Where Do The Trail Blazers Go From Here? with Nate Duncan

Where Do The Trail Blazers Go From Here? with Nate Duncan

In today’s show Nate Duncan of the dunon basketball podcast joins the program and we look at the Blazers their present their future and what’s next forum welcome to locked on Blazers let’s get into it you are locked on Trailblazers your daily Portland Trailblazers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your

Team every day what’s up world it’s your past first point guard and Trailblazers reporter Mike Richmond you are list listening to another episode of Locked on Blazers part of the locked on podcast network available wherever you get podcasts and also on YouTube thanks for making the show your first listen coming at you

Each and every weekday Monday through Friday so make it a part of your daily routine make it your first listen tell your friends to do the same it’s lock on Blazers your team every day today’s episode a very special one we are joined by friend of the program and Portland

Generals Enthusiast Nate Duncan Nate how you doing man couldn’t be better yeah do people locally know who the Portland generals are the real hoop heads know that Portland generals Legend pton Pritchard is going to be in the building at the Mota center tonight uh to where he where

He made a name for himself uh for those of you who don’t know the Portland generals are the team that is cobbled together to play practice games against uh the hoop Summit team so like the the sort of best prospects heading into their senior year of of college come to

Town every year and they play a like a a game in front of a ton of NBA Scouts right like it’s it’s a big gym yeah and no it is yeah and slowly has become more serious like the Portland generals they take it more seriously they get they put together a

Pretty good team uh but it it’s famously pton Pritchard of Wes Lyn came and was like really good in the gym I was like oh this dude’s probably going to be a high level college basketall player when he was maybe a 16 17 year old yeah a lot

Of good Al PA benero and Jaden McDaniels Steve Blake after he retired played 35-year-old Steve Blake yeah yeah it’s if you if you if you’re in the area Steve Blake lived in West Lyn I believe after he retired Ben Carol and McDaniels are from the Seattle area if

You’re in the Northwest you want to play in the hoop Summit hit up my man Reggie um Reggie will get Reggie will get you in the game um Nate I want to talk to you sort of about big picture Blazer stuff today what do you make of their

Season so far like where are they you know where with where they are now what do you make of what what they’ve done this year I viewed as kind of a failure not because of the one loss record I think they’ve actually been on the rare occasions that they are healthy more

Competitive than might have been expected particularly on defense but you just look at the games played uh it just uh and not really getting a chance to see these guys together you know yeah Shaden sharp 32 games Anthony Simons 40 games Malcolm brogon all right maybe didn’t expect him to play that much

That’s fine scoot Henderson 44 games but it’s been so disjointed for him only 16 starts for him so they really have just had Robert Williams six games he was one of the guys that was supposed to actually be really interesting in that trade for uh Drew holiday so there

That’s really to me just the lack of information and perhaps also the lack of development due to injury is the dominant theme of this Blazer season yeah the the big number for for me is 320 minutes that’s how many minutes Jaden sharp and Scoot Henderson played together this year it’s just not enough

To know anything it’s not enough to know anything and you were this like I think the record is about what we thought they’re probably M I think you when I was on your show at the beginning of the year I think you had them at 24 wins and

I had them I’m a homer I had them all the way up at 28 um but like you know they’re going to win 23 gamish some somewhere in that range maybe you know maybe they get hot wi 26 but like uh the record is the record like I

I think that’s sort of unsurprising but just the lack like you said the lack of data collection this year was supposed to be about figuring out what works what doesn’t and move on and it’s like no like what what what do they know like what do they know about their youngsters

What do they know about the shade and sharp pairing and with scoot what do they even know about Scoot and amre Simon’s playing together you know like that’s that I think it maybe isn’t super appealing to build another team with an undersized shooting guard moving forward

In this part of the world but um if they were going to do it they don’t even have a ton of data to suggest how that works um what have you made of scoot season so far you were pretty high on scoot coming out of the draft what what have you

