So What FA do you give the max to match our new #2 Pick

#91
I just heard on Grants show that Temple may not opt in so now instead of 18 mil cap we have 26 mil cap so with big cuz “not holding a grudge” it might be possible. But again I don’t recommend it
 
#98
2 guys I'd really like to take a look at with a reasonable expectation of not just straight ignoring us in FA talks. For arguments sake, we take Doncic in the draft

1. Jusuf Nurkic. I love the idea of him getting the C run with the Fox-Buddy-Bogdan-Doncic potential LU. He's an absolute bruiser around the rim and really controls the paint on the defensive end of the floor. He's a quality rebounder, something we desperately need and he was the biggest reason for Portland's defensive turn-around this season. Basically all the defensive metrics this past year put him as a top 10 defender in the league. He was that good. He's also an excellent passer, something we can never have too much of. I just see him as a massive upgrade to most of our biggest team weaknessess: rebounding and defense.

His biggest issues is he gets foul prone at times and he gets turnover prone at times and he can't shoot. The FTr also dramatically went down from his first 20 game stint with Portland, which is slightly concerning. I do think we see improvement in his offensive efficiency and getting to the line as last year was his first season getting real run and being a feature offensive weapon. His post offense is just gravy to me though honestly; I want the awesome defense, the awesome rebounding and awesome big-man passing. Fits the timeline nicely as he'll be 24 years old at the start of next season.

2. Will Barton. Even with Doncic, I love the idea of bringing in Barton as a 1-3 flex guy off the bench. I think there's plenty of room for minutes with a Fox-Buddy-Bogdan-Doncic-Barton wing core as there's a lot of multi-positional flexibility in the group. But mainly, Barton adds another good playmaker who can create off his own bounce and is an excellent 3pt shooter, both in the catch and shoot and off his own bounce. He and Buddy would be an exciting bench duo to watch and should give us a really nice advantage over other teams bench units.

Probably the bigger negatives here is he isn't a great defender, but he is physically able to guard positions 1-3. He's also not good at getting to the Free Throw line as he gets prone to settling for the jump-shot a little too often for a guy with his offensive ability and handle. Maybe a bit older than we want for our timeline at 27, but he's just hitting his stride and grabbing a good offensive playmaker and scorer entering his prime to help out Fox and Doncic develop only helps us in the long-run in my book.
I am definitely interested in Nurkic. He would address some real needs for the team. Ideally, I would like him to spread the floor a bit more but for a player of that size, he has very quick feet and sneaky athleticism.

Has some genuine girth (something that Joerger has said we lack many times) and definitely has a bit of nasty to his game. Doesn't mind laying a bloke or two on their backside in the lane.

He is the right age bracket for the rest of the core and to be honest, I think his best is still ahead of him. He could be a 16/10 type of guy for us as soon as next season.

My main concerns are his lack of ability to spread the floor and that he is injury prone (albeit he only missed 2 or 3 games this season).

Something I remembered yesterday was Scott Perry's comment when he signed with us about trying to build a team that was 2 deep at every position like they did in Detroit. Rather than searching for that superstar to build around, maybe we are looking at building a team that is 2 deep at every position.

Either way, if our pick is Doncic, then for me Nurkic makes a lot of sense and fits the profile of the sort of player we would like.
 
#99
I am definitely interested in Nurkic. He would address some real needs for the team. Ideally, I would like him to spread the floor a bit more but for a player of that size, he has very quick feet and sneaky athleticism.

Has some genuine girth (something that Joerger has said we lack many times) and definitely has a bit of nasty to his game. Doesn't mind laying a bloke or two on their backside in the lane.

He is the right age bracket for the rest of the core and to be honest, I think his best is still ahead of him. He could be a 16/10 type of guy for us as soon as next season.

My main concerns are his lack of ability to spread the floor and that he is injury prone (albeit he only missed 2 or 3 games this season).

Something I remembered yesterday was Scott Perry's comment when he signed with us about trying to build a team that was 2 deep at every position like they did in Detroit. Rather than searching for that superstar to build around, maybe we are looking at building a team that is 2 deep at every position.

Either way, if our pick is Doncic, then for me Nurkic makes a lot of sense and fits the profile of the sort of player we would like.
Might as well trade for Dragić at that point and call us the Euro Kings! That would be pretty sweet indeed, but my guy is Fox. He better start next season, no more games Joerger, we have to let them learn on the fly sometimes.
 
Might as well trade for Dragić at that point and call us the Euro Kings! That would be pretty sweet indeed, but my guy is Fox. He better start next season, no more games Joerger, we have to let them learn on the fly sometimes.
I couldn't care less about where the players come from as long as they can play.

