Blazers

[Boom]

So after watching film what specifically does everyone not like about the guy? Or is it that your preconceived notions that were based upon some "analysts" mock draft rankings the primary reason? Or is it because Cronin didn't make a mythical trade that you would have?

Yang has below average athleticism for the position. They drafted Clingan last year. Both players are the big lumbering types and do not have positional flexibility.

Opposing guards are going to blow by Yang in the pick and roll.

While he's not as mobile as Bam, Yang has better athleticism than Clingan as well as Maluach the center from Duke who went earlier. In many ways, the team knowing they'll play the Centers on drop coverage against PNR's helps the Guards/Wings out which is also why we've changed the dynamic of our backcourt to make those drives more difficult. The team also already has a small-ball lineup so I don't see this an issue for this team relative to other areas they need to improve.

You don't think investing back to back picks on players without position flexibility is an issue? It will be difficult to play two slow footed bigs.

Even if Yang somehow develops into a solid rotation player... the upside for that type of player is limited.

[Duck07]

You don't think investing back to back picks on players without position flexibility is an issue? It will be difficult to play two slow footed bigs.

Even if Yang somehow develops into a solid rotation player... the upside for that type of player is limited.

There's no reason whatsoever to ever play them on the court together but the upside of Yang developing is that he turns into an offensive double-double machine with the occasional triple-double who has already said he loves the rainy weather in Portland.

I've already laid out the roster both this year and next to show that needing 2 young centers on the roster isn't that far-fetched so I'm not concerned with the "investment" take. While the NBA and NFL drafts are two different beasts, ultimately its all about drafting players that boom and not bust regardless of the current position group. That's where we're at - waiting to see how they develop while knowing that if we're trading a Center in Ayton or Williams, that it likely means we're also bring more Guards and Forwards as part of the trade.

[dd10snoop28]

Yang has star potential. y'all are missing it.

his skills set is similar to Jokic. he can pass, shoot, score in the post.... that's impossible to guard for 7-2. He's like Zach Edey but much quicker and way more coordinated. Skies the limit.

Only person that I've been this high on is when jimmy butler came out of Marquette.

[Boom]

You don't think investing back to back picks on players without position flexibility is an issue? It will be difficult to play two slow footed bigs.

Even if Yang somehow develops into a solid rotation player... the upside for that type of player is limited.

There's no reason whatsoever to ever play them on the court together but the upside of Yang developing is that he turns into an offensive double-double machine with the occasional triple-double who has already said he loves the rainy weather in Portland.

I've already laid out the roster both this year and next to show that needing 2 young centers on the roster isn't that far-fetched so I'm not concerned with the "investment" take. While the NBA and NFL drafts are two different beasts, ultimately its all about drafting players that boom and not bust regardless of the current position group. That's where we're at - waiting to see how they develop while knowing that if we're trading a Center in Ayton or Williams, that it likely means we're also bring more Guards and Forwards as part of the trade.

Having two slow footed centers in rotation is poor roster construction. Maybe this guy eventually develops and replaces Clingan. I don’t think he has the foot speed or physicality to do it, but we’ll see.

[Boom]

Deandre Ayton bought out...

[Duck07]

Blazers are buying-out Deandre Ayton, so his salary this year will be offset by the amount he signs for with a new team rather than letting him expire at the end of the year.

Scoot/Jrue
Shae/Tisse
Deni/Rayan
Toumani/Jerami
Donovan/Yang

Gone are Ant/Ayton and the remaining big contracts are Jerami and Jrue who are now likely trade-deadline options with Tisse and RW3 as potential salary ballasts in any move or simply veterans worth keeping around for being playable when healthy.

If this team can make the play-in that's a good to great season with that squad at their age. If you're making a move its likely for A- a PF who can shoot/stretch 5 and B- a 3pt G/W

[Phalanx]

This move makes no sense to me. Guess I need to read more about it. I was looking forward to Ayton playing his best basketball in a contract year. Either that or trading him to one of the teams that needs a center. What is the advantage of losing his services and doing a buyout? Why does Cronin keep doing what is good for everyone except his own team? We think it's bad when a player walks away as an unrestricted free agent like LMA did...this is worse - you actually paid him millions to walk away. Either I am missing information, or this is the stupidest move yet.

[pudgejeff]

This move makes no sense to me. Guess I need to read more about it. I was looking forward to Ayton playing his best basketball in a contract year. Either that or trading him to one of the teams that needs a center. What is the advantage of losing his services and doing a buyout? Why does Cronin keep doing what is good for everyone except his own team? We think it's bad when a player walks away as an unrestricted free agent like LMA did...this is worse - you actually paid him millions to walk away. Either I am missing information, or this is the stupidest move yet.

Ya I'm really confused as well. Having an expiring is usually a pretty good chip trade as well.

[Boom]

I'm a little disappointed they didn't hold onto him until the trade deadline. He's probably going to walk over to the Lakers for next to nothing. On the bright side we finally see this team commit to their youthful core. Unless something surprising happens I fully expect this team to be back in the lottery next year and hopeful with better luck.

[Phalanx]

Why do I get the feeling the only reason Cronin did this is so he can stretch Ayton's salary over the next five years like Olshey used to do? Without Ayton, I agree, it looks like another lottery year in the works. Imagine Jrue, who already didn't want to be here, now watching his new team give away one of if not the best player on the team. This sucks.

The only way this move makes sense is if Ayton is out another year, or plans to retire. If he signs with the Lakers for the minimum, then Cronin is officially an imbecile.

