Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Merganzer
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Merganzer »

Phalanx wrote: ... unless the Blazers are willing to take a bad contract in return.
That would never happen, would it?
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Phalanx
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Phalanx »

Merganzer wrote:
Phalanx wrote: ... unless the Blazers are willing to take a bad contract in return.
That would never happen, would it?
It doesn't seem likely. I imagine there are scenarios...like the one we were talking about before with Parsons and the #4 pick. That would actually have been a pretty good deal for the Blazers. So it's possible. I don't think Olshey wants to trade McCollum though.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Merganzer »

Phalanx wrote:
Merganzer wrote:
Phalanx wrote: ... unless the Blazers are willing to take a bad contract in return.
That would never happen, would it?
It doesn't seem likely. I imagine there are scenarios...like the one we were talking about before with Parsons and the #4 pick. That would actually have been a pretty good deal for the Blazers. So it's possible. I don't think Olshey wants to trade McCollum though.
Score for you, Phalanx. I threw a lazy lob pass of sarcasm up there, and you caught it, and slammed it home. I agree with you, unfortunately about Olshey and not trading McCollum; though if Simons could come through and play up to his potential, his pick, allowing the break up of Lillard & McCollum, would be a great move by Olshey.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Phalanx »

There is talk of Nurk having trouble getting a fat offer due to all the 'traditional centers' that were just drafted that satiated the general appetite already. He may even take the qualifying offer for one year and become an unrestricted free agent.

A lot of fans, etc. are hating the idea of letting him walk, but I think it could work out very well for the Blazers. You get a motivated starter on the cheap (Q.O. is $4.5 million or so) for one of the two years that the Blazers are in salary cap hell, it gives Collins another year to develop as a replacement, while also staving off the luxury tax for another year, which probably ends the immediate threat of the repeater tax. From a financial standpoint, it seems like a really good deal, and who knows but maybe Nurk would end up signing here anyway.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Merganzer »

One of the things that are always said is that you don't want your team to make a move just to make a move. I do want the Blazers to make a move, just to make a move. They are stuck in Status quo mud, and now are coming off a #3 seed season, so 'why break this up?' is the mantra.
Have to keep L & M in the backcourt. Why? There is no realistic chance of keeping those two together and attracting enough talent around them to actually compete in the west. Denver will most likely improve on last season, I don't see an upward trajectory for Portland, be it a 2nd or higher seed to start with or somehow advancing further in the playoffs unless moves are made. Lillard is untouchable, but that's it.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by lukeyrid13 »

Sadly, about 25 NBA teams are stuck in no man's land right now.

- Warriors
- Celtics
-76ers
- Rockets
and probably the Lakers

These are the only teams with much to look forward to. Maybe the Suns if all of their players pan out but the Warriors have such a wide gap on all of the others teams, that the competitive imbalance is probably the worst it has been in the last 30+ years.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by oregontrack »

here's an article that expands on the nurkic/qualifying offer mentioned above:

https://www.blazersedge.com/2018/6/23/1 ... ract-offer
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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oregontrack wrote:here's an article that expands on the nurkic/qualifying offer mentioned above:

https://www.blazersedge.com/2018/6/23/1 ... ract-offer
One revelation in that article that I wasn't aware of was that Nurkic "turned down A LOT of money in October." Sometimes, it just seems like we have a drunk guy at the wheel. How can Olshey offer a lot of money to a guy who only plays 26 minutes per game when he is already up against the luxury tax? It's like when he tried to sign Parsons for the max, or that contract with Kanter. It feels like the only actual fiscal responsibility that happens with the Blazers is when the players themselves turn down the crazy money.

I like what Nurk brings to the team, particularly on defense, and he seems to have chemistry with Lillard. It seems like the Blazers still have a very serious math problem though when it comes to re-signing him. I think you do the qualifying offer and get one more year out of him (if he signs it) and then roll with Collins after that, for better or worse. Play a little hard ball for a change.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by oregontrack »

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2392 ... 92689393=1
@wojespn: Story includes Lakers working to acquire a future first-round pick with a willingness to accept salary dumps for 2018-19 season. Lakers could flip a pick into a potential Leonard trade, and still keep one max salary slot open for free agency.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Phalanx »

Some question about whether to extend qualifying offers to Napier and Connaughton and to extend Layman. If Baldwin and Papagiannis are actually signed, that leaves only two open roster spots according to my count. That's without signing Davis. I would not be surprised if the Blazers opted to not keep any of these guys. I think that, barring a trade, there is a really good chance all three of them are gone.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by oregontrack »

i think i'd let napier waltz on out of the northwest. lillard plays so many minutes, and then there's baldwin, and there's evan turner's one appealing attribute (ball handling) that i just don't see much sense in bringing him back -- especially in the tight financial window in which we'll be operating in. he'd be a luxury.

i'm torn on connaughton. on the one hand, he's not very good. on the other hand, if no market develops for him (a possibility!) i'm not overly opposed to bringing him back super cheap, if the possibility presents itself. while he's not very good he's also not completely worthless, and he knows the system, and he's a warm body. and gary trent, as a rookie, may not be a ready-made second unit guy.

i have very few opinions on layman. we just worked out an experience euro sharp shooter who, if he can be had at the right price, i'd much rather sign and bring over than layman.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Phalanx »

Current Roster:

Lillard, Baldwin
McCollum, Simons, Trent
Harkless, Turner
Aminu, Leonard, Swanigan
Collins, Papagiannis

Nurkic has a qualifying offer. If, by some miracle, he signs it, the Blazers will be somewhere north of $120 million, and right at the luxury tax threshold, either a little over or a little under. I'm not even sure they can sign someone who has played in the NBA before (veteran's minimum) without going both feet over the tax line.

When I look at this team, I can see a lot of holes, but they are holes that Olshey has already devoted many millions of dollars to. I think this is your team next year, and Stotts is going to have to play some guys that he doesn't want to play. Offering the Q.O. to Nurk probably means no Davis, no Napier, no Connaugton.

The only way out of this mess that I can see is to make a trade, our junk for someone else's less expensive junk. Freeing up even a few million is going to be huge. Unless they are just going to jump in with both feet and not worry about the tax, that is.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Phalanx »

The tax threshold for next year was just announced: $123 million. Seems like good news for the Blazers. They have the option of signing Nurkic to the Q.O. and still getting under the tax. They might even be able to fit a minimum salary in there as well (like Nunnally or another waiver-wire-type guy), or keep Layman. Napier and Connaughton appear to be ex-Blazers, switched out for Simons and Trent.


Also, Davis just agreed with the Nets for $4.4 million. There are going to be some deals out there for teams that were smart with cap space. Have I mentioned how much I loathe Olshey? Jason Quick tweets that Davis texted him implying that he wanted to come back. #@$%@#$

I think Davis leaving is another nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks Paul Allen cares nothing about the salary cap.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by greenyellow »

The Blazers' inaction so far is just another sign that Olshey's 2016 spending binge was a huge mistake that will likely continue hindering them for another 2-3 years. No Gm should be spending nearly $30 million on two players who play very limited roles and have almost no trade value. Throw in your star players expressing disappointment in your "moves" so far and I can't see what Olshey is hoping to accomplish.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by greenyellow »

Olshey's first move of free agency: signing Brooklyn unrestricted FA G Nik Stauskas to a minimum one-year deal. So much for getting a veteran with playoff experience.
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