Speaker 1: What is up? Fela Siko's I am damn Valley coming
at you with to one the only this certified fantabulous,
mister Grant. Use the off season look ahead train continues.
After a brief respite for Finals basketball slash, the Orlando
Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies just going insane during set finals,
we're onto the Portland Trailblazers, who the not so secretly
stacked anymore Portland Trailblazers, Grant, you remember that video we
recorded last offseason. They called us mad men, only for
us to just beat right like Alan.
Speaker 2: Some aggressive back patting over here. We got it. We
did it, Hey, look at us, we did it.
Speaker 1: I honestly dislocated my shoulder twice patting myself on the back.
So off worth it. So my question to kind of
start off here, Grant, before we dig into their cap sheet,
could the Blazers just be the NBA's biggest wildcard of
the off season? And they don't have my justifications of this, No,
they're not. They don't have a Kevin Durant or a
Yiannis to trade, but they've already shown that as a
team that's quote unquote rebuilding they're not afraid to give
up future draft equity. They did that with Denny Avdia
last year. They were a top five defense and played
five hundred basketball for basically half of the season last year.
And then the other thing that I don't think is
being talked about enough, at least not you know where
we exist on the national level. Joe Cronin and Chauncey
Billups got extensions, so that implies security. But with the
franchise up for sale, could there just be pressure to
get better so that it increases the price tag or
the appeal of this franchise. And so when you have
all of that in one hand, and then the knowledge
that they just have all these kind of movable contracts
or good salary matching stuff, they have first round picks,
so the commitment to Chicago's a little awkward. Will get
into that. Do you think that there's a chance that
this is like a team that could I think we're
in for the most craziest offseason ever. Some people are saying,
but like, is this a team that sort of built
to shock and surprise this summer?
Speaker 2: I think it is, because it's this is the core
question is very much for me, is very much related
to everything you just talked about and their whole like
wild card status. It's like, what as an organization do
you make of that closing run where the defense looked great?
I think depending on where you cut it off, it's
like they were twenty three and eighteen or something like
that down you know, down the stretch or there was
a stretch in the closing run that was slightly better
than five hundred, But it was critically fueled by the
young guys, like they were playing the younger players. It
wasn't like it was like Jeremy Grant led this charge down.
So like, what do you take from that as Portland?
And then how does that inform your plans? And I
think the answer for me right now is I don't know,
because I did Portland is like the King of the
was that real? Like the March April run, Like it's
Jalen Green has the crown for that. But it's like
Anthony Simons has done it, Scoot has kind of done it.
Now They've had these runs against teams that are like
quitting or whatever. So it's just like this is a
very Portland thing to be talking about, and so maybe
they should be very on guard for not and to
make sure they don't like overestimate what this closing run means.
But the fact that it happened and the fact that
it was the young guys fueling it, I think puts
everything we're going to talk about on the table, whether
that's salary dumps, whether that's extensions for some of these
young guys, whether it's consolidation trades, like, it's just all
kind of there. So they the Blazers are weirdly like
a centerpiece offensive team, except I don't know, like what
what types of deals they're even interested in at this point.
Speaker 1: They I want them to just be like they honest
team like this, wouldn't that be Yeah, that'd be so fun.
Let's get in. Do you want to take us through there?
Just sort of off season vitals as we like to
call them around here.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So they've got about eleven point eight just call
it twelve million under the tax no rant, Okay, I'll
be more precise going forwards, seventeen point eight million beneath
the first apron. That includes the capital they have for
what will be the number eleven pick in the twenty
twenty five draft. They can use most of the fourteen
point one the full mid level without entering the tax.
So their draft pick situation a little complicated. They've got
a lottery protected first O to Chicago, but they can trade.
This is the important thing to remember as we're trying
to put stuff together. Up to four first rounders this summer.
They have those swap rights with the Bucks from twenty
eight through twenty thirty essentially, so fairly asset rich pickwise.
We'll talk about some of the contracts that they can move.
