1) IQ and Toppin for Shaeden Sharpe and Greg Brown
Portland is looking like they are gonna make a run this year. Read an article that suggested the Blazers should move Sharpe for help now. I always liked Greg Brown, but he is just their to balance salary. Portland gets that IQ/Toppin combo to anchor the second unit. Lillard mentioned IQ in his lyrics, so you know it’s gotta happen. I don’t really love giving up IQ or Toppin, but you gotta give to get. And I love Sharpe.

2) Blow it up. Randle, Fournier and Rose for Westbrook and a conditional 2029 pick. I’m just clearing salary. Waive Westbrook. Nobody needs his shenanigans.

McBride/Brunson
Sharpe/Grimes
Barrett/Brown
Reddish/Sims
Robinson/Hart

Yeah, this is probably tanking. Doubt it results in the number #1 pick, but assume we are adding three players in a good draft. I’d hand the keys to Sharpe and see where this goes. Yeah, I don’t see McBride really starting over Brunson, but it might result in better defense.

Oh yeah, and Kenny Atkinson is the coach in this scenario.

EwingsGlass wrote:2) Blow it up. Randle, Fournier and Rose for Westbrook and a conditional 2029 pick.

Oh. Here's an original idea. Haven't heard this one before!
Can we stop it with this Westbrook trade? It ain't happening.

EwingsGlass wrote:Two Trades

1) IQ and Toppin for Shaeden Sharpe and Greg Brown
Portland is looking like they are gonna make a run this year. Read an article that suggested the Blazers should move Sharpe for help now. I always liked Greg Brown, but he is just their to balance salary. Portland gets that IQ/Toppin combo to anchor the second unit. Lillard mentioned IQ in his lyrics, so you know it’s gotta happen. I don’t really love giving up IQ or Toppin, but you gotta give to get. And I love Sharpe.

2) Blow it up. Randle, Fournier and Rose for Westbrook and a conditional 2029 pick. I’m just clearing salary. Waive Westbrook. Nobody needs his shenanigans.

McBride/Brunson
Sharpe/Grimes
Barrett/Brown
Reddish/Sims
Robinson/Hart

Yeah, this is probably tanking. Doubt it results in the number #1 pick, but assume we are adding three players in a good draft. I’d hand the keys to Sharpe and see where this goes. Yeah, I don’t see McBride really starting over Brunson, but it might result in better defense.

Oh yeah, and Kenny Atkinson is the coach in this scenario.

Love the Sharpe idea but would rather give a future #1 instead of Obi as if we go this route - think Randle is not long for this team (although I've been praying... I mean saying this for about 2 years now) and we would need Obi if Randle departs.

Crazy to think we tried to go all in for Ivey at 4 when Sharpe at 7 could have more likely been obtained/swapped for 11 and a future #1. He looks like he could be upper echelon and it's very early - so that's very promising. Portland should try to move Lillard to LA for AD as it could help both teams since they have A.Simmons already doing well in the backcourt.

And I wanted Atkinson over Thibs so really think he would be the better fit if we go with the youth movement.

TheGame wrote:If a team is available offering a first round pick for Quickley, then I make that trade. We committed to Brunson longterm and Grimes is the future at SG, plus McBride needs a chance.

how exactly is Grimes the future at SG? if he is, our future there is very dim and unsure.

What exactly has he shown? In summer league, great play except for a couple big games when he was shut down.

And this year, hurt. What is he doing with a hurt foot? C'mon. And how many games did he play/miss last year?

I was hoping Mitch would produce this year - and he is already hurt - and admittedly, that was an injury which you can only blame his high flying ways for.

franco12 wrote:

TheGame wrote:If a team is available offering a first round pick for Quickley, then I make that trade. We committed to Brunson longterm and Grimes is the future at SG, plus McBride needs a chance.

how exactly is Grimes the future at SG? if he is, our future there is very dim and unsure.

What exactly has he shown? In summer league, great play except for a couple big games when he was shut down.

And this year, hurt. What is he doing with a hurt foot? C'mon. And how many games did he play/miss last year?

I was hoping Mitch would produce this year - and he is already hurt - and admittedly, that was an injury which you can only blame his high flying ways for.

Injuries aside, Grimes will be a fantastic SG and POA defender. He stays in front of people and motors around on the perimeter like a beast. His shot looks pure and he can put it on the floor and get to rim. Tough in-traffic rebounder too.

You have to project out some instead of holding him to yesterday's injury status. And then be patient for a couple of years while he puts it together.

