Blazers edge mailbag - "Asik and Aldridge"

I still believe LMA isn't getting traded this offseason. The Blazers have basically put together a patchwork bench to make a push for the playoffs. Trading Aldridge is counterproductive in that it just put them back into a back-end-lottery team.

As much as it would suck to wait, I feel that the best time to trade for Aldridge(and also Love if there are rumblings) is next offseason. By next offseason the following would have happened.

1. One or more of the following players would have increased their trade value by contributing to a contending team: Beverley, Lin, Jones, DMo, Smith, someone else?

2. With 2 Euro players to be brought over, Papas and Llul, and plenty of 2nd round picks, Morey can probably get into the back end of the 1st round with some of those assets. That, coupled with our own 1st round pick next year, can add 2 1st rounders to the deal with Portland in addition to future picks.

3. LMA, if he truly desires Houston, can put more pressure on other teams around the NBA stating he'll sign with Houston in 2015 even if they trade for him. This is actually possible if the Rockets don't make any big long term financial commitments.

This offseason? Unless Asik has enormous trade value I'm not aware of, is unlikely to land us Aldridge.

 

^ I think a trade might happen sooner rather than later.

the 2014 lottery is something a rebuilding team really can't afford to miss.

 

He's said that he'll pay the luxury tax to keep our talent on the team, he's also said that he'll take championships over money, I'm not really sure what more Les could say or do at this point, do you need a signed affidavit?

It's also pretty much impossible to win championships using free agency pickups without going into the luxury tax, because free agents aren't going to take lifer paycuts like the san antonio model (which is why they never target max FAs), so I'd be highly sceptical Dwight would be here without that assurance.

Also numerically, the three of them aren't taking that much space, Dwight is taking up 20.5, James 13.8, LMA would take up 14.5 (which is only $4m more than Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka and that team will never pay the luxury tax), about 9m short of the cap and hence about 21m short of the luxury threshold, with their raises being about the same as next year's rough cap estimate.

Role players aren't being paid like they used to either, Parsons is worth about 8, he's a glue guy, not a star, Jeremy (or equivalent) would likely be in the 5 range, the easiest guy to let go any way, throw in 1-3m for the bench and you'll go over the luxury by a few million, it's not like taking him on will turn the team into the Nyets payroll rise.

As for the 3 stars model being Miami's, it was the standard until the expansions caused a dilution of talent, but now with free agency being much easier than in the past (Unrestricted free agency wasn't really around until recently), the talent at the top is starting to centralize into similar models again.

Taking a discount to play for a team gives you an implied no trade clause, because you hope to get other people to also do it, it's why Miami doesn't really do any trades these days (yet Riley traded everything up to and including his own ass in the lead up to the big 3), case in point Francisco Garcia, he will not be traded unless he requests it.

 

'15 is so late. this is not clyde in '95.

 

Portland's biggest problem with the sit and wait idea is that this is the worst year possible to wait for a better return whilst also impacting your own draft position. With LMA they're about 9th or 10th in the west, without him they're down about 12-13th (with probably 4 or 5 teams in the east worse), and early decisions could get them down further.

 

We just need to be patient. At least half of the teams gunning for the 7th and 8th playoff spots will be out of the running by the trade deadline. That's when Morey will strike.

 

Regardless of what you or I may think about which direction they should go, it's obvious that Portland wants to go up. All their offseason acquisitions suggest that. Hence, moving Aldridge right now is counterproductive.

 

Thanks for the tip on breaking my post down into paragraphs, now let me break your thread down for you.

Parsons won't be kept because there isn't enough space to sign LMA and Parsons in 2 years, when both of them become FAs.

Parsons won't demand max contract money when he's extended, so could you please stop sending him off, trust me Morey will get rid of Lin way before he lets Parsons walk.

Gasol and Randolph both make the max, but their team isn't considered a serious contender.

Just because the media doesn't talk about Memphis, they are still one of the best teams in the west, and they did make to the WCF.