There's quite a few. There's some expirings that are interesting,
of varying size depending on how big of a deal
you're looking at. So decent financial position, decent flexibility, good
pick equity. This is all just like the snowball rolling
down the transaction hill. I guess right, they got to
do something.
Speaker 1: Right, and I would agree, and I think what is
kind of the place to start is to look at
some of the contract decisions of their role that they
have to make to do make these extensions. Are these
players keepers because do you need to include them in
certain trades? What is the view of them. I'm going
to pre emble this by saying we are not covering
the extension eligibility of DeAndre and Robert Williams. The third
orbitiz thigh, But like, that's just if you're extending any
one of those. I love, you know, I'm r W
three pilled, but that dude needs to stay on the court.
Before I'm talking about an extension, I think the most
important one would be shade and sharp. He is extension eligible.
Now this is just for reference. I'm not making any predictions.
His four year max would be one hundred and ninety
point five million, his five year max would be two
hundred and forty six point seven million. They could include
language that would bump that up to ninety six, like
the you know, the All NBA special grant. How much
is he worth to you? And like what is the
number that is? I don't know if you're if it's
your walk away point or you're pouncing out however you
want to frame it. I just should we just wait
for a stricted free agency to see one how he's doing,
two how the Blazers themselves are doing. And also we
know that we just haven't seen restricted free agency offer.
She's just offered in high volume. So you can either
let the market set his rate and match or just
know that you maintain flexibility and you could just sign
him then.
Speaker 2: So I think if there's an extension offer that Portland
is willing to make, it's probably one that Sharp wouldn't accept.
And I think that's because if it's me, I'm looking
at the Jalen Green extension and I'm saying it's got
to be like seventy five percent of that tops, just
because they have just like from ten thousand feet similar
player types. And you have less information about Sharp because
he played thirty two games two years ago and wasn't
he and has not been like a locked in full
time starter basically ever. So I mean, he started fifty
two of seventy two last year, so you have it's
just eight last year's age twenty one season. Like I
it's got to be restricted free agency. I don't so
if it's like we'll do a two Jalen Green example,
two plus one eighty million dollars, he's not taking that.
I don't think. I just I would be shocked. So
I think the Blazers would be right to just kind
of acknowledge we need more information, especially if we think
we're gonna be like a little bit more competitive. What
does shade and sharp, look like in year four on
a team that is going to need him to defend
and need him to be a better three point shooter
and need him to be a better playmaker like all
that stuff that. I mean, there's a world where the
numbers you've got up here, four for one to ninety seems,
you know, it seems beyond insane right now. But like
maybe he has a great fourth year and it matters
to the Blazers, and the Blazers are good, and it's
like both sides are happy with that. So I think
restricted free agency is the way to go, which is
anti climactic because we're talking about his extension helgibility right now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I guess I'm just be curious, like what
is the just because he's, like you said, played thirty
two games a season ago, he hasn't had like the
cleanest the dude can score and the type we all
know about the above the rim stuff, but the types
of shots he's able to get off and sometime sometimes
makes are insane. And then when you also watch him,
he can make those tough shots, but you don't feel
like he ever is gonna need to dominate the ball.
So I'm just like, I don't know, Like does he
get what did Jalen Suggs get That was too low?
Five years and one fifty So Jalen Green got three years.
Speaker 2: In one hundred one hundred. Yeah, So like.
Speaker 1: Would you go four for one thirty? Like does that
get him to sign? No?
Speaker 2: Oh, he might sign, he might sign that. I'm not
offering that if I'm Portland. No way, I'm I'm I'm
way under one hundred, Like I'm way under if it's
I'm doing three years and maybe I want a team
like I'm trying to I'm low balling honestly if I'm
Portland because I don't think I don't think he's shown enough.
I'm not saying you won't, but just at the moment
right now, you can't treat him like, oh, he's absolutely
a core piece. I would be curious what Portland fans
would say to that, Like there's probably some percentage that
are like, oh, yeah, he's you lock him up for
whatever you can, But I think most Portland fans would say, like,
there are at least enough questions here to where it
would be nice to have another year of information.
