Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jahlil Okafor Rejoins Sixers

February 15th, 2017 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With trade rumors swirling, the Sixers held Jahlil Okafor out of action on Saturday night, and didn’t bring him on their trip to Charlotte for Monday’s game. However, Okafor has rejoined the Sixers in Boston and will play in tonight’s game against the Celtics, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com writes. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Nerlens Noel will remain in the starting lineup, with Okafor coming off the bench.

When Okafor was initially kept out of action over the weekend, it appeared that the Sixers were moving toward finalizing a trade involving the former No. 3 overall pick. Indeed, a source tells Camerato that the team had been close to a deal involving Okafor. Now that the club is ready to re-insert him into the lineup, it seems no trade is imminent.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, people around the NBA are skeptical that the Sixers were ever all that close to moving Okafor. O’Connor’s sources speculate that Okafor’s absence was a failed attempt to “stir interest” and “flush out” teams’ best offers.

The Pelicans, Bulls, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers have been linked to Okafor in recent reports, but O’Connor suggests Denver and Portland don’t appear to be serious suitors, and he’s not sure Chicago is either. New Orleans seemed to be gaining momentum on a possible Okafor deal earlier this month, but that was nine days ago, and nothing has come of it yet.

The Sixers’ game tonight is the team’s last one before February 24, a day after the trade deadline, so it’s possible that it will be Okafor’s last contest with the franchise. We’ll have to wait to see if the offers for Okafor improve by next Thursday, or if Philadelphia eventually settles for an offer currently on the table.

Nurkic Speaks To Media After Arriving In Portland

February 14th, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by Austin Kent

Newly acquired Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic spoke with the media about his new home. “I think it’s the perfect place for me,” he told the media. “They need me, and I need them.” The 22-year-old also mentioned that he didn’t mind whether head coach Terry Stotts slotted him into the starting lineup or brought him off the bench.
The Trail Blazers will send $2.85MM to the Nuggets as part of the Nurkic/Plumlee swap, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. That, Pincus says, explains why Denver included a first-round pick in their outgoing package. For more details of the trade, consider Mark Deeks of Give Me Sport‘s break down of the deal.

Trade Deadline Outlook: Northwest Division

February 14th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

In the days leading up to the February 23 trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. We’ll be identifying each team as a buyer, seller, or something in between, and discussing which teams and players are most likely to be involved in deals this month. We’ve already covered the Atlantic. Today, we’re examining the Northwest.

Buyers:

Two Northwest teams are currently over .500, and both the Thunder (31-25) and Jazz (34-22) are in decent position to add reinforcements, though that’s certainly no lock for either team. Oklahoma City has already cashed in many of its trade assets, including a protected 2020 first-round pick sent to the Sixers for Jerami Grant earlier this season. With no trade-eligible first-round picks before 2022 and Enes Kanter on the shelf, the Thunder have limited trade options. Young players like Cameron Payne and Josh Huestis are probably their strongest realistic trade chips at the moment.

As for Utah, the Northwest leaders likely won’t want to shake up their roster too significantly — potential 2017 free agents like Gordon Hayward and George Hill would be trade candidates if they were on lottery teams, but they’re not going anywhere for the Jazz. Still, the team’s sizable chunk of cap room, depth at the point guard spot, and extra first-round picks would make it easy for the Jazz to get something done if they receive an offer they like.

Sellers:

Outside of Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves (21-34) don’t really have many productive veteran players who would make good trade candidates this month — guys like Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill, and Brandon Rush don’t have a ton of value. With Tom Thibodeau at the helm, and the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference still within reach, it’s fair to wonder if the Wolves might look to be buyers in the right deal. But even Thibodeau, who has a fondness for veteran players, certainly recognizes that this isn’t the year to go all-in, particularly with Zach LaVine out with a torn ACL.

