NBA 2022-2023

[Jim Beam]

It makes zero sense to keep him and Scoot as it will hurt his development, and it also makes zero sense to "try and get the final piece to help Dame win the chip" because that's just not going to happen. Scoot is a superb talent by all accounts, so is Sharpe, we have our backcourt under control for the next 8-9 years and can't squander that just so we can win 45 games. There'll be growing pains, there'll be some awful seasons in the meantime but as we've seen with many teams of recent years, those rebuilds don't take all that long if you have the right foundations which we seem to already have. Scoot could easily be on the same level as Ja (and not have the same character issues, hopefully), Sharpe can explode anytime, then you have Little/Simons and other pieces drafted recently, there's really a way to turn this into a .500 team within 2-3 years and take it from there.

Just let Dame pick the team he wants to join, get the best package possible and move on. Really no other way to go about it.

Agree, although I was looking around for some Dame trade roumors this morning and there were few reports that it shouldn't be surprise if Dame and Scoot start together next season. Don't think that is the best option and Blazers will certainly receive multiple offers in coming days. It just seems like the perfect moment to part ways from both sides.

As you say, Dame also fully deserved to have a say in it. Won't lie, would love to see him in Miami (him and Butler go in my top 5 favorite players) and think he fits them brilliantly. I want to see the East stronger as well. Not sure what kind of package the Heat can offer though.

 

[Sarni]

I was so sure you were trading the pick away for a win now player but you must be elated. If Portland were unsure of which direction to go in before the draft, Scoot falling to them should make it clear for them, as you say.

I fully expected us to trade the pick for Anunoby, Siakam, George or Zion, all of whom I'd be disappointed with in comparison to Scoot. I'd have also been somewhat disappointed with Brandon simply because I don't perceive him to have this level of potential. Scoot may not work out, you never now, but his potential is insane and the idea of him and Sharpe in our backcourt is just so exciting. I've wanted us to go into rebuild for a while and always envied all those teams with young talented players that at least had something to look forward to, now we seem to be firmly in that position.

 

[Sarni]

Agree, although I was looking around for some Dame trade roumors this morning and there were few reports that it shouldn't be surprise if Dame and Scoot start together next season. Don't think that is the best option and Blazers will certainly receive multiple offers in coming days. It just seems like the perfect moment to part ways from both sides.

As you say, Dame also fully deserved to have a say in it. Won't lie, would love to see him in Miami (him and Butler go in my top 5 favorite players) and think he fits them brilliantly. I want to see the East stronger as well. Not sure what kind of package the Heat can offer though.

I really think him to Miami is best for all sides. He can win the title there, he'll be a beautiful fit next to Butler and Bam, they can just offer us all the picks and Herro (who I'd probably prefer to re-route somewhere else as we already have backcourt overcrowd even without him).

 

[JPRouve]

Toronto would want like 3 unprotected firsts on top of no. 2 for Anunoby, Masai is obsessed about the idea of winning the trade (unless he's trading for Poeltl). Portland tried dealing with them but they were apparently treating no. 3 as a throw-in and wanted Sharpe, Simons and more picks to discuss Anunoby/Siakam.

You just take Scoot and try to work it out. Ball is quite tall, he could work as a SG/SF and if not, you just trade him or Scoot later.

Yeah, Toronto was a poor example. I did see articles about Masai being a bit too greedy and convinced that he has a winning roster, though to be fair I do share that view, they need an actual playmaker though and Ball could change their team drastically.

Regarding having both, I kind of worry about their development if you have two young players that are ball dominant and especially when it's a strength and not a bad habit. You are basically trying to change their identity which is a massive risk and also leads me to wonder why you would have both in your roster? Following the draft this year, I'm under the impression that there is a lot of very talented players at different positions, it would make more sense for them to trade back, get a lottery guy, future firsts and/or prospects.

 

[Jim Beam]

I really think him to Miami is best for all sides. He can win the title there, he'll be a beautiful fit next to Butler and Bam, they can just offer us all the picks and Herro (who I'd probably prefer to re-route somewhere else as we already have backcourt overcrowd even without him).

That would be great. Although, am pretty sure there are about dozen clubs who are now contemplating if there is a chance to get him. Things should be more clear in the coming days hopefully.

 

[Sarni]

That would be great. Although, am pretty sure there are about dozen clubs who are now contemplating if there is a chance to get him. Things should be more clear in the coming days hopefully.