Thought about him obviously the the availability has been has been a problem yeah defensively I think he’s been kind of above your expectations for a 19 20 year old point guard but as I always like to say with these high draft picks if the best thing that they’ve

Done is their defense relative to expectations that’s probably not looking great when you’re talking about a rookie point guard you know certainly there have been a few flashes but overall not as many as I would have hoped you would hop that he was going to come in and be

A fixture on the nightly highlight shows like that hasn’t necessarily happened and sure the numbers are rough you wish that he was shooting better than 41% from Two and the finishing has been a real struggle he’s played a lot of his games with a lot of injuries in the

Front court or with you know not much shooting with thel and Kamar and you know it hasn’t been a great ecosystem like aon’s been in out of the lineup too it hasn’t had Rob Williams as a role man so certainly there are many reasons you can point to to where you’re not going

To just cross off those higher end outcomes but certainly relative to what you would have hoped from him what I would have hoped from him this season is a disappointment when he’s been on the floor even if there are reasons you can point to where you know at least he

Hasn’t played if he played every single game and played like this maybe You’ feel even worse right but uh it’s still yeah there just haven’t been as many of these explosive moments and then you know the shot is been probably worse than you might have hoped that it would

Be uh for a guy who wasn’t like a horrible shooter in the G league so yeah it disappointing I think is the only way to describe it are you more concerned about the outside shooting or the layups well so the two things that improve the most for young guards are

Finishing at the rim and uh not turning it over as much yeah so and he actually let me see if I if this is correct yeah he hasn’t turned it over like a crazy crazy amount I guess 2.9 in 27 minutes yeah I realize he hasn’t played that many minutes so yeah

It’s a typical high rookie point guard turnover rate so I think that’s something that’s going to get better I mean he’s still with the big hands with the long arms he’s still a plus athlete if maybe not like a nuclear athlete at that position yeah so I I think and also

You would have to imagine a lot of these games he hasn’t been feeling totally right physically will he ever get there maybe is another question but no I I think those are things that are going to improve I I would say actually probably my biggest concern would not be either

Of those two uh and I think the shooting will come along to be adequate enough if the getting to the basket and passing also works I think the passing has been solid uh the biggest thing to me would be that I just thought he would be like a more dominating Force like getting

Separation and getting to the basket like that’s that’s the biggest thing that I was hoping to see where he’s just breaking guys ankles and exploding past people and that’s that is the thing where I’m like all right maybe he’s just not quite the level of athlete that we

Thought he was um at least in that respect so would probably be my biggest source of concern and it’s more like it’s not that I don’t think any of these things can’t get better it’s just that there’s a lot of things that happen right like he hasn’t there’s no

Real bread and butter at this point I would say his bread and butter is starting to look like being someone who gets to the free throw line he’s been yeah um he’s been per 36 on the year he’s like four and a half free throw attempts um for a for a teen that’s

Pretty for a teen with TW he has 12 dunks he it’s that’s like the really remarkable number 12 dunks in 44 games um I thought that was going to be way higher but even in the like you know there’s sort of he started the year so

Bad it’s like he was so bad for his first five games so it’s like if you kind of um you do what you do and just say okay the bad games don’t M we we’ve ignore the really awful games but even recently he’s up over five free throw

Attempts per game like he’s been he’s been better in 2024 um I think that’s probably his most to me that is the skill that I feel um most hopeful about like oh someone who someone who gets free throw attempts at his age is like that has real value particularly for

Someone who’s not a great shooter um from the outside even though he’s been way better off the dribble as a shooter than as a catch and shoot guy which um if you have to have the ball in your hands and you turn the ball over a

Little bit too much that’s a problem but um he’ll you know he’s 19 you kind of you have you either have to be patient or you have to quit already um I think the free throws are they make me feel have I I have some

Sort of Hope in that in that regard but yeah I think um I think the biggest issue is what you said it’s just there’s a lot of boxes to tick if it was like well if he improves a shooter he’s this but he’s got to make layups um he was