Somewhere in between:

The Trail Blazers (23-32) and Nuggets (25-30) already got together for one trade this week, and it’s fitting that the immediate impact of the move was a little unclear — it fell somewhere between buying and selling for both teams, since swapping Jusuf Nurkic for Mason Plumlee is unlikely to significantly change the trajectory of either team’s 2016/17 season.

Both teams are within striking distance of the postseason, with Denver currently holding the No. 8 seed in the West, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be buyers in the next nine days. The Blazers would probably like to clear a little more salary to improve their long-term cap outlook, and the Nuggets have several veteran players believed to be on the block. It wouldn’t be a surprise if either team traded for immediate help, or if either team made a deal with a focus on the future.

Team most likely to make a move:

The Trail Blazers and Nuggets would likely have split this honor before Monday’s deal, and I think it still belongs to one of them. Portland general manager Neil Olshey acknowledged this week that his roster is a “work in progress,” adding that the team will have to make some moves at some point. Moving Plumlee was a good first step, but the Blazers’ work isn’t done yet.

Still, the Blazers have the option of waiting until the offseason to make additional deals, since their cap is more crowded next year than this year. For now, I view the Nuggets as the more likely team to make a second move, if only due to the sheer number of trade candidates on the roster. While Nurkic was perhaps the most obvious one, players like Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, Will Barton, Jameer Nelson, and even Emmanuel Mudiay have all been mentioned in at least one trade rumor this season. Denver figures to hang onto most of those players, but I expect to see at least one or two on the move.

Player(s) most likely to be moved:

Injured Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli is a good candidate to be dealt in a financially motivated swap. Clearing Ezeli’s salary from their books for this year and next would give Portland a little extra breathing room (the team is currently right up against the tax line for 2016/17), and a team below the salary floor might be willing to take him on. The only roadblock for the Blazers will be deciding how much they’re willing to give up to move Ezeli. I doubt Portland will attach a first-round pick to him, but the team has already traded many of its future second-round picks, which limits its options.

Of the players who could actually contribute down the stretch, Wilson Chandler seems like as good a bet as any to find a new home. Any number of Denver’s rotation players could be on the move, but Chandler is the only one whose desire to be traded has been reported, so I imagine the team will make an effort to accommodate him.

Under-the-radar trade candidate(s):

Teams in need of a point guard could target a team in the Northwest, since every team except the Trail Blazers has some interesting backup options at the position. For instance, if the Timberwolves don’t move Rubio, it could make sense for the team to explore a deal involving Tyus Jones, since there aren’t enough minutes in Minnesota to go around for him, Rubio, and Kris Dunn.

The Jazz also have an interesting collection of point guards on their roster behind Hill. Shelvin Mack, Raul Neto, and Dante Exum are all on favorable contracts and none of them are older than 26. Neto is probably the most expendable of the bunch, but Mack is believed to be available as well. As for Exum, the Jazz probably aren’t eager to give up on the former fifth overall pick, but he has been slow to develop so far and won’t be starting in Utah anytime soon if the team is able to re-sign Hill this summer.

What do you think is in store for the Northwest teams over the next nine days? Which teams are most likely to make a deal? Which players will be on the move?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trail Blazers GM Talks Plumlee, Nurkic, Trades

February 14th, 2017 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers made a move earlier this week, acquiring Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick from the Nuggets in exchange for Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-rounder. While many pundits praised the Blazers for the deal, Plumlee’s teammates were sad to see him go, and there are questions about whether Nurkic will have any more of an impact in Portland than he did in Denver.

General manager Neil Olshey spoke to the team’s official website on Monday about the deal, explaining why he was willing to move Plumlee, what he expects from Nurkic, and what else the team might do before February 23.

Let’s round up a few highlights from the Blazers GM…

On the decision to move Plumlee:

“Mason’s impending free agency was certainly a factor. We love Mason, we’re going to miss him around here. We wouldn’t have been in the second round of the playoffs last year without him. But there are certain realities to managing our cap. We felt like we needed to get younger at the center position. We wanted more of a low-post player, someone that can defend size, strength. We found that with Jusuf.”