I don't actually think the market for him will be all that great. Half the picks in upcoming drafts are owned by Jazz, Thunder, Nets and Rockets and I can only maybe see Nets being after him of them all, with him possibly entertaining a trade there but they won't really be a contender situation with him either. All your typical contenders don't even have their own picks let alone other assets. Lakers etc. will be going for him but would only be able to offer us peanuts.

I do expect that if we don't trade him now we will do something similar to Wizards and Beal in a year or two where we trade him for next to nothing because we will have run out of teams willing to part with assets for a $60m a year player, especially with new CBA.

If we got Bridges and picks from Nets for him I'd start dancing.

 

[SinNombre]

I don't actually think the market for him will be all that great. Half the picks in upcoming drafts are owned by Jazz, Thunder, Nets and Rockets and I can only maybe see Nets being after him of them all, with him possibly entertaining a trade there but they won't really be a contender situation with him either. All your typical contenders don't even have their own picks let alone other assets. Lakers etc. will be going for him but would only be able to offer us peanuts.

I do expect that if we don't trade him now we will do something similar to Wizards and Beal in a year or two where we trade him for next to nothing because we will have run out of teams willing to part with assets for a $60m a year player, especially with new CBA.

And most of those teams don’t have the fit to make it work either.

As Masai is finding out OG and Siakam, the market to get 3-4 FRPs is pretty thin now.

 

[SinNombre]

Bit surprised to see Warriors traded PBJ to draft lower in the draft. Very strange small salary dump.

Who are going to be available for vet minimums this summer?

 

[Sarni]

And most of those teams don’t have the fit to make it work either.

As Masai is finding out OG and Siakam, the market to get 3-4 FRPs is pretty thin now.

I actually think Raptors may be a sneaky candidate for Dame. They showed before that they are capable of making large win-now moves and if they paired him with Siakam, Barnes, Trent and Poeltl it wouldn't be a bad team. They could offer OG, Dick and a bunch of future firsts/swaps, the only problem is the pick they owe to Spurs next year which is top 6 protected and will technically encumber all future picks until 2027.

 

[charlton66]

Bit surprised to see Warriors traded PBJ to draft lower in the draft. Very strange small salary dump.

Who are going to be available for vet minimums this summer?

Not impressed with yesterday's efforts at all

 

[SinNombre]

I actually think Raptors may be a sneaky candidate for Dame. They showed before that they are capable of making large win-now moves and if they paired him with Siakam, Barnes, Trent and Poeltl it wouldn't be a bad team. They could offer OG, Dick and a bunch of future firsts/swaps, the only problem is the pick they owe to Spurs next year which is top 6 protected and will technically encumber all future picks until 2027.

Without OG, the team has little defense and even with Dame will lose in EC semifinals.

If Dame wants to go to a contender, it really is Heat, Lakers or Clippers tbh. I don’t think Bucks can sign and trade Middleton.

 

[JPRouve]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Footages of Jaylen Clark realizing that he has to forget any ambition he had to win things.

 

[Sarni]

Without OG, the team has little defense and even with Dame will lose in EC semifinals.

If Dame wants to go to a contender, it really is Heat, Lakers or Clippers tbh. I don’t think Bucks can sign and trade Middleton.

For him to go to Lakers or Clippers we would need to accept a very, very low offer. Basically we’d need to treat him as a bad contract and let him go for nothing similar to Beal, I don’t think we are at that point.

Blazers should have zero interest in Middleton anyway. It’s only picks and young players that will be of any value. Miami would have an offer, so would Nets but that would deplete their roster to a point where it wouldn’t make any sense to get Dame.

 

[entropy]

I don’t see any team beating the nets in terms of value/assets they can offer for dame.

 

[sidsutton]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Footages of Jaylen Clark realizing that he has to forget any ambition he had to win things.

Any connection to the UK for the choice of chairs? Seems odd.

 

[Sarni]

I don’t see any team beating the nets in terms of value/assets they can offer for dame.

Would they want to offer any of that though? He’s 33 so you are not building a new team around him, you need the team ready to take him and be good instantly. The players you’d want from them are basically Bridges and Clayton but they need to keep both of them to have a feasible roster around Dame.

Miami are going to offer all their young players and picks and swaps and will get him. We will move Herro on for more future assets as we don’t really have a need for him.