[Phalanx]

I just read a possible scenario where this deal might make sense and be good for the Blazers. I have no idea if it's legal, but it is an interesting idea:

The Blazers agree to help the Lakers out by taking the buyout deal for Ayton and the Lakers can sign him for the league minimum. In exchange, the Lakers agree to take on Grant's contract in exchange for agreed-upon players/picks, maybe Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith, who are both expiring contracts. So the Lakers get Grant and Ayton with no increase in salary, and the Blazers get out from under the Grant contract and can potentially free up all that cap space by next season in time for the team sale.

If only that were the deal. I'd love to believe Cronin was doing something smart with this buyout rather than how it looks at the moment.

[pezsez1]

I see this buyout as good for the team. The Blazers played their best basketball last season with Ayton in street clothes. He's a good player, but not good enough to be the the #1 or #2 option on a contending team. I'd much rather see Deni & Sharpe getting those shots. Ayton's biggest flaw was insisting on being a max contract player, but in today's NBA he just shouldn't expect that big of a contract. He was a locker room headache waiting to happen. I really liked him and appreciated his game -- and if I had to choose between keeping Grant or Ayton, I'd choose Ayton -- but buying him out is a net positive. And also this clears the way for Clingan (who is already good enough to start and is a better rim protector anyway) and Yang.

It is too bad that we couldn't get anything for Ayton, but trading him would have made less financial sense than just keeping him for another year and letting his contract expire. The Blazers needed to free up $$$ to eventually pay our young core. And this does free up a little money for the Blazers to snag a rotation player in free agency.

[Phalanx]

I see this buyout as good for the team. The Blazers played their best basketball last season with Ayton in street clothes. He's a good player, but not good enough to be the the #1 or #2 option on a contending team. I'd much rather see Deni & Sharpe getting those shots. Ayton's biggest flaw was insisting on being a max contract player, but in today's NBA he just shouldn't expect that big of a contract. He was a locker room headache waiting to happen. I really liked him and appreciated his game -- and if I had to choose between keeping Grant or Ayton, I'd choose Ayton -- but buying him out is a net positive. And also this clears the way for Clingan (who is already good enough to start and is a better rim protector anyway) and Yang.

It is too bad that we couldn't get anything for Ayton, but trading him would have made less financial sense than just keeping him for another year and letting his contract expire. The Blazers needed to free up $$$ to eventually pay our young core. And this does free up a little money for the Blazers to snag a rotation player in free agency.

Pez, I am not hiring you as my GM, so don't ask. First of all, can we all agree that the Blazers' best basketball last season was when they won 10 of 11, including wins over Milwaukee, Indiana, and Orlando? Ayton not only played that entire stretch, he was the leading rebounder and one of the leading scorers. He got injured a few games after that streak, and the Blazers never repeated it. Ayton SIGNIFICANTLY improved the team when he was playing well.

Secondly, I WANT Ayton to want a max contract, because he would play for one this season. There is nobody more motivated than a player in their contract year, and Cronin has now jettisoned the two main guys in that situation, Simons and Ayton. I get that neither were long-term answers, but the Blazers were set up nicely to win this season, and as a fan, I like winning.

Third, Ayton has a higher fg% than either Avdija or Sharpe. You want HIM taking the shots, because he makes more of them.

It's just funny to me that for years the Blazers were in 'win now' mode with Lillard and kept getting worse and worse over those years. This year was a very clear 'win now' year, and instead, Cronin points the cannon at his own hull and fires.

[Duck07]

I see this buyout as good for the team. The Blazers played their best basketball last season with Ayton in street clothes. He's a good player, but not good enough to be the the #1 or #2 option on a contending team. I'd much rather see Deni & Sharpe getting those shots. Ayton's biggest flaw was insisting on being a max contract player, but in today's NBA he just shouldn't expect that big of a contract. He was a locker room headache waiting to happen. I really liked him and appreciated his game -- and if I had to choose between keeping Grant or Ayton, I'd choose Ayton -- but buying him out is a net positive. And also this clears the way for Clingan (who is already good enough to start and is a better rim protector anyway) and Yang.

It is too bad that we couldn't get anything for Ayton, but trading him would have made less financial sense than just keeping him for another year and letting his contract expire. The Blazers needed to free up $$$ to eventually pay our young core. And this does free up a little money for the Blazers to snag a rotation player in free agency.

Grant as an outside shooter has at least 1 major skill that Ayton seemingly lacks for playoff basketball at least. From reports it sounds like the Blazers were adamant about not taking on additional bad salary so it sounds like they'll accept his hit this year and not push it into the future when they'll want to resign Toumani and Deni. If they can get Toumani to resign this offseason its a major win for Joe because if he waits until the following year he'd be a restricted free agent and could make double what this years extension would pay (something around 4/87 vs max of 4/247).

The move is what it is. We traded for Ayton because we wanted to get off of Nurk's contract with the Dame trade and we got an All-NBA defender at Forward out of the deal. By not taking on any bad contracts for Ayton's expiring it creates the possibility of adding a bad contract for Grant now, be it an expiring package like with Rui/LA (if they can get Knecht out of it - yes) or another team.

[pezsez1]

One thing I'll say about Grant... I do think he's better than he showed last year. I think he checked out a bit. I'm not sure if he'll be a starter, but he's still a great guy to have in the rotation. Would be better if they could move him, but at least he has a role on the team if he stays.

Also, his Instagram is amazing. The dude clearly loves Portland.