Shooting you know 45% at the rim for a big chunk of his career which is or to begin the season that’s that’s he’s just he just has to make more easy ones so uh if he can get there then I think that kind of changes the calculation Today’s Show is brought to

You by eBay Motors passion drive and patience it’s what brings home a winning trophy it’s also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to Peak Performance from superchargers to roof racks to exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether

You’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has got you covered with over 122 Million Parts to choose from for your ride or die you’ll always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your

Money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber baby not cash with all the parts you need and all the parts you want it’s easy to turn your car into the MVP and bring home that win keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply

EBay guaranteed fit only available to us Customers all right let’s get back into the rest of my conversation with Nate Duncan what have you made of DeAndre Aon season um he he was having the worst he was having the worst of his career and now he looks like um at least like the DeAndre Aton of your uh recently what

What have you made of his year yeah I just it seemed like there’s a a idea that they’re going to rehabilitate him to some degree and instead he’s mostly gone backwards and yeah I think the biggest if you’re going to acquire him with that salary really what you’re hoping for is

That you can run some stuff through him that he’s not going to be just a play finisher and if anything he’s probably been worse as a postup guy than he was in Phoenix in Phoenix at least you know you had a little more spacing you had

Chris Paul getting the ball on a deep seal where he could just turn with that Knight’s touch it didn’t matter as much that he didn’t get to the foul line because he was shooting 70% from the field or whatever it was and he was just getting the ball un aable to just shoot

It immediately and because he had the good touch he was a really efficient option he was able to generate a fair number of shots that way but yeah the complete I mean I never was a believer in this but clearly if you are acquiring him making the money that he’s making on

Basically just a straight swap right uh they did a Kamar in that deal too which you yeah Kamar is useful he looks like a useful player yeah yeah but he’s he’s not acquiring him isn’t worth having to pay DeAndre $35 million a year I would say so

Yeah I mean that’s looking like a fail gamble so far I do think he’s you know he hasn’t been bad defensively to the yeah I I think to to my from my eye I think he’s been better defensively than I thought he would be um I I I I kind of

Was a pretty big doubter in his defensive impact I think he’s been kind of totally fine to good on that end for the most part but uh um but but but again you know another and he’s also missed some time as well so I just I I think the

They acquired him with the idea that there was more there and if anything there was less yeah he he took his first three-pointer of the Season uh over the weekend it’s like this is your chance to spread your wings you’re on the worst offense in the league like they

Desperately need you to do more stuff like why not just why not you know be a little more creative with him stick him in different you know use Tomar Tamar Kamar as the screener and stick DeAndre Aton in the corner um you know he’s his Rim attempts are way down he is

Probably on Pace though to take more free throws than games played which was for a while there it was getting a little dicey whether we were going to get one free throw attempt a game but he’s now up to 53 free throw attempts on 41 games so that’s huge one

Three-pointer attempt now up to over one free throw a game like um a guy who only lives between four feet and 20 feet and nowhere else under any circumstances uh I too think he’s been a little bit better since he came back but the first 25 games of his Blazers tenure was like

Oh he’s as bad as he’s worse than he’s ever been so it’s hard to ignore that I I I think so much of this with the Blazer season is just like bad ecosystem but like they built the roster like you know they’ve had a ton of they had a ton of

Injuries but they built the roster knowing they were going to be light on shooting like that was like a thing from the beginning that they were going to have trouble shooting so the sort of creativity to get guys in better spaces and maybe some of it is just like they

Thought scoot was going to be better and he hasn’t been and that is a challenge so um I I kind of Wonder Maybe maybe that’s maybe that all plays into it C can I add another kind of dominant theme of the of the Blazer season I this kind

Of It kind of ties in with what we were first talking about with the injuries is my hope for this season when you looked at what they got in the Dame trade and the subsequent Drew trade was it might go something like this right that you know maybe Shaden sharp starts coming

Off the bench you’re starting Simons and Scoot together that’s fine Scoot and sharp look so good they’re obviously the future that you feel comfortable trading Anthony Simons at the deadline you get a really nice haul for him you get a couple of first round picks for him Rob