 

[JPRouve]

Would they want to offer any of that though? He’s 33 so you are not building a new team around him, you need the team ready to take him and be good instantly. The players you’d want from them are basically Bridges and Clayton but they need to keep both of them to have a feasible roster around Dame.

Miami are going to offer all their young players and picks and swaps and will get him. We will move Herro on for more future assets as we don’t really have a need for him.

Aren't the Celtics still an option? They have picks and they still need a primary ball handler, they also have the contracts to make it work.

 

[entropy]

Would they want to offer any of that though? He’s 33 so you are not building a new team around him, you need the team ready to take him and be good instantly. The players you’d want from them are basically Bridges and Clayton but they need to keep both of them to have a feasible roster around Dame.

Miami are going to offer all their young players and picks and swaps and will get him. We will move Herro on for more future assets as we don’t really have a need for him.

we can give them nurk too. that would be a decent starting lineup for the nets. we can get claxton, phoenix picks, and simmons salary to match. if we can get clowney too that would be great as well.

 

[Sarni]

we can give them nurk too. that would be a decent starting lineup for the nets. we can get claxton, phoenix picks, and simmons salary to match. if we can get clowney too that would be great as well.

I don’t think they give us Claxton. It will just be picks and salary fillers, I don’t actually mind Simmons as a reclamation project at this point though if rebuild is the direction we want to be headed.

 

[Sarni]

Aren't the Celtics still an option? They have picks and they still need a primary ball handler, they also have the contracts to make it work.

Boston’s picks are like 23-25 at best and probably even lower than that. That is not that enticing. The only player they could offer that would be interesting is Brown but they won’t do that. I guess Robert Williams would be mildly appealing but he has only 2 years left and doesn’t really fully fit the timeline.

 

[entropy]

I don’t think they give us Claxton. It will just be picks and salary fillers, I don’t actually mind Simmons as a reclamation project at this point though if rebuild is the direction we want to be headed.

I see claxton being a more valuable part of our rebuild moving forward. I don’t see how nets can say no to claxton as no one else on that roster is a valuable asset in the long term. I think we will dump simmons after a season or two. we won’t be getting anything of value with just simmons and picks.

 

[JPRouve]

Boston’s picks are like 23-25 at best and probably even lower than that. That is not that enticing. The only player they could offer that would be interesting is Brown but they won’t do that. I guess Robert Williams would be mildly appealing but he has only 2 years left and doesn’t really fully fit the timeline.

Is that not supposed to be the case with all trades involving Lillard? He is supposed to help a team win the NBA trophy. You are not getting or supposed to get lottery picks or even mid round picks. The point of those picks would be to package or trade them during future draft nights in order to improve them. What you will/should look at are veterans on expiring contracts.

If you trade Lillard then you are fully rebuilding, the goal will be to accumulate draft picks and flip them. Simons and Grant should follow him out for picks and expiring contracts.

 

[Sarni]

Is that not supposed to be the case with all trades involving Lillard? He is supposed to help a team win the NBA trophy. You are not getting or supposed to get lottery picks or even mid round picks. The point of those picks would be to package or trade them during future draft nights in order to improve them. What you will/should look at are veterans on expiring contracts.

If you trade Lillard then you are fully rebuilding, the goal will be to accumulate draft picks and flip them. Simons and Grant should follow him out for picks and expiring contracts.

If you trade him to Miami and get their picks between 2026 and 2030, they have a chance of being decent as at that point Butler and Dame will be gone or declining (though Miami are always good and can attract free agents + will have Bam in his prime for some of that time). Celtics core is young, there is no chance they will go away anytime soon.

Do you not want him at Minnesota? Though I don’t see the deal there, Dame for Towns is probably not the deal we should be after.

 

[Sarni]

I see claxton being a more valuable part of our rebuild moving forward. I don’t see how nets can say no to claxton as no one else on that roster is a valuable asset in the long term. I think we will dump simmons after a season or two. we won’t be getting anything of value with just simmons and picks.

Yeah but issue with Dame and Nets is that he doesn’t really take them anywhere significant. Him and Bridges is not enough as a foundation, you need either a roster full of talent near them or someone better than Bridges as the second star.

I am glad that they apparently did not want Scoot, Sharpe and Simons for Bridges. I’d cry.

 

[JPRouve]

If you trade him to Miami and get their picks between 2026 and 2030, they have a chance of being decent as at that point Butler and Dame will be gone or declining (though Miami are always good and can attract free agents + will have Bam in his prime for some of that time). Celtics core is young, there is no chance they will go away anytime soon.