Or you could accept a trade scenario ala Steph Curry when he had bad ankle injuries for a few years.

franco12 wrote:

martin wrote:

franco12 wrote:

TheGame wrote:If a team is available offering a first round pick for Quickley, then I make that trade. We committed to Brunson longterm and Grimes is the future at SG, plus McBride needs a chance.

how exactly is Grimes the future at SG? if he is, our future there is very dim and unsure.

What exactly has he shown? In summer league, great play except for a couple big games when he was shut down.

And this year, hurt. What is he doing with a hurt foot? C'mon. And how many games did he play/miss last year?

I was hoping Mitch would produce this year - and he is already hurt - and admittedly, that was an injury which you can only blame his high flying ways for.

Injuries aside, Grimes will be a fantastic SG and POA defender. He stays in front of people and motors around on the perimeter like a beast. His shot looks pure and he can put it on the floor and get to rim. Tough in-traffic rebounder too.

You have to project out some instead of holding him to yesterday's injury status. And then be patient for a couple of years while he puts it together.

Or you could accept a trade scenario ala Steph Curry when he had bad ankle injuries for a few years.

He might well be. But there is 0 ways you can count on that today. It's malpractice to say we're committing long term to Grimes at the SG. I like him, he has shown flashes - but just as many flashes are green, some are red - like not being available and being shut down by an opposing team in summer league.

Knicks just refused to put him in a trade for Donovan Mitchell over the likes of RJ. They supposedly got feedback from Jerry West and he pretty much intimated the same - that they should be VERY high on him.

Take that as you will.

wargames wrote:

Panos wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:2) Blow it up. Randle, Fournier and Rose for Westbrook and a conditional 2029 pick.

Oh. Here's an original idea. Haven't heard this one before!
Can we stop it with this Westbrook trade? It ain't happening.

I am not even mad at the Westbrook trade scenarios it's the fact that people are willing to do it for no draft pick or a conditional pick that annoys me. Stop doing Lebron favors. Especially after he took time to mock the knicks for trading the cava JR and Shump. The lakers have to send either 1 or 2 unprotected picks.

fishmike wrote:

martin wrote:

franco12 wrote:

martin wrote:

franco12 wrote:

TheGame wrote:If a team is available offering a first round pick for Quickley, then I make that trade. We committed to Brunson longterm and Grimes is the future at SG, plus McBride needs a chance.

how exactly is Grimes the future at SG? if he is, our future there is very dim and unsure.

What exactly has he shown? In summer league, great play except for a couple big games when he was shut down.

And this year, hurt. What is he doing with a hurt foot? C'mon. And how many games did he play/miss last year?

I was hoping Mitch would produce this year - and he is already hurt - and admittedly, that was an injury which you can only blame his high flying ways for.

Injuries aside, Grimes will be a fantastic SG and POA defender. He stays in front of people and motors around on the perimeter like a beast. His shot looks pure and he can put it on the floor and get to rim. Tough in-traffic rebounder too.

You have to project out some instead of holding him to yesterday's injury status. And then be patient for a couple of years while he puts it together.

Or you could accept a trade scenario ala Steph Curry when he had bad ankle injuries for a few years.

He might well be. But there is 0 ways you can count on that today. It's malpractice to say we're committing long term to Grimes at the SG. I like him, he has shown flashes - but just as many flashes are green, some are red - like not being available and being shut down by an opposing team in summer league.

Knicks just refused to put him in a trade for Donovan Mitchell over the likes of RJ. They supposedly got feedback from Jerry West and he pretty much intimated the same - that they should be VERY high on him.

Take that as you will.

the things Grimes does right are SO hard to teach. I get Franco taking exception to the notion we are sitting on an all star here... but I think people are just saying he's a blue chip and worth seeing how this shakes out.

I’m not anti-Grimes in any sense but don’t really understand the untouchable tag. From tho biometric standpoint, he is average to below average on height and wingspan. Age wise, he came in as a 4 year senior and overcame some adversity in college. But showing out as one of the oldest players at the combine, you have to expect that the development projection isn’t as steep as some of the younger players. He is already who he is to a large degree, especially as a guard. His commitment to defense and solid shooting form can make him a mainstay in an NBA rotation, though I question again his athleticism. Many of his “moments” were more about pre-existing basketball maturity than progressive growth. Right now, I’m seeing a smaller Langston Galloway. I don’t think you nix a superstar trade over Grimes, but maybe you nix it generally over an institutional concept of keeping two way players that can shoot from 3 and not just giving them away.