Williams comes back maybe he’s even buying for the starting center position he’s on a great contract he’s got two three years left at a very small number uh maybe you either can uh move him and aidon is looking like your center of the future maybe you can move uh Robert

Williams get a couple of low firsts for him Malcolm brogon maybe you get a first for him at the deadline as well Jeremy Grant maybe you get like another first for maybe you’re you you feel all right you know great starts the season Scoot and uh and sharp are clear to the

Future like aon’s looking pretty good and Grant doesn’t fit our timeline but we resigned him and we’re going to get something positive for him before that contract kind of Falls apart so now we’re going into the future with like five more first round picks and we got

Our back court of the future and we’re getting another high pick this year and you’re feeling like you know the Blazers are kind of in that position of where you know an Oklahoma City or a Utah have been as one of these teams that just has like you know can do basically whatever

They want in a trade or you just have so many bites at the Apple for young players that you know eventually some of them are going to hit and you’re going to be successful and instead I you know part of this is the decision-making I would have still tried to move some of

Those guys at the deadline frankly uh you didn’t make any moves at the deadline you’re not plus any further first round picks a lot of these assets have depreciated uh Robert Williams perhaps most significantly so we’ll see what happens with brogon in the off season so I think you in addition to the

Fact that their two biggest guys sharpa and Henderson haven’t performed at the level you would hope even if they both had flashes I’m sure we’ll talk about sharp in a second like that’s disappointing like I was like man after they got so much in the Dame trade and

The Drew trade and just so many of those assets have depreciated now in a bad way I would say yeah what did you make of them not doing anything um well they they did something uh I mean yeah but but I I will say like I can’t go all in

On that take yet because like they’re still bad right like they’re not going to win too many games that with these guys like that’s GNA be a problem and then also that their teams just didn’t have as much to trade for their guys you know like we’re

Talking about the Lakers for example had one pick to trade they’ll have three to trade um at uh this summer right there’s a lot of these teams that were kind of impacted could only trade one pick or zero the Suns for example will be able to trade two picks this off season right

Like they’re where the 31 opens up and then maybe you have a 24 that you could couldn’t have traded until the draft due to the stepping Ru so there are a lot of these teams that are way out picks that maybe could make a move in the future um

Now if Dallas had come calling with their 27 pick that they traded for PJ Washington and maybe you know maybe you even could have gotten that 26 Clippers pick uh as well or like it’s the worst of like the Clippers in Philly I think um you know if you like what they traded

For Gafford and PJ Washington would Dallas have made that available as a package for Jeremy Grant who’s better than those guys you know I would have taken it seemed like they just didn’t even begin to explore the possibility of trading and certainly never even began to explore the possibility of trading

Anthony Simons who is you know Superfluous in theory if scoot Henderson and Shaden sharp are your guys go like anony Simons only has two years left on his contract yeah clock’s ticking on on whether you’re gonna make a move yeah exactly yeah so so it’s not like oh yeah

We could we’ll just we’re gonna just go on with him forever like it’s kind of like oh well Scoot and Shaden sharp haven’t proved yet that we can are good enough to move on for anre S it’s like well you’re if Scoot and Shaden sharp aren’t good anyway right like Anthony

Simons isn’t like pulling you out of that yawning Abyss you might as well get something for him while you can rather than you know resigning him at another you know 35 million a year after this yeah I I think that’s the that’s the challenge is they were like I my read on

It is they’re like wow with the young the youngsters the young guards are so far away amre time’s only 24 we are uncomfortable we’re uncomfortable like choosing them over him but at some point that like the decision gets made for you I think the decision could get made for

Them as soon as this summer where it’s just like we have to we have to explore anre Simon trade because you know we can’t we just can’t push that far forward where he becomes an expiring and we don’t get you know we don’t get real

Value for them yeah now if I if they move these guys in the summer and they get good stuff for him okay like I I’m completely like I I will resend this and but I do think and Jeremy Grant you know I was worried that like he’s been really