Do you not want him at Minnesota? Though I don’t see the deal there, Dame for Towns is probably not the deal we should be after.

No, unless it's a straight swap with Towns. Anything that leads to losing young players and/or picks shouldn't be an option unless it is for someone that matches with Edwards' timeline. The only way I see the Wolves involved is in a three or four way trade involving Towns and/or Taurean Prince.

 

[entropy]

Yeah but issue with Dame and Nets is that he doesn’t really take them anywhere significant. Him and Bridges is not enough as a foundation, you need either a roster full of talent near them or someone better than Bridges as the second star.

I am glad that they apparently did not want Scoot, Sharpe and Simons for Bridges. I’d cry.

that’s why I said they can have nurk too. It’s a great fit for both parties because claxton helps us rebuild and with dame, nurk they get a massive upgrade.

 

[cesc's_mullet]

What could Miami offer up for Dame?

Herro and a truckload of future picks?

 

[Sarni]

No, unless it's a straight swap with Towns. Anything that leads to losing young players and/or picks shouldn't be an option unless it is for someone that matches with Edwards' timeline. The only way I see the Wolves involved is in a three or four way trade involving Towns and/or Taurean Prince.

Please don’t make us take Prince.

 

[Sarni]

What could Miami offer up for Dame?

Herro and a truckload of future picks?

Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jacquez, Jovic plus all the picks and swaps they can offer. We would probably reroute Herro somewhere else. I’d be happy with that deal.

 

[elmo]

If you trade him to Miami and get their picks between 2026 and 2030, they have a chance of being decent as at that point Butler and Dame will be gone or declining (though Miami are always good and can attract free agents + will have Bam in his prime for some of that time). Celtics core is young, there is no chance they will go away anytime soon.

Do you not want him at Minnesota? Though I don’t see the deal there, Dame for Towns is probably not the deal we should be after.

It’s the Heats. They’ll roll out some random G league players who’ll all suddenly turn out to be athletic 3 and D players that are good enough to help them compete in the east.

As long as Spo is there, I don’t think any of their picks will be good.

 

[elmo]

that’s why I said they can have nurk too. It’s a great fit for both parties because claxton helps us rebuild and with dame, nurk they get a massive upgrade.

Nurk is not an upgrade if you take into account availability.

 

[SinNombre]

Yeah but issue with Dame and Nets is that he doesn’t really take them anywhere significant. Him and Bridges is not enough as a foundation, you need either a roster full of talent near them or someone better than Bridges as the second star.

I am glad that they apparently did not want Scoot, Sharpe and Simons for Bridges. I’d cry.

The Nets also don’t own their picks so have no incentive to tank.

They need Mikal and Claxton to ensure that.

 

[entropy]

Nurk is not an upgrade if you take into account availability.

it’s a bit blown out of proportion at this point. he loves playing next to dame and it’s a no-brainer to trade for him too.

 

[JPRouve]

it’s a bit blown out of proportion at this point. he loves playing next to dame and it’s a no-brainer to trade for him too.

Is it blown out of proportion when he has only played 70+ games twice in his career and in the past four years, his max is 56 regular season games?

 

[SinNombre]

Is it blown out of proportion when he has only played 70+ games twice in his career and in the past four years, his max is 56 regular season games?

No one is trading Claxton for “massive upgrade” Nurk. One is younger, already a lot better and more available.

 

[Sarni]

No one is trading Claxton for “massive upgrade” Nurk. One is younger, already a lot better and more available.

He didn’t mean Nurkic as an upgrade over Claxton, it’s Nurkic and Dame who will upgrade them in combination (obviously mainly due to Dame).

 

[JPRouve]

No one is trading Claxton for “massive upgrade” Nurk. One is younger, already a lot better and more available.

Teams would absolutely do it if it was part of acquiring Lillard

 

[entropy]

Is it blown out of proportion when he has only played 70+ games twice in his career and in the past four years, his max is 56 regular season games?

they shut him down a couple of those seasons because the blazers wanted to tank.

 

[JPRouve]

they shut him down couple of those seasons because blazers wanted to tank.

So you would say that there is zero concerns when it comes to Nurkic health?

 

[entropy]

So you would say that there is zero concerns when it comes to Nurkic health?

never said I had zero concerns. I wouldn’t worry too much about his health as long as the nets have a three-center rotation going. blazers never did that and it took a toll on his health.