Fox is still penciled in as a face of this franchise going forward and one thing this team really lacked last year is lack of toughness (and a lack of nasty) among other things from our front court players. Nurkic provides a lot of what we were lacking and fits the time frame of the team. Would prefer Cousins but that is unrealistic.

I am personally hoping that we get Ayton in the draft and move in a different direction than if we were to get Doncic.
 
I couldn't care less about where the players come from as long as they can play.

Fox is still penciled in as a face of this franchise going forward and one thing this team really lacked last year is lack of toughness (and a lack of nasty) among other things from our front court players. Nurkic provides a lot of what we were lacking and fits the time frame of the team. Would prefer Cousins but that is unrealistic.

I am personally hoping that we get Ayton in the draft and move in a different direction than if we were to get Doncic.
IMO with the team we've built we should not be going for dominant bigs who are ... Heavier footed. You've seen Fox's half court offense and it wasn't pretty. You want a big who can get up and down the floor. You're putting alot of physical strain on someone like Cousins if you want him to play that way.
 
I personally wouldn't max any big in today's NBA like Capela. The guy is getting forced out of the Rockets line up by the Warriors. So why would we max him or a similar big? It makes no logical sense.

What we need to do is focus our attempts on building a really well balanced line up that is athletic, can defend and shoot. Willie is a perfectly acceptable center to play in today's NBA. What we need is an upgrade at SF (that could be Doncic) and more consistent play at PF. Currently there's not a realistic option to max unless we drafted JJJ and paid Jabari Parker. For me if I was paying anyone I'd gamble on Hezonja on a two plus one deal, let's him prove it and gives us a young player that looks to be putting it together.
 
Has it been said somewhere that cousins would entertain coming back
He was quoted as saying he wasn't holding any grudges and the author of the piece brought up the Kings (no reason for him to have a beef with the Pelicans). Nothing more than speculation as an afterthought.
 
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Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
I have strong feeling that Demarcus will be back in Sactown as a non-max player. This Pelican thing to get picks and were all part of the plan between him and Vlade. :p
So a faster version of the Cavs thing only in this case, we won't trade our second best player for an injured IT
 
I personally wouldn't max any big in today's NBA like Capela. The guy is getting forced out of the Rockets line up by the Warriors. So why would we max him or a similar big? It makes no logical sense.

What we need to do is focus our attempts on building a really well balanced line up that is athletic, can defend and shoot. Willie is a perfectly acceptable center to play in today's NBA. What we need is an upgrade at SF (that could be Doncic) and more consistent play at PF. Currently there's not a realistic option to max unless we drafted JJJ and paid Jabari Parker. For me if I was paying anyone I'd gamble on Hezonja on a two plus one deal, let's him prove it and gives us a young player that looks to be putting it together.
While athletically WCS is what you want in a modern C he lacks in area that is absolutely necessary and that is rebounding and rim protection. Despite having all the tools, Willie is not providing that because he is only focused on becoming THE MAN offensively.
 
While athletically WCS is what you want in a modern C he lacks in area that is absolutely necessary and that is rebounding and rim protection. Despite having all the tools, Willie is not providing that because he is only focused on becoming THE MAN offensively.
You can get quality centers for cheap so no reason to offer a huge contract to someone like Nurkic. Plus ideally Giles will be our center of the future so it would be foolish to spend big money on that position before seeing how Giles performes.
 
While athletically WCS is what you want in a modern C he lacks in area that is absolutely necessary and that is rebounding and rim protection. Despite having all the tools, Willie is not providing that because he is only focused on becoming THE MAN offensively.
Which is why JJJ could be an ideal pick if Doncic goes first overall because JJJ can protect the rim, help rebound, and shoot treys to helps with floor spacing.

The thing about total rebounds is like another poster highlighted the other day. Roughly a dozen players averaged double figures. If Willie can boost that stat from 7 by a couple of rebounds per game he'll potentially find himself in the top twenty.

Plus my main point was that we shouldn't pay big money to a more old fashioned big in today's NBA like Capela. He is getting forced off the court and if we have title aspirations we can't afford to have cap space tied up to a player that won't help us win in today's NBA. We can find cheap alternatives to do a job at center via free agency and the draft. So we have no need to pay big money to an old fashioned big.
 