Speaker 1: I agree that I'd wait for restricted free agency. I
do think four years and one hundred and twenty would
if I'm Portland, probably gets me thinking I'm not a lie,
so sharp should take that. The other another extension eligible
candidate Tamani Kamara, and he's fascinating just because as a
second round pick, there's some different options they can use
he's eligible of starting. I think it's like July twenty
if or something four years and eighty nine point two
million dollars that extension would kick in during twenty twenty seven,
twenty twenty eight, I believe, and so, but you could
also go the route of he has those like two
cheap years, So it's like, do you let him play
out this season, then decline his team option next summer,
let him enter restricted free agency where you would have
matching rights, and then sort of just pay him. Then
I think you've got a Well, just can we start
with if you're Portland, would you just offer four for
eighty nine?
Speaker 2: Like? Is he worth that?
Speaker 1: Maybe?
Speaker 2: Is the better question? Would you be willing to pay
four for eighty nine for a guy that just kind
of looks like he's a thirty seven percent three point
shooter as an all defense guy that can guard everybody
is that. Is that a fair market value? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I think that's fair.
Speaker 2: I think so too. Just a question of timing. It's
a question of timing and do you do you want
to have another cheap year if you can, do you?
And I think if if you don't do anything now,
the move is absolutely to just game it. So he
becomes a restricted free agent after this season, and and
that's and then and then you just maybe you might
get him cheaper because who knows what the market is
gonna gonna offer for a play. He's like, he's never
gonna be a twenty point guy, right, Like he's never
gonna be a more than like a like a what
option on offense? Fourth maybe, and like he might just
be an elite three and D with emphasis on the defense.
So those guys get paid. But but I I it's
very difficult to gauge what kind of offers he might
command as a restricted free agent. I would be willing
to find out if I were Portland.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think yeah. Do you think he would sign
four in eighty nine?
Speaker 2: He would, right, I think he would have to, yeah, yeah,
because he's already twenty. This season coming up will be
his age twenty five season, so like the clock he's
you know, you might want to and he's only had
second round money so far, so like that first big payday,
that's the like the life changer. You probably want to
jump with that if you're him.
Speaker 1: I think the most like the riskiest scenario would be
what we just want him like cost control for the
next two years, and so we're just gonna let his
float until he's actually a free agent, would be h
that'd be interesting.
Speaker 2: I'm not doing that. I will not let him get
to unrestricted free agency.
Speaker 1: The final extension was well, Kennedy, we're gonna talk about
and I actually think he's more interesting following the Desmond
bain trade. You want to talk to Anthony Simon's great.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he is extension eligible because if you if you blink,
like everybody is, which is the most bizarre thing. It's
just here, it's always shocking who's extension eligible. He can
start signed for a starting salary on a max deal
of thirty seven point eight million. He but like he's
been the guy we've all been trying to trade forever,
uh to Orlando specifically, to Orlando specifically, So that's off
the table. So I guess you just you just maxim
and just say like, so, well, maybe maybe he'll be
traded that. I mean, part of the reason he was
in addition to the skill set was that, like his
deal was movable. What was it twenty five a year? Basically,
Uh so I don't have I should have it in
front of me.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think next season he's on the books for
it because it was I believe it was upscaleing. He's
on the books for twenty.
Speaker 2: Seven seven, twenty seven to seven, so coming off his
so he'll be twenty six. I just like he's said,
he is a weirdly hard player to evaluate, just because.
Speaker 1: Just the same money if it was four for one
hundred again, is that where you're out, Like, would you
I do that?
Speaker 2: I would do that again. I think I might be
a little offended if I were him, just because it's
like I'm now entering my my prime and U or
I guess he's probably already entered it. But the next
deal will take him through his trime basically, and with
the cap going up, you're basically cutting you're offering him
a pay cut, which he's done. You know, he's just
Anony Simons has been Anthony Simons this whole time.