Healthy this year he continues to shoot it really well from three you know I was worried that he was maybe a ticking Time Bomb like that’s hopefully they’re going to make it to the end of the year without him having lost any value uh although you know if you’re trading for

Him you don’t necessarily you don’t get this year’s playoffs but hopefully you get more so yeah that that was kind of my big takeaway is just that if you look at the coverboard right now it’s it’s pretty bare like they’re not they’ve got one you know Golden State pick and a

Couple Milwaukee first and a Boston first like they could have you were hoping they’re gon to add a lot more to that and they just haven’t yet Today’s Show is brought to you by prize picks it’s America’s number one fantasy sports app with over 3 million members it’s the easiest and most

Exciting way to play daily fantasy sports it’s just you do against the numbers you pick more than or less than on a two to six player entry it’s just you versus the stat projections prize pick stats the sets the projections and you pick more or less and then you watch

Those winnings roll in and right now it’s demon time over on prize picks you can win up to a 100 times your money with as little as four correct picks you can turn $100 into excuse me $10 into $1,000 that’s what a100x means $10 becomes a $1,000 here’s how it works

Demons and goblins the newest and most exciting way to play prize picks squares are marked either with a red demon or a Green Goblin and they get different payouts and you can now win up to 100 times your money this little has just four correct picks if you if you go to

The demon squares and the Goblin squares so why not go over to price picks.com loock onba and use the code locked on NBA for first deposit match up to $100 that’s price.com loock innba and use the promo code locked innba they’ll match you dollar for dooll on your first

Deposit up to 100 bucks it’s prize picks pick more pick less it’s that easy Today’s Show is also brought to you by Robin Hood did you know that even if you have a 401k for retirement you can still have an IRA Robin Hood has the only Ira

That gives you a 3% boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robin Hood gold but get this now through April 30th Robin Hood is even boosting every single dollar you transfer in from other from another retirement account with a 3% match that’s right no cap on the 3% match

Robin Hood gold gets you the most for your retirement thanks to their Ira with a 3% match this offer is good through April 30th get started at robinhood.com booost subscription fees apply and more now for more legal info this claim has to be as Q as of q1 2024 validated by

Radius Global Market Research investing involves risk including loss limitations suppli to IAS and 401ks 3% match requires Robin Hood gold for one year from the the first 3% match must keep Robin Hood IR R for 5 years the 3% matching on transfers is subject to specific terms and conditions Robin Hood

Ira available to us customers in good standing Robin Hood Financial LLC member sipc is a registered broker dealer still a pass first point guard still Mike Richmond you are still listening to locked on Blazers here’s the rest of my conversation with Nate Duncan from the dunked on basketball podcast do you think

Um there has been some reporting that they’re comfortable kind of like keep they’re going the Houston Rockets route and having some vets alongside the youngsters what do you make of that approach um in terms of like let’s assume that the Vets mean keeping Malcolm Brogden and Jeremy Grant into

Next season yeah that would I think that would be foolish um because like like where are you okay the Houston Rockets right the Houston Rockets don’t have their pick that’s why they’re doing this right yeah that’s and I mean they’ve been bad now for a while and that

Doesn’t look good but that’s see to me that would make a lot more sense if You’ traded all these guys because also now from a PR standpoint if you want to trade these guys in the offseason it looks worse right it’s like all right we mve to these guys at the deadline that’s

Fine you know we got some expiring or something or or we got some more matching salary and now we can make some more moves in the offseason bringing in veterans who are different veterans but we already got something for these other veterans like it’s hard for me to IM

Them moving those guys and then like going to get other veterans immediately like that order of operations over the summer doesn’t make a lot of sense to me yeah it’s I I am I am I would say very puzzled by it I don’t I I’m having trouble seeing the other side of the

Hill um you meent you mentioned Shaden sharp yeah what what do you make of his season he he was looking like he was going to be um a relatively interesting part early in the season like he had a a stretch into December where it’s like oh this

