Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey informed The Athletic’s Jason Quick that he intends to take a measured approach in the trade market come December 15, when most players signed over the summer become trade-eligible.
“We are going to stay disciplined,” Olshey said. “That doesn’t mean we are not going to stay opportunistic, OK? But the bar for how big of an impact somebody has to make to really make an outcome-related impact is higher.”
Olshey seemed to indicate to Quick that he was comfortable maintaining the Blazers’ healthy starting lineup in the 2020/21 season.
“The discipline comes in that the starting lineup next year is Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Rodney Hood, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic,” Olshey continued. “… What we are not going to do is give away long-term assets that can help get this team to where we really want to be — and where we thought we were back in September — for some incremental upgrade today.”
Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love, Thunder power forward Danilo Gallinari, and Celtics forward Gordon Hayward number among the most attainable positional upgrades for Portland this season. Hayward and Gallinari are on expiring contracts (though Hayward has a player option for 2020/21). 35 year-old Carmelo Anthony has been an adequate offensive fill-on as the team’s starting power forward.
Collins, the Trail Blazers’ incumbent starting power forward, remains sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder. Starting center Nurkic underwent surgery to treat compound fractures in his left leg in March.
Hood underwent surgery earlier today for a ruptured left Achilles tendon and will miss the rest of the 2019/20 season.
Portland currently sits at No. 11 in the crowded Western Conference, though the Blazers are just two games behind the seventh-seeded Thunder.
Despite – or perhaps because – of all their injuries, NBC Sports Northwest’s Dwight Jaynes doesn’t expect the Blazers to pursue anyone on an expiring contract this trade season. This would seem to eliminate the prospect someone like Gallinari as a mid-season addition.
Instead, Jaynes anticipates the team prioritizing moves for players with contracts that will last beyond 2019/20, since Portland will be better positioned to compete in future seasons. In addition to Love, he mentions Pistons power forward Blake Griffin and Spurs power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge as names to watch.
Maybe they look outside the box, instead of going for a star like Griffin, Aldridge, Hayward, Love, Gallo and etc maybe they swap out Whiteside (big expiring deal) for some depth.
Maybe Whiteside for Cody Zeller, MKG and a second rounder
Maybe Whiteside and 2 seconds for Ariza and Dedmon
Blazers should look to swap Whiteside for a centre than cam do a similar job and get back another wing to replace Hood. In the first deal Blazers get Zeller who gives you close to a double double, MKG who can defend well at the 3/4 spots and a pick. The second deal gives you Ariza who would can defend well and shoot the 3 well plus Dedmon who can block shots and hit 3s also. Obviously the Blazers would have to give up a little bit of something for the second but they need to have a roster change in order to get better quickly.
Personally I think you should do the second deal maybe try add Bazemore and a first into the deal for Harrison Barnes, but I don’t think that would happen.
Olshey’s comments sound to me that he is fine keeping the team as it is and if he does make a trade, it’ll be as much for 20/21 as it will be for this season. If the Blazers don’t make a move and are out of the Playoff race late in the season, they rest the core more, take their draft pick (which could be used to improve the 20/21 team) and prepare for next year.
It’s a far from the ideal scenario but with the injuries and what’s available in the trade market that the Blazers have the assets to acquire, it is a palatable conclusion to this disappointing season.
The SASpurs should trade Aldridge to Portland and DeRozan to the Orlando …
Surely if he says I’m happy to not make a trade and wait till next year then someone will be out of a job come end of the season. On a team that has one of the highest pay rolls and stars like Lillard McCollum and so on you can’t be saying after 20 odd games nah I’m happy to be 11th out of the playoffs and we will try again next year.
Olshey is probably responding to various pressures initiated by KLove’s people. Good or bad he’s never been a Love fan, and doesn’t want the Gallinari pressure either. Aldridge left a hole when he left there but it is possibly more important to make an impression on Lillard to be a target.
FYI… Blazers do NOT have the cap space to add a player of Gallinari, Griffin, Aldridge, Love, or Hawyard in free agency. 18M in space by renouncing everyone. Who are they getting with that? FA this offseason is hot garbage.
Gallinari and Love will cost the least imho. It’s Bazemore and a 1st to start the convo. If they are smart they dump Hood with additional pick(s) (2nds). He is done for most of next year in all likelihood and will opt-in.
This may sound heartless, but maybe the Blazers should buyout and stretch Hood over 5 years. Could throw in $1M cash to help with medical and rehab. Then resign in 18 months.
Would save some money and open more options for trades, like a 1 for 2 deal with Bazemore.
He would have to opt-in first I believe. So possible this offseason, I would opt-in for 6M. I mean he is done. Everyone that blows their Achillies has been marginal except for Rudy Gay. Brand, Cousins were HOF level and Wes Matthew’s was an above average player. Hood is an average to below average player so really not expecting much when he comes back.
He can still latch on with another team once recovered, someone will take a flyer.
I’m getting old. I thought this said Buster Olney discusses trade market plan.
My mistake, thought he could opt in at any point. Guess he would have to wait till after the season. Just thought it would help both out.
Maybe Blazers should look into getting Kurucs for cheap from the Nets to replace Hood. Definitely would need to square the legal issues first for sure.
The best option:
– gallo for bazemore + filler + 1st protected
The option they will do, with the right “ifs”, like SA will be out of the run:
– LMA for baze and fillers for Whiteside and 1st
SA would be foolish. A highly precedented all-star for a pick, fillers and Whiteside isn’t happening.
Gallinaro < Carmelo. Not happening.
If they get Harrison Barnes then they'll be a big threat. Barnes to Portland for Bazemore, Little, and a pick, if SAC wants. It'd enhance the PDX roster, and the Kings might like a new young talent plus whatever Baze brings. Portland doesn't want Ariza. The Kings can ship Ariza & Kyle Guy somewhere else for something moderate.