I would be cool with giving Detroit our 2025 first rounder top 4 protected and the Bucks for Grant. I would be cooler with giving them their 2025 second rounder back and the Bucks 2025 first.
I just don’t see how a one and done rook will help this team in the next two years. If you think so I can respect that. My opinion is if they draft and try to develop a young guy right now Lillard is good as gone and who could blame him. New coach and trying a complete rebuild?
I think Joe obviously has to try and do both. He has to try and get Grant and has to utilize a lottery draft pick in order to justify the season we just went through. Grant isn't enough to justify both the season that we went through and the players we traded away. So if it's trading back from 7 to 9 and 25 or 13 and 15 then that's what needs to be done. I think the 15th pick would be more than enough and possibly too much for Grant. I think the 25th pick should be enough but if it's not we should be able to use a future second or at the very most the 2025 Bucks pick to make that work. I actually think we should be able to get Grant with future draft considerations and if we're getting him and a top 9 pick, I think we should have the confidence to take the conditions off of the pick we owe the Bulls and offer the Pistons our 2025 first top 4 protected and the Bucks 2025 first. All of this is moot until next week but then the real conversation begins, when we actually know which pick we have. Oh and Eason isn't a one and done, he's a two year player that showed huge improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Murray is another two year player that made a big jump in his second year and really looks ready for this level of play. If we have a lotto pick and draft the right guy, they will help this team win if they're starting with Dame, Ant, Grant and Nurk.
I have no idea why you think Cronin will be more creative than ... anyone. What have the Blazers done with the call lately other than sign our guys to best-case contracts that paint us into corners after a couple of years?
Have to admit of the seven players he brought up Murray would seem to be the player i would like the best. Still not sure a rookie is going to make the kind of impact we are looking for? Lets see if that can happen? A number of people are saying the Blazers are in a bad position and will be hat in hand this summer. Statements like "Everyone knows the Blazers NEED to build now so they won't have the leverage" seem to be prevalent. Not sure expecting Joe to land both Grant and keep that pick are realistic? It will be interesting to finally see what happens.
As has been mentioned previously, if inclusion of this year's pick were required for the trade for Grant, then that would essentially mean that his acquisition was the sole purpose of the 2 months of tanking. Is there anything about his game that would justify that?
This position they are in is exactly why i don't promote "Tanking". Blazers could have made the playoffs and still had as much chance to land a player like Jerami Grant. Matter of fact if they would have made the playoffs they would have looked better in my humble opinion and they probably would have the Pelicans pick. Now for the customary - "Tanking Sucks And Is Bad Form" statement. Sorry but I hold a pretty firm stance on tanking. I understand many here don't. I simply don't like it at all.