Dude can play what and then he just hasn’t been healthy what do you make of his second year in the league yeah I mean there were some very interesting starts admittedly against not great teams but like the end of the Memphis game at home yeah the end of the Detroit

Game I think go was on the road where I think the Memphis game they were doing more on ball stuff with him the Detroit game they’re bringing him off those wide pin downs and Detroit couldn’t guard that right because when he was hitting that shot you go under he’s going to

Bang the three you tri him now you got one of the best athletes in the league going downhill I thought you know some of his finishes where he’s taken off he’s got stronger so he’s able to get into guys a little bit when he was finishing well it looked really good so

You love when a guy is that much of a strategic problem for the other team that they’re okay all right you want to try to topside him off that well now you have you know one of the best aluk guys in the league going back door and

They’re just going to throw it up to the square for on those plays so that’s to say that like there’s he had moments given his stature in the league where like teams couldn’t guard him at like key moments of the game like that was really exciting to me yep but obviously

The overall statistical resume was rough part of that was because there’s these moments where he was the only guard available and they had no other Shooters at the other positions and he’s playing 41 minutes a game and of course then he injures the groin then he comes back I

Don’t know what the local feeling is on that situation was mismanaged you know well I know that he came ra eyebrows the first game that he was off a minutes restriction he played 40 minutes into overtime and then he he was and then he was his season ended within a week so I

Don’t know but I know that that I know that that’s factual like I know that I know that he was yeah yeah so it’s groin City right now too instead of instead of Rip City with all these like these core muscle injuries aductor injuries like that’s to to

And yeah I mean to have season ending surgery on on you know Toren groin after like as a second injury and you know that I think he probably injured himself the first time because it just that I don’t know if that was Chanty bips call I don’t know if that

Was the organization’s call but just the idea that you would in this completely lost season that you’re going to be playing someone like that who doesn’t have a lot of experience 41 minutes a game you know I’m sure it’s very easy to play a young guy you think these guys are

Indestructible it’s just that’s and especially when it’s a soft tissue injury like that you definitely really have to question it particularly because this Blazers medical staff has had a lot of and I’m not sure what the continuity has been there with with that group over the last few

Years eyebrow rais things they basically changed it totally rehauled it over the last 12 months um they have a whole new crew they have a whole new crew okay well it’s uh maybe they need some more power may may maybe it’s more an organizational decision-making issue but

Yeah it’s I mean it’s the the they they’ve had undeniable they’ve had some they’ve had some injury uh let’s call it stuff they’ve had some stuff where they’ve where there’s there’s more you know we’re talking about health more and like management of Health more than than

You would want in general um you talked about so yeah should we finish up on sh on Sharp though I guess he just uh you know if you look at uh Seth partno puts together some stats for us one of the things he looks at is contested finishing

46.5% that’s not amazing for Shaden sharp again he’s bashing his head into the wall 46% on twos that’s that’s not amazing 33% on threes that’s not amazing uh the three-point volume that’s not amazing that’s something you and I have talked about in the past as well so you

Are still kind of relying on some of these flashes and you do one if like all right is he going to come back and not quite be the same athlete after having you know surgery on his groin muscle so it’s again I was hoping to just see more

Evolution like his complete lack of highlevel experience before coming to the NBA just getting more of an understanding of how to execute on both ends is important and so like that to me that lost information foram he did end up playing like 1200 minutes because he was playing a billion minutes in some

Of these games but that lost information for me that that is you know you look at like where the Pistons were with Kate Cunningham this year right with him having missed kind of all of his second season and sharp isn’t that level of prospect but

You know it really took a long time for the Pistons and for Kate Cunningham to kind of click in this season and Cunningham’s starting to play well now but yeah I mean that second year is just so important and to lose that and then go into that third year there’s going to

Be a lot of pressure on that third year and and trying to establish yourself for an extension it’s that that particular injury is the most damaging of this Blazer season to me yeah it’s the money-making year right like the year three is the money-making year it’s it’s