Speaker 1: Okay, four for one four, so it's twenty six million
dollars year.
Speaker 2: I would offer that. I think he's movable at that
number is really the main reason I still don't. Well,
what do you think do you think Simons is someone
that Portland should view as like a key piece with
with having scooed on the roster and you have Shaden
Sharp that you've got to think about, is he still
someone that's like more than a third guard? You know,
a year or two from now.
Speaker 1: I don't know. And because I don't know, I think
I lean towards keeping him because right now, who is
the player that has the combination of on and off
ball gravity that he does as a shooter. There's nobody
else on this roster that does that. And I think
also he's in the final year of his deal. I
bet you'd get first a first round pick for him.
If you want to get more than that, you're probably
looking at like you're taking on a KCP type deal.
Nothing like too toxic, but it's not a contract you're
chomping at the bit to have on your books, Like
wouldn't he be unless the extensions outrageous where it's like
forty million dollars a year or something. Isn't there a
case for me that he would be more valuable to
you as a trade asset as well if he's on
a longer contract.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, for sure, because otherwise he's a rental and
that those guys just don't return the same value. I
think two, I think I'm with you if I'm hearing
what you're saying, Like you extend him to preserve the asset,
like we like to say, and like make you know
that's a big number that you not big, but like
a big enough number that you could use in a trade.
And he's more valuable if he's got more years on
the deal. Is there a case to be made that
with a Portland team that presumably is gonna have Donovan
Klinging playing more and maybe maybe being like one of
those elite defensive anchors in the middle that has a
lot of minutes going to guys like Kamara and out
Ovdia and maybe Tybole plays a lot more. A player
likes Simon's whose weaknesses are on defense, like and Who's
whose strengths on offense are really badly needed on a
roster like this, he might is there is there value
like in He's just no, he's a piece that we
need around because of what he does and because of
how we can hide his deficiencies.
Speaker 1: I think unless Shandon Sharp and Scoot, I think you're
thrown here to take like more leaps as offensive players.
I honestly think, like that's the call right now, because
you can even say, well until they acquire somebody who
does what Simon's does at a higher level, and it's well,
it's not just that, like you need more than like
one like dead eye shooter on this team, and you
just don't really like, yeah, there are guys that hit
them at a high enough clip, but no one is
being guarded the way that Anthony Simons would do. And
so ideally you want two of those guys. And when
you look at the roster, if you had a bet
on anyone, who's there turning into that Like that wasn't
even Scoot's profile coming into the league when everyone was
highest on him. So Shandon Sharp is probably your next
best bet there. I think you're onto something to where
it's all right, he's not no, not an untouchable member
of the core. I don't even know if the Blazers
have any truly untouchable players, to be honest to Monty
Kamara because of the value. But like, if we're getting
down to prea, I don't know that they have any
untouchable players. But I look at this and say, if
they're not trying to tank, like, they need Anthony Simons
because he's he does stuff that nobody else on this
team has shown they can do consistently. And it's like,
I know his percentages can wax and wane. The way
he's guarded is just fundamentally different than a lot of
other players on this team.
Speaker 2: Very true, and this is a specific example of what
we talked about up front of like if you said,
if they are not going to tank, like I don't
think they're tanking, and that means that they sort of
believe that they're close to the season was real And
if that's true and you want to be as good
or better, Simons sort of needs to still be there.
Speaker 1: Hey, what you're just like teeing us up with great
segues here. So look, well, I think the biggest question is,
so what do you think they will do or should
do this offseason when it comes to the transaction market.
Is it, are you, I would call them, I think
you boil it down to are you just looking to
maybe cut off some of the veteran salaries so that
you can open up even more minutes for maybe some
inbound youngsters or flyers that you take, or you being
more let's not say aggressive buyers, but opportunistic buyers to
where it's like the dendiovdia situation is that you're it's not, oh,
it falls into our lap. They actively sought out that situation.
So it was opportunistic, but it was like an aggressive opportunism.