You can get quality centers for cheap so no reason to offer a huge contract to someone like Nurkic. Plus ideally Giles will be our center of the future so it would be foolish to spend big money on that position before seeing how Giles performes.
https://hoopshype.com/2018/05/22/jusuf-nurkic-portland-trail-blazers-free-agency/

So this article which possible landing spots for Nurkic has several suggested offers to pry him from Blazers
2 yr 32 mil - Mavs
3 yr 39 mil Atlanta
4 yr 34.4 from Wash? (too small per yr)

but 3 yr at 13 per yr I do not see as a huge contract, provides rebound,nasty D,fits time line at 23
Add Donicic, 2nd rd PG, Temple opts out, Herzona:

Long-term 3 man big rotation Wcs,Nurkic,Giles
3 Deep all positions

Fox,Mason,2nd pick (Mason and 2nd battle for 2 spot)
Bogs,Buddy, Inman (inman gone next yr-Cap)
Luka,Herzona,JJ (Herzona and JJ battle for 2 spot)
WCS,Giles,Skal (Giles and Skal need to prove worth)
Nurkic,KK,Zbo (KK and Zbo gone next yr cap space)

inman,KK,Zbo provides 3 expirings at trade deadline(32 mil) to get 1 or 2 difference makers for a playoff push

Could be a hell of a year!
 
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https://hoopshype.com/2018/05/22/jusuf-nurkic-portland-trail-blazers-free-agency/

So this article which possible landing spots for Nurkic has several suggested offers to pry him from Blazers
2 yr 32 mil - Mavs
3 yr 39 mil Atlanta
4 yr 34.4 from Wash? (too small per yr)

but 3 yr at 13 per yr I do not see as a huge contract, provides rebound,nasty D,fits time line at 23
Add Donicic, 2nd rd PG, Temple opts out, Herzona:

Long-term 3 man big rotation Wcs,Nurkic,Giles
3 Deep all positions

Fox,Mason,2nd pick (Mason and 2nd battle for 2 spot)
Bogs,Buddy, Inman (inman gone next yr-Cap)
Luka,Herzona,JJ (Herzona and JJ battle for 2 spot)
WCS,Giles,Skal (Giles and Skal need to prove worth)
Nurkic,KK,Zbo (KK and Zbo gone next yr cap space)
Its opportunity cost, that 39mil over 3 years would provide much more value if spent elsewhere.

First of all we have already invested a lot on center position. We are paying 20mil for Zbo and Kosta for next year AND we have three young centers on the roster (wcs, skal, giles).

In general Center is a position where you can get quality production for cheap. The difference in value between 3/39mil center and cheap center is much smaller than the difference between 3/39 wing and cheap wing. We also happen to be very thin on versatile wings..

Then there is my personal preference where I see centers like Nurkic hard to use in the playoffs. But thats just my opinion on him, I wouldnt spend money on any center this free agency because of the reasons I listed above. At least I'd like to see what we have in Giles before we invest anymore on that position.
 
Its opportunity cost, that 39mil over 3 years would provide much more value if spent elsewhere.

First of all we have already invested a lot on center position. We are paying 20mil for Zbo and Kosta for next year AND we have three young centers on the roster (wcs, skal, giles).

In general Center is a position where you can get quality production for cheap. The difference in value between 3/39mil center and cheap center is much smaller than the difference between 3/39 wing and cheap wing. We also happen to be very thin on versatile wings..

Then there is my personal preference where I see centers like Nurkic hard to use in the playoffs. But thats just my opinion on him, I wouldnt spend money on any center this free agency because of the reasons I listed above. At least I'd like to see what we have in Giles before we invest anymore on that position.
On what?

The only reason Nurk is available and not instantly matched is Portland is in total cap hell and they have their cheap replacement already on the team with Zach Collins. Nurk at 13 mil would be an absolute steal of a price; i'd be fine paying him 16-18 mil/season.
 
On what?

The only reason Nurk is available and not instantly matched is Portland is in total cap hell and they have their cheap replacement already on the team with Zach Collins. Nurk at 13 mil would be an absolute steal of a price; i'd be fine paying him 16-18 mil/season.
Wing players, taking in salary dumps for assets in a offseason where only few teams have cap room, maintaining flexibility instead of stacking up investments on a position that is losing value, maintaining flexibility so we could be able to offer max contracts this year or next year ect. To me all those are better ways to use cap space than getting a low value position guy on a long term contract while we have drafted a guy for that position three years in a row.
 
On what?