When guys get um hundreds of millions of dollars or they get 12 more months to make hundreds of millions of dollars like it’s um it is it’s a big moment for him so I wonder like I think you you’ve seen you know some flashes from from

Sharp albeit a little bit but I think he’s got he’s got the physical tools to be to be to be really good and he has some moments there when he’s been really good he’s probably a two um so he’s you know like yeah yeah you don’t want him

Playing the three yeah he’s probably a two amrey Simons is is the odd man out here is what is your sort of we talked about sort of the other vets what is your timeline on trading ant like what do what do you do they do they have to

Do it this summer can they be patient till next deadline like what is if you consider kind of the future is Henderson Shane sharp even with how little we’ve learned about them this year what is kind of their what should their appetite be for shopping anfy

Simons yeah I think they should be doing it at every possible transaction period now if it’s like hey you’re getting some shitty first at the end of the first round like yeah okay go ahead and hold on to him at that point and the type of

Player that he is I’m not sure that there’s a massive market right for him you know when we did our mock deadline I was very focused on moving him to Orlando I I was the Blazers in Orlando was interested in getting him because like he’s a pretty solid fit there I

Would say because he’s played more point guard this year I think like he can play that in some systems and his ability to shoot the ball off the dribble or off the catch is really good I think he’s been not as bad defensively in the last

Year and a half or so and certainly in their system with all the other athletes they have he’d be a good fit you know is Brooklyn interested in him like you know probably not right like there there aren’t that many teams where they’re just like and also like dejonte Murray

Is another guy who’s going to be out there that you know in theory teams would be trying to get and I think teams might value dejonte Murray more than time I’m not sure I would agree with that necessarily but so I’m not sure that there are that many

Opportunities to move him but and particularly with Brogden there too I me that’s the other thing where it’s like all right we’re gonna have four of these guards like now as it turned out this year none of them were ever they never had four of

All uh and you know you do wonder how many minutes Brogden can play anyway but it’s I think if they’re you certainly it would be negligent to not at least be gauging the market on him and if you have an offer that’s equivalent to like two major assets I would move him yeah

That’s kind of where I land too is that it’s like it would be malpractice not to make phone calls this summer like it would just be it would like because his he’s like his Market is limited or maybe he just falls apart on a on a you know

Or has another kind of injury played year and his value goes down as well I think like there’s just to me the risk of not moving guys is one that isn’t talked about enough and I like because because I it’s hard for me to and I do

Think this summer too it’s just easier as I said because it’s easier to make transactions in the Summer with the rosters with the money more first round picks are available I think a lot of there’s a lot of pressure on a lot of teams to win that are going to have

Assets they’re going to move them then everyone’s going to be impacted again particularly if some of these are second apron teams like this is the last year that you’re not going to have a frozen draft pick if you’re in the second apron so I I do think that it would like all

Right maybe if the offer isn’t there the offer isn’t there and maybe they gauged it quietly and we just never heard about it but right you know we we hear about it for most of these guys if the team is gauging the market and certainly there

Was never a report on that with Grant or with Simons yeah it seems like they or really even Brogden it seemed like right the the reports we heard on brog was the Blazers are not going to trade him it was like all of a sudden it was like so

Seems like teams have called and the Blazers are not moving forward maybe it was brogen’s injury like maybe it was Health you know maybe because he’s out with played since then right yeah yeah that also torpedoed a a trade over the offseason too yeah it’s it’s it’s um it

Makes it relatively tricky uh going forward they the players have to do something though they have 14 players on the roster and they’re like right up against the tax line like they yeah that was the that was the other thing that I was like surprised by

It’s like yeah like you you have to move these guys in the summer somebody somebody’s G have somebody has to go yeah exactly yeah uh that that makes it really tricky so then you now you’re kind of negotiating from a point where they’re like well we know you need to

Save money and that kind of changes it where if you had just gotten some expiring it would be a little bit simpler going forward um let’s let’s end with the most exciting player in the Blazers roster by far uh the Blazers got Delano Banton for a second round pick