But they're not the team that it's No, then you
need to go give up four first round picks for
Kevin Durant right now.
Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. And really, if you look
at like the way that their roster is structured and
the payroll looks, it's like they are kind of more
like they've got that massive expose. What's eight in making
thirty five in the last year of his deal, and
you've got Simons if they don't extend him, that's at
twenty seven in the last year of his deal. You know,
the Robert Williams thirteen, Like they've got all these numbers
it's like you should package these up and send them
somewhere with a couple of picks, and you could go
really big game hunt if you wanted to. I don't
feel like that's the move for them, so like just
to keep it boring. Sorry, Like what they need is
shooting and it could come at any position and if
you can unjam the center position so that clinging is
just he's our guy, and then we have just at
least not all three of Duopreath and Ayton and Robert
Williams in the mix there, Like if you can unclog that,
you can add some shooting. There were twenty six and
three point percentage last year their midpack in attempts for
one hundred, so they're getting them up. Like their processes. Okay,
the results have been bad. Get shooting, ditch at least
one of the bigs, and then like kind of see
what you have. That's that's kind that would kind of
be my like three step plan for the Blazers offseason.
Speaker 1: Is there like an deal archetype of player that you
would want to see on this roster if they do
decide that, we're trying to be like really firmly in
the play in mix next year.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think you can skew like pretty offense
heavy slash offense only because I like their front court defensively.
Speaker 1: So which is such a luck. By the way, Like
if you're keeping Avdia, Kamara and Clinging just as an
exact like you, there's just a ton of options that
you can go after the trademarkt so.
Speaker 2: Like you know, a Malik Beasley type, a Buddy Healed
type of Corey Kisspert type, Like these are all different,
you know, these some of these are trades, some of
these are signings whatever. Uh. Those types of guys where
it's like, yeah, we're giving back a little bit defensively,
but we can we can accommodate that. Like those would
be the types of players i'd target. Just someone who's
gonna get threes up and make threes and keep the
floor spaced, especially if Clinging's you're big and it doesn't
look like he's gonna like tap into any kind of
spacing game. And who knows if Kamara and Avdia will
will be reliable three point shooters. Just someone that's really
going to stretch the defense out, so you do have,
you know, just kind of offsetting the strengths and weaknesses
by adding like legit like scary shooting, I think would
be the first thing I'd go for.
Speaker 1: And it might be like even a Grace and Allen
if Phoenix has literally cut money at some point. But
I do wonder I think there's and there better be
like a mandate to like put more on his shoulders
next year in Scoot Henderson. But they could also kind
of use like another like you know, Sharp or Avdia
or like as your secondary creator type Simons as well.
There might be room for like more of a true
floor general to come off, Like assuming Scoot is just
gonna be the full time starter, there's probably room for
like a floor general type to come off the bench.
But I think you hit it on the head for me,
just like let's just surround all Like you look at
the paint touches that you can get from Avdia and Scoot,
like you just want to surround those guys with shooting.
And if you also want to maximize, like Donovan Clinton
has issues enough catching the ball and finishing, open up
that space for him even more, Like you need shooting
around these guys.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and if you if you do, I mean like
it's on the west coast, so maybe Chris Paul would
be interested, like just someone like that one of the
Jones is I'll just I'm never gonna refer to tyas Ortray.
I'll just say one of them someone like that. I mean,
if if Klington can't catch the ball, I think Chris
Paul is one guy that would put it in the
spots where he'd have the best odds. I've just thought
of Chris Paul right now. I'm not like this is
the guy, but that if you're not just going shooting,
I think you're right. I think it is someone that
can help the shooters you do have, get cleaner looks,
help the bigs that you do have, you know, finish
as well as their skills allow them to.
Speaker 1: Would this be a Klay Thompson team if Dallas looks
at trade Hmer, is that contract is not.
Speaker 2: No, I think I don't think that contract is like crippling. Yeah,
someone like that, that's whatever Klay Thompson still is. He's
treated the same way by defenses.