The only reason Nurk is available and not instantly matched is Portland is in total cap hell and they have their cheap replacement already on the team with Zach Collins. Nurk at 13 mil would be an absolute steal of a price; i'd be fine paying him 16-18 mil/season.
So on 12:01 July 1, Vlade needs to be the first offer to Nurkic on the phone, It may come down to where Nurkic wants to go for the first Offer Sheet.
Maybe since he gets a call from Vlade along with Texts from Peja, Bogs,and Luca he will sign our offer sheet of 13-16 mil per yr. Portland cant increase payroll 10-13 mil per year with their cap situation.
 
On what?

The only reason Nurk is available and not instantly matched is Portland is in total cap hell and they have their cheap replacement already on the team with Zach Collins. Nurk at 13 mil would be an absolute steal of a price; i'd be fine paying him 16-18 mil/season.
Players like Nurkic don't tend to stay on the court for long periods of time in the play offs. Capela has been forced to the bench. If Nurkic can't develop into a unicorn big, then he won't stay on the court and is not worth that kinda money. From what I've seen of him I wouldn't pay him that much money, and if we did, it certainly wouldn't be a steal because he's not that good.
 
Wing players, taking in salary dumps for assets in a offseason where only few teams have cap room, maintaining flexibility instead of stacking up investments on a position that is losing value, maintaining flexibility so we could be able to offer max contracts this year or next year ect. To me all those are better ways to use cap space than getting a low value position guy on a long term contract while we have drafted a guy for that position three years in a row.
Except WCS, KK and Zbo are all enders next year, they are our future cap apace, Giles and Skal are both unknowns, Nurkic may be the only long term contract with known value that fits our time line, If Giles has knee problems and Skal Cant get to the next level we could have a real depth problem with bigs next year. Nurkic is not a "low value position guy" When he provides Defense,Rebounding and scoring and 2 of those 3 we badly need.
 
Except WCS, KK and Zbo are all enders next year, they are our future cap apace, Giles and Skal are both unknowns, Nurkic may be the only long term contract with known value that fits our time line, If Giles has knee problems and Skal Cant get to the next level we could have a real depth problem with bigs next year. Nurkic is not a "low value position guy" When he provides Defense,Rebounding and scoring and 2 of those 3 we badly need.
Nurkic does have some value, but he's not a Rudy Gobert like center, and he's not a Towns or Davis like center that can shoot and score heavily. He's a solid rebounder, shot blocker, and 3 or 4th option scorer. But I have reservations at paying him like I do with Capela because neither have the value they would have had ten seasons ago.
 
Nurkic does have some value, but he's not a Rudy Gobert like center, and he's not a Towns or Davis like center that can shoot and score heavily. He's a solid rebounder, shot blocker, and 3 or 4th option scorer. But I have reservations at paying him like I do with Capela because neither have the value they would have had ten seasons ago.
I dont think you can get any of the above players at anywhere close to 13 mil a year, you get what you just said (a solid rebounder, shot blocker, and 3 or 4th option scorer) exactly what we need all in a 23yr old hopefully WCS,Giles and Kurkic
 
Except WCS, KK and Zbo are all enders next year, they are our future cap apace, Giles and Skal are both unknowns, Nurkic may be the only long term contract with known value that fits our time line, If Giles has knee problems and Skal Cant get to the next level we could have a real depth problem with bigs next year. Nurkic is not a "low value position guy" When he provides Defense,Rebounding and scoring and 2 of those 3 we badly need.
Considering we have drafted a center three years in a row (actually 4 in the 1st round in the last 3years), I wouldnt stack up on that with a big free agency signing especially when we havent seen one of them at all.

Nurkic is a low value position guy in a sence that you can get quality production very cheap on that position.

Our biggest asset at the moment is our cap space so it should be used wisely. Imo the value Nurkic adds over a cheap center is less than how much more he will get paid than a cheap center. To me there are a lot of better ways to use that 15mil/year than Nurkic.
 
I dont think you can get any of the above players at anywhere close to 13 mil a year, you get what you just said (a solid rebounder, shot blocker, and 3 or 4th option scorer) exactly what we need all in a 23yr old hopefully WCS,Giles and Kurkic
But is there any need to spend 13 million or possibly more on Nurkic when realistically he's not the kind of center that we need in today's NBA?

If we have cap space to burn fair enough, but I wouldn't want to see us tied to a contract we could find hard to move in the near future. We experienced that in recent times which led to Vlade' s pick swap and pick deal with Philly.
 
So if Temple does opt out and we have cap space of 26 mil to the cap of $101 mil and a floor of 91 mil we need to spend
the 15 mil some where to get to the floor

Exactly What players do we sign for 15 mil? that would be better for us , we played that game last summer waiting for "offers of bad contracts" for other assets. We ended up with nothing but expensive vets and "mentors"