Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nurkic, Murray, Wolves

The Trail Blazers are in a tough spot heading into this year’s free agency period, with more than $133MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap, not to mention cap holds for a pair of first-round picks. However, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details, Neil Olshey continues to explore ways to make his team better, even if his financial flexibility is virtually non-existent.

“We’re never content with the roster,” said the Trail Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “Every day we wake up looking to find ways to improve the roster, to accelerate what we’ve been trying to do the last couple of years and make the team more competitive. We’re incredibly pleased with what we were able to accomplish in the draft with both of these guys and they are going to contribute. But until we get to October and training camp starts, the roster always is in a state of flux and we’re always looking to upgrade and we’re always looking to accelerate what we’ve been trying to build the last couple of years.”

While Olshey doesn’t intend to stand pat in July, he also cautioned against pursuing “quick fixes,” stressing that the Trail Blazers front office wants to build a team capable of long-term success, rather than pushing all its chips into the middle.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

  • Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover from a broken leg, but the Trail Blazers expect him to be healthy and ready to go by the time training camp begins in September, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. As Richman notes, the franchise is also counting on Ed Davis (torn labrum) and Allen Crabbe (foot surgery) to be back for training camp.
  • Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post has a Nuggets injury update, writing that Jamal Murray played in a two-on-two game on Tuesday. Murray, who underwent surgeries to repair core muscle-related injuries in April, “thinks he’s ready to go now,” according to GM Tim Connelly. The 2016 lottery pick is expected to be medically cleared well before training camp begins.
  • Appearing on The Scoop podcast with Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that the Bulls initiated talks related to Jimmy Butler, and added that the Wolves wouldn’t have made the deal if Chicago hadn’t included the No. 16 pick.
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