Speaker 1: I do think there are two obvious name they're free agents.
I think they'd fall in like mid level territory Trey
Man if he's healthy, some ad ball shake and then
of course the off ball shooting and tijerome thisuld be
a good Tiderroe, so you imagine him like within this defense.
Those are the types of moves I would support, by
the way, where it's if they have to trade a
first round pick, sure, but like if you're getting into
like multiple first round pick territory, I need to know,
like what's the name that they're getting back as part
of this, because I think one of the most dangerous
things you can do is like fast track things too much,
like over accelerate after having what you view as a
promising season, right.
Speaker 2: You still should agree, you still should have like just
the healthiest little bit of hesitation in trusting the second
half last year. I think you're gonna you can't act
as if like just the arrow is angling up and
there's no question about it. You don't know that yet.
Speaker 1: You know what would be really interesting and they could
almost just take them in without having to send out
money by using exceptions. But like if they were giving
Boston a first round pick and was like, Okay, here's
Peyton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, and I was like.
Speaker 2: Uh, I'm all over that. If I'm Portland that like,
there's both your needs addressed and.
Speaker 1: We just made the Blazer as a championship Contemputy.
Speaker 2: Pritchard out of Oregon, Dan, I know you follow college basketball,
but that would.
Speaker 1: I obviously knew that, and that is not the first
time I'm hearing this at all. So shout out to me.
Who's the most likely player to be traded on this roster?
Do you think there's like seven candidates for this?
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you can like eight is let's go through
Ayton expiring thirty five, Jeremy Grant. Just I mean, that's
the guy that if you're Portland, that's the guy you
probably would like to trade. He's got two more guaranteed
at thirty two and thirty four, and then at thirty
six million dollar player option. Is he likely to it?
Just maybe it's just Robert Williams that the numbers right,
it's thirteen million. He's at a position that they have
a glut of players at. So I guess I'll just
say Robert Williams. But I'm wondering if I'm overlooking somebody.
Speaker 1: They need to free to oprief if they're not going
to clear up some big man plenty of time, though
that would be my stip. Honestly, I don't know if
I would be able to. I want every team that
basically needs a big to trade for r W three
because I'm so RW three pilled. But then if I'm
the Blazers, it's would you rather like hold out hope
for lightning in a bottle than get two seconds? You're
not getting a first round pick for him, right, unless
you're taking back like an obscene salary.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but you're also not. I mean you'd probably Ayden's
an interesting case. Maybe there's some situation out there that
just wants that expiring deal. But I think you're paying
to get off of Aton and Grant, right, Like maybe
I think so. I think you're giving up assets on
the way out to move those guys.
Speaker 1: With eight, and the payment might be we're taking back
money that extends past this year. Maybe I'm just gonna
go with Matisse Stible because his numbers squarely in the middle,
and so a team might not want Matisse Stible, but
it's gonna be an expiring contract when he picks up
the player option. And like the Blazers, because of the
salary situation, they're in twelve million Bucks allows them to
take back almost like a twenty million dollar player. So
if that's a route they want to go and attach
something to him, and that feels like kind of right
up their alley. Like I said before, so like Matisse
stible to Boston and a like first round pick for
Peyton Prichard and Sam Haus or look there, you're done
in Boston saves some money, but that I'll just go
with that. There. This is a tough team to read
in kind of a I would say an exciting way
because it feels like anything just might be on the
table under all the circumstances.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's right.
Speaker 1: You have anything else on the Blazers or are you
ready to take us out of here? Sir?
Speaker 2: I'm ready to take us out here. Look at us
just being time efficient on Portland. We hit everything for us.
Speaker 1: Anyway, I'm sure some people are like, why wasn't this
twelve as well?
Speaker 2: How is this a twenty five minute five? Thanks everybody
for listening, for watching. Make sure that wherever you're consuming
this great review, subscribe, give us the thumbs up on
YouTube believe it is a comment there as well. Join
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King Apologies. Jared Allen