If I was portland I'd definitely try to flick that pick off to fill either the PG or C positions. They're young, but not young enough to wait and develop potential like beal.
That's the thing, they can draft a player, like Beal or Drummond. Trade the other pick (11th pick) for a quality starter at PG or C, probably center more so. Sign a point guard in free agency. Their salary cap for next season is currently at $35 million, it may fall to $30 million, if Jamal Crawford does decide to opt out, as he brashly stated during the Phoenix (auditioning for another team). Beal would be too talented of a player to pass up, if he falls to 6th, even Drummond, I would sort of take a chance on, since both have what people call superstar potential. I doubt they get that with a trade offer unless they somehow net something, like Dwight Howard or even Roy Hibbert (doubt it, very seriously). Portland's needs are more based on a player who can push them over the top versus someone (or players) who can fill a spot adequately.
Those are all pretty good ideas proposed by photoblue. I think the Trailblazers are in an excellent position going forward and have the necessary "assets" to move them from lottery-bound to perennial playoff team pretty quickly. Everybody on their roster is pretty much expendable with the exception of Aldridge and Batum. Not only that, they possess 4 draft picks in this years draft. (#6, #11, #40, and #41). As photoblue had suggested, they could find a potential starter with the #6 pick and potentially trade down for multiple picks or another quality starter with the 11th pick. The second round picks could also put them in a position to move up in the draft (possibly late 1st round). Who knows, maybe they shock us and trade both their lottery picks for a star or package those picks for one of the Top 3 picks. If I was the Trailblazers, I would place a call to the Nets to inquire about Brook Lopez. The Nets could certainly use some help and a package involving the lottery picks and the remaining players not named Aldridge and Batum could entice them. A Brook Lopez and Aldridge frontcourt would be one of the best in the NBA, hands down.
Or, maybe they could trade both there lottery picks to us for Lowry, Martin, Dalembert and our 14th pick.
I could potentially see the Rockets inquiring about those picks, but the package you proposed the Rockets trade means that the Blazers are taking on a bunch of contracts and that sort of puts them in a bind as far as their rebuilding efforts are concerned. Lowry could potentially entice, but Martin and Dalembert, I'm not too sure about. Brook Lopez seems like a more fail proof option. Young, talented big men are pretty hard to come by, so my guess is the Blazers would go after a big man before they look at PGs. There will definitely be some quality PGs available going into the off-season, so I'm sure the Blazers would pursue that avenue first, before looking at trades. If the Rockets were targeting the # 6 pick, I think the Lowry and the #14 pick might be enough to get the job done. We might have to throw in a future 2nd rounder, but I could see the Blazers doing the deal as they already hold the #11 pick.
The 11th pick will not get them anything close to a quality starter at the PG or C positions. Unless Drummond falls down to their pick at number 6, they still desperately need to fill that C position - which is pretty much impossible through free agency.
Chris Kaman (unrestricted) Brook Lopez (restricted, depends on how much the Nets are willing to spend) Spencer Hawes Aaron Gray Robin Lopez 11th pick in the draft (Zeller, Leonard, or Sullinger) Moreover, the 6th pick is an awful lot for a mere point guard or center.
In fact take the 14th and trade up 3 to get Lamb and take the 16th and trade down 8 to get Fab Melo. One for today and one for tomorrow.
The Blazers will have alot of cap space this offseason. To get both those picks, quality young talent must be traded for (Lowry + fillers) and Matthew's contract needs to be off their books. Maybe a 3 way trade could happen especially if the Clips are open to trading Jordan. Not exactly sure how the salaries match up, but here's a scenario. Rockets trade- Lowry, Dally, Ny pick, Hou pick, Bud Get- expirings (waived immediately), 6 and 11 Clippers trade- Gomes (expiring), Jordan Get- Hou pick, Dally, Matthews Blazers trade- picks, Matthews, filler expirings get- Lowry, Jordan, Ny pick, Bud Here's the Blazers team afterward Lowry/ Flynn (lol) SG (draft or FA) Batum/ Bud LMA/ Hickson Jordan They pretty much get everything they need out of that. 2nd/3rd tier PG, and a Center that's a work-in-progress. They also still have a pick to draft whatever they want. We should target Beal and Zellerwith 6 and 11 respectively (Use Patterson to move up in the draft if Beal's projected 1-2 spots higher). With Donatas coming over as well, we don't need too many rookies. Sign Gogi. Gogi/ Forston (Beal)/ Martin? Parsons/ Morris Scola/ Patterson/ Donuts (Zeller)/ Smith
You dont trade up for Beal when you can get Lamb way easier, he has higher upside and would be cheaper to acquire.
I think there are some excellent SGs in this draft. Obviously I don't think Houston can get up high enough in the draft to grab a Beal or Jeremy Lamb unless they trade Lowry; and even then, they could both be off the board mid-way through the lotto. But Doran Lamb should be available at #14 and #16. This kid is gonna be a good pro. He's 6'5" in shoes, with a long winspan. He averages 47% career from 3pt land, which is outstanding. He plays big in big games (clutch shooter), and he's got good handles (can create his own shot). He's often overlooked because he's surrounded by so many other big names, but I think Doran Lamb may end up being one of the steals of this draft.
I too like Doron Lamb. He's often looked at as just a shooter, but I think that is in part because of the way Kentucky's system used him. I'm not a fan of either Beal or Jeremy Lamb either. I think both will turn out to be disappointments.
Agreed, although I think the Rockets could trade back in the first round and pick up Doron Lamb somewhere in the mid-20s. The Rockets nabbed Patrick Patterson in 2010, another Kentucky player seemingly hidden among multiple top-5 picks, having him ranked as high as #6 on their draft board. They may view Doron Lamb similarly, as someone who could have possibly been a lottery pick if not for all the other talent on his team.
Doron Lamb is projected to be early second rounder on draftexpress. I think it's easier to trade up than trade down in this draft. There're quite a few good prospects in late first round or second round, and I'm not that excited by the top picks other than Anthony Davis.
hell, with Dontas coming over, i say we move one of our four PFs for a mid-late 1st rounder. Dontas we keep, and Scola's contract makes him hard to move, so that leaves Morris and Pat, who are both probably worth mid to late 1st round picks in this draft. Moving one of them for a Doran Lamb makes a lot of sense.
This is in no way, shape or form enough to move from #14 to #3. Kevin Martin is an offense-only SG who's on the wrong side of 30 with a terrible contract. He doesn't offer much value in any trade package. I'm just spit-balling here, but perhaps: 14th pick, 16th pick, 2013 and 2014 1st Round picks, Chase Budinger, Marcus Morris, Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry. That MIGHT get us a Top 5 pick...but probably not. You can give a team 10 mediocre players and it STILL wouldn't be enough of an enticement for them to give up their shot at a potential superstar. You have to think of it from the other team's perspective as well. What do we have to offer that would entice a team to give up a potential superstar (Top 5 pick)? You think Kyle Lowry and a few mid-1st Round picks will do that? No chance.
I don't even think Morris could net us a mid round pick (top 25 pick) by himself in this draft. The value of these type of tweeners has decreased alot and he's unproven. What I would do is trade morris and the ny pick at 16 to boston for both their picks at 21 and 22 and a future 2nd rd pick. That way we can draft D.Lamb and whoever else we want at 22 while boston can go pickup what they want at 16.
They have cap space, and they need a PG, and a C, and there SG crops are bare. They need a perimeter scorere, a PG and a C. They can handle it all with their space. The'll still have PG Lowry SG Martin SF Batum PF Aldridge C Dalembert