On the benefits of acquiring Nurkic:

“We felt like in the long run, this will pay longer dividends, having a younger guy on a rookie-scale [contract] to manage our cap with it. He gives us a different look defensively. He’s a big-time rebounder and I think he’ll make the game easier for guys like [Damian Lillard] and [C.J. McCollum] because we’ve got more presence in the paint now defensively.”

On additional trade talks:

“We’re active. … I can’t speak to any specifics. I can tell you that the league is very active right now, but what we’re most excited about is having three picks in this draft. I think we’ve done a very nice job in the draft so far, whether it’s using draft picks to acquire players – like we did with Robin Lopez or Mason Plumlee – or drafting guys like Dame and C.J. and [Allen Crabbe]. So we’re excited about the prospect of that. It’s a big-time draft, it’s got incredible depth. We’ll be excited about it in June, but we now also have those tools for the next 10 days to put into play if a player that’ll impact our win total becomes available.”

On how the Blazers’ loaded salary cap affects their outlook going forward:

“This roster was always going to be a work in progress. We have the benefit of having Paul Allen as an owner. He let us retain all of our players. It wasn’t realistic to think we could manage that cap going forward, but it put us in position to keep as much as possible [and] give ourselves a chance to compete, knowing at some point we’re going to have to make some moves.”

Trail Blazers Trade Mason Plumlee For Jusuf Nurkic

February 13th, 2017 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 13: The Nuggets and Blazers have officially completed their trade, according to a press release from Denver. The Nuggets get Plumlee, a 2018 second-round pick, and cash considerations from Portland in exchange for Nurkic and Memphis’ 2017 first-round pick.

FEBRUARY 12: The Trail Blazers will send Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-round pick to the Nuggets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The first-rounder will be the Memphis pick that Denver owns.

The deal gives Portland three first-rounders is what is considered to be a strong draft. In addition to their own pick, the Blazers also own Cleveland’s first-rounder.

The trade also eases the luxury tax predicament for Portland, as Plumlee was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). The team wasn’t able to work out an extension with Plumlee before the October deadline. Portland still has about $130MM in guaranteed contracts for next season (Twitter link).

Plumlee was in the middle of his second season with the Blazers after two years in Brooklyn. He appeared in 54 games, all as a starter, and was averaging 11.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night.

Nurkic, a third-year big man, began the year as a starter but was moved to the bench after a twin towers approach with Nikola Jokic was deemed a failure. He played in 45 games, starting 29, and was averaging 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Denver exercised his team option for 2017/18 in October.

Return For Mason Plumlee Was Modest

February 12th, 2017 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets got the better of the pending trade with the Blazers, Ben Golliver of SI.com opines. While it’s unlikely that the pairing of Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee would work defensively, it gives Denver coach Michael Malone the ability to establish a clear offensive identity across his rotations if Plumlee is used in a backup role, Golliver continues. The Blazers were smart to get something now for Plumlee, who will become a restricted free agent, before he became too expensive to keep but the return of Jusuf Nurkic and a first-rounder the Grizzlies owed the Nuggets was modest, Golliver adds.

Blazers Looking To Trade Festus Ezeli

February 12th, 2017 at 3:20pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Blazers are “determined” to move Festus Ezeli before the trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Portland is talking to teams that are below the salary floor and it may be willing to send draft picks to a team willing to take on the big man’s contract.

Ezeli signed a two-year, $15MM deal with the team during the offseason, but he hasn’t been able to play because of a knee injury. Portland is currently slightly under the luxury tax, but the team will be well over the luxury tax line next season once C.J. McCollum‘s extension kicks in.

The center will make $7.4MM this season, but only $1MM of his salary for next season is guaranteed. Stein notes that the Nuggets, Sixers, and Nets are the three teams that sit the farthest under the salary floor with all three being at least $6MM under.