EwingsGlass wrote:Two Trades

1) IQ and Toppin for Shaeden Sharpe and Greg Brown
Portland is looking like they are gonna make a run this year. Read an article that suggested the Blazers should move Sharpe for help now. I always liked Greg Brown, but he is just their to balance salary. Portland gets that IQ/Toppin combo to anchor the second unit. Lillard mentioned IQ in his lyrics, so you know it’s gotta happen. I don’t really love giving up IQ or Toppin, but you gotta give to get. And I love Sharpe.

2) Blow it up. Randle, Fournier and Rose for Westbrook and a conditional 2029 pick. I’m just clearing salary. Waive Westbrook. Nobody needs his shenanigans.

McBride/Brunson
Sharpe/Grimes
Barrett/Brown
Reddish/Sims
Robinson/Hart

Yeah, this is probably tanking. Doubt it results in the number #1 pick, but assume we are adding three players in a good draft. I’d hand the keys to Sharpe and see where this goes. Yeah, I don’t see McBride really starting over Brunson, but it might result in better defense.

Oh yeah, and Kenny Atkinson is the coach in this scenario.

If this trade scenario is listed by priority I would move 2 up to 1 and see how the team responds once you remove the 3 vets. This is a full development move. We are not winning a chip any time soon and as it sit we not making the playoffs. What’s the point in keeping those guys. Are they mentoring the youths and how can you measure mentoring success. It’s like walking a fine line, afraid to fully go on either side (vets vs development). I liked the idea of a hybrid approach but that’s not working like I would’ve thought. Maybe a 3rd trade idea is stay on the hybrid strategy and just trade EF to help Thibs rotation.

But let’s go back to the 2 main options I see.

1) Go full youth movement and trade the vets (EF, Randle, Rose for Westbrick and pick)

Or

2) Go full playoff mode and trade IQ and/or Obi for players that Thibs will play and compliment our big 3 (JB, RJ, Randle)

At this point I’m fine with either direction. At lease the strategy is clear and there’s no mis understanding of what this team is doing moving forward.

One note on grimes. He represents how we should build this team, along with Reddish. But anytime you can get a guy like grimes who doesn’t need to dribble the air out of the ball and can score in the flow of the offense, while guarding his man and impacting on both sides, that’s the best type of player to have next to our big 3 who are all ball hogs. Not in a negative way but this team will go as far as the big 3 takes them. So build around the big 3. Grimes is similar to bullock but younger and better on both sides with more potential. Plus he already has the IQ of a PG since he used to play Point. He’s a great complimentary piece.

BigDaddyG wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:Two Trades

1) IQ and Toppin for Shaeden Sharpe and Greg Brown
Portland is looking like they are gonna make a run this year. Read an article that suggested the Blazers should move Sharpe for help now. I always liked Greg Brown, but he is just their to balance salary. Portland gets that IQ/Toppin combo to anchor the second unit. Lillard mentioned IQ in his lyrics, so you know it’s gotta happen. I don’t really love giving up IQ or Toppin, but you gotta give to get. And I love Sharpe.

2) Blow it up. Randle, Fournier and Rose for Westbrook and a conditional 2029 pick. I’m just clearing salary. Waive Westbrook. Nobody needs his shenanigans.

McBride/Brunson
Sharpe/Grimes
Barrett/Brown
Reddish/Sims
Robinson/Hart

Yeah, this is probably tanking. Doubt it results in the number #1 pick, but assume we are adding three players in a good draft. I’d hand the keys to Sharpe and see where this goes. Yeah, I don’t see McBride really starting over Brunson, but it might result in better defense.

Oh yeah, and Kenny Atkinson is the coach in this scenario.

No way Portland does the first trade. Sharpe's upside is higher than IQ's and Obi's as a rookie. Sharpe is averaging 9 ppg and shooting 52% from the field in 20 mins a game. And he's shooting 44% from 3. I might literally laugh to death if some called me and offered IQ/Obi for Sharpe. Also, you run into some of the same issues we have with Randle. Where and when is Obi playing? He wouldn't steal many minutes from Grant.

I think its a question of Lillard's remaining timeline versus Portland's depth. A Trailblazer blog suggested they move Sharpe for depth.

Lillard/[Payton - Injured]
Simons/Sharpe
Hart/Little
Grant/Watford
[Nurkik - Injured]/Eubanks

They don't have a lot to trade and they don't have any depth. Wait a month and include Sims? The point I am making is that Sharpe is perhaps their only trade chip. They should either trade Sharpe and try to win now, or trade Lillard and try and build for later.

Lill/IQ
Simons
Hart
Grant/Toppin
Sims/Eubanks