And do you think Gasol is already showing all he can do? Or is he being underutilized because Z-BO is taking so many shots? MG can't maximize his talents because ZBO is in the lane with him.

Yes I think Gasol is doing all that he can do, the guy just won DFPY and was named a starter on the all star team and all NBA. Basketball is more than just scoring points.

LOL do you have money that we can use to pay luxury tax? If not then why are you talking about paying the tax when it's someone else's money we're talking about? We don't know if Alexander will pay the tax or not, so it's not good to assume he will.

I'm not assuming he will, he said he would pay the tax for a contender.

I think retaining Parsons+our bench+either Asik or Lin is more important than copying Miami's big 3 model.

Keeping Parsons is important, but the rest of our bench + Asik or Lin can go in a heartbeat if it means getting a player of LMA's caliber.
And why is it that you seem to think Miami is the first team in the NBA with a big three model? (Boston, OKC) The term "Big 3" is so overrated. It's all about acquiring the best talent at fitting positions.

Btw Magic, Kareem and Worthy didn't make the max all at the same time. SMH [/QUOTE]

You seriously have the audacity to roll your eyes at my mention of Magic, Kareem and Worthy??? Really?? Well how about Jordan, Pippen and Grant? So I guess three all-stars can just never work.

 

I don't understand this post but I will attempt to reply to the best of my ability.

Harden was our Clyde, now we're just adding Hakeem (not so much but still) and possibly Otis Thorpe to the mix.

We already have our Robert Horry and Sam Cassell on the squad so your argument is moot.

 

Actually what Parsons demand in 2015 actually has zero bearing on whether or not we can sign LMA. Parsons in the 2015 offseason only counts ~$2mil against the cap(225% of his previous salary which will be ~900k) as his cap hold until he signs a new deal.. So the Rockets can use all their capspace, assuming they renounce most everyone else, to sign Aldridge to a near max deal to max deal, pending salary cap in 2015. And then sign Parsons using Bird Rights. Parsons can sign for $5mil or $15mil, it doesn't matter from a cap standpoint. Only Les' wallet standpoint.

 

I know you this isn't your post and you were just replying, but:

We have Parson's Bird rights and LMA's will transfer with him in a trade. We can exceed the cap to re-sign these dudes.

 

It won't matter because CyberX told us that Parsons is about to get PAID.

I really doubt that the Rockets will end up with Aldridge. I don't see the Blazers trading him because they are not committing to a rebuild. They are trying to get into the playoffs. At the same time, we aren't going to blow up our team to add a player who is a luxury piece at a big contract. A player like Asik wouldn't be of much help to the Blazers if they do decide to try to rebuild because he'd be due a new contract shortly and isn't a developmental player, he's a guy who is going to play great defense and help you win now.

 

Whoops ignore my statement, refer to meh's post above

 

I think so too. But I was just speaking about that particular hypothetical if he did lasted to 2015.

Personally I'm 50/50 on Aldridge. But about your points.

1. I also said earlier that I don't think the Blazers are trying to trade him now. It will take a bad year for them to give up on any playoff push. Which is quite possible, since the west is still fairly competitive with Dallas, Minnesota, Portland, Lakers, Pelicans all eyeing for one final playoff spot.

2. By Morey's calculations, EVERY max player is underpaid to severely underpaid. The only thing stopping Morey from getting every star getting paid 8 figures is the fact that they're in such short supply and so costly(in terms of assets).

3. About Asik: 3-way trade.

 

I guarantee Morey is at least exploring a trade. How can LA not make our team better? Dudes a stud, and has been his entire career. It certainly wouldn't hurt!!!

 

Of course, but Morey is smart and is a team builder. The CBA makes it incredibly difficult to keep a team of 3 max players together and surround them with talent. In a perfect scenario of course you want the best at every position, but that isn't practical under this CBA. If you can add LA to this team without breaking up the core, you do it to win now, but I doubt Morey would want to blow up the team in terms of the young players like Chandler that make it work for the next two years.