Sixers Have Discussed Okafor Deal With Four Teams

February 12th, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:21pm: Trade talks between the Nuggets and Sixers regarding Okafor have stalled, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He notes that they could always start again, but for now the teams have ceased discussions about Okafor.

8:58am: Philadelphia has talked to the Bulls, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Nuggets about a possible trade involving Jahlil Okafor, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. He adds that discussions are ongoing with the trade deadline just 11 days away.

The second-year center was held out of Saturday’s game because of the possibility of a deal. Talks with Chicago and New Orleans have reportedly become more advanced in recent days, and Okafor believes a trade will be completed soon.

The Sixers are rumored to want at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. All four franchises involved in trade talks have all of their future first-rounders available, and the Bulls are owed the Kings’ pick this year if it falls out of the top 10.

Kennedy notes that the Lakers aren’t among the teams actively trying to obtain Okafor (Twitter link). L.A. recently benched starting center Timofey Mozgov and would seem to have a need for a young big man with Okafor’s skill level. However, the Lakers are limited with draft picks because they already owe this year’s first-rounder to Philadelphia if it falls outside the top three and they agreed to send their 2019 first-rounder to Orlando.

Sixers coach Brett Brown said he didn’t play Okafor on Saturday so it wouldn’t “complicate things” before a potential trade. The team obviously wants to avoid any threat of injury for Okafor, who played just 53 games last year and had season-ending knee surgery last March.

“As the All-Star break gets closer, possible deals have more of a chance,” Brown told Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. “Although speculation is rampant all throughout stuff, you learn that as the deadline gets closer, the reality that something could happen goes to a higher level. When we get to this stage of the calendar, it influences those types of decisions tonight.”

Philadelphia has two more games before the deadline — Monday at Charlotte and Wednesday at Boston — and Brown indicated Okafor may be held out of both.

Turner Injury Opens Opportunities In Portland; Blazers Face Criticism

February 11th, 2017 at 9:08am CST by Austin Kent

The news that Trail Blazers swingman Evan Turner will miss 5-6 weeks comes just as the offseason acquisition was starting to find a rhythm in Portland, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Turner’s absence could thrust Allen Crabbe and Moe Harkless into a bigger role defensively where Turner had been checking the opposing team’s most potent perimeter threat. In the same column, Richman also discusses the progress that Al-Farouq Aminu has made on the offensive end since being relegated to the bench.
With a 23-31 record, the Trail Blazers remain very much in the hunt for the final Western Conference playoff berth (Denver sits in the eight-seed at 24-29) but TNT analyst Kenny Smith is skeptical that they have enough resources. “I don’t think they have a lot of talent, honestly. I think that’s the problem,” Smith said. Molly Blue of The Oregonian relayed both Smith’s and Charles Barkley‘s reservations about the guard-heavy roster.

Blazers’ Evan Turner Breaks Right Hand

February 8th, 2017 at 9:46pm CST by Luke Adams

9:46 PM: Turner is expected to miss 5-6 weeks and he will not require surgery, according to the team’s website.

8:14 AM: A challenging season for Evan Turner took another unfortunate turn on Tuesday, as the Trail Blazers swingman suffered a fracture in the third metacarpal of his right hand. The team confirmed the injury (via Twitter), though there’s no indication yet how much time Turner might miss.

Turner, 28, signed a massive four-year, $70MM contract with Portland in the offseason, but has gotten off to an underwhelming start with his new team. Turner’s averages in categories like PPG (9.7), RPG (3.8), APG (3.4), and FG% (.435) are down across the board, and as NBA.com’s advanced stats show, the Blazers been far more effective on offense without Turner on the court, with little change on defense.

While we wait for official word on Turner’s recovery timeline, it’s worth noting that injuries of this nature generally result in multi-week absences, so the Blazers will likely be without the veteran for the near future. During that time, players like Maurice Harkless and Allen Crabbe could be in line for increased roles.

Portland currently has a full roster of 15 guaranteed contracts, so if the team wants to add any reinforcements, a corresponding roster move would be required.