That’s very unlikely to convey he took 27 shots on Friday which is pretty incredible um I never thought I would be uh able to you know have the opportunity to watch Delano banson take 27 shots but he’s been pretty good for the Blazers he’s certainly been the best he’s ever

Been in a Blazers uniform what do you make of uh of the young guard Wing in Banton from what you’ve seen in his uh short Blazers career yeah the shot looks pretty good I mean that’s the number one takeaway because that was always what was was

Holding him back and that shot he hit the ice game the other day that little like pick and pop uh is I mean that’s the first person eny that’s the first like uh pick and roll roll man shot that he’s hit as a Blazer but let’s go go

Yeah you know he hit another one off a handoff like it’s it’s looking like he can at least be a threat out there and defensively he’s got pretty good size he’s not great getting over screens but maybe he could do some switching and they have a lot of guys who can do that

Uh he’s a solid rebounder so so he can grab and push the ball just you know not an amazing athlete you know his like getting downhill he’s not someone who probably scares you that much but he can make some decisions he can pass and you know certainly someone that you know maybe he’s

Not if the shot continues to go well still probably not a starting level of player you know because he’s not really GNA be like I don’t know what he does in the pick and role that really scares you defensively like I don’t think he’s

Going to be a guy who’s like oh you go under on him we can’t even do that right like that’s yeah you know I think if he’s you’re playing the pick and rooll two on two like I don’t know that he’s like some huge threat and you’re that

Worried about getting out of your base coverage on him or something but yeah know they do have a team option on him for next year uh and and that team option is only uh $200,000 guaranteed so you imagine that they will pick that up or maybe they

Decline that and that could be because they have that team option that could be leveraged to get them on a longer term deal right uh he would be unrestricted were they to decline that so I like it certainly looked like someone they should keep around and see if he can be

You know a backup Wing backup guard particularly if they move on from some of the guys we’re talking about you know maybe he could be one of these guys who’s like a third guard with size can play next to either sharp or Henderson like that that would be your Hope For

What could come up about and maybe you know or maybe you could play a little bit of three as well for you give you some additional ball handling yeah I think he’s better as a two I I I think the strength matters for him on defense

From what the little I you know he’s play 14 games or 12 games with the Blazers so but I think the when he has he’s okay in like a little switchy moments but if he if he’s like okay go guard a big Wing it’s not um not ideal

But yeah I think if if the if they didn’t have 14 players under contract for next year I think it’ be a no-brainer like he can be part of the plan they just have a lot of decisions to make and if and I don’t know if

Delano gets caught in those like in the in the churn of of all the decisions they have to make trade in Brogden for for stuff for guys who uh you don’t have a 20 million there’s no 20 million Magic Eraser in the summertime when you if you even if you

Get off him you’re going to get players player or player back so um they they just have they have some roster decisions to make and I think Bon is like a I think he’s been intriguing and fun I’ve enjoyed I’ve enjoyed the Delano bit experience but I’m not I I’m not

100% sure he can be he will be part of the plan just because of all the other dominoes that have to fall first well well we’ll see what happens the rest of the way right if he could if he you know shoots 27% on threes the rest of the way

Then maybe not but but I mean the other thing is you know he’s $200,000 guaranteed next year right I mean why wouldn’t you just ex worst case exercise that team option and bring him in and see uh you know you could always just cut him like that 200,000 make

Decision yeah make a decision in January otherwise yeah exactly yeah yeah seems seems reasonable all right Nate thank you so much uh when if folks looking for more of you where can they find you yeah uh Nate Duncan NBA is uh my I still will say Twitter because X you could say

Twitter we’re we’re okay with that here and and uh yeah we we have dunked on Prime five days a week with me and Danny Laro and one day a week with earthw Port linan Port is that what you say what you portlander I think portlander portlander

Yeah John Hollinger and also we do the NBA strategy stream once a week if you’re a league pass subscriber and we try to really like get into the weeds as we’re doing the call like really lock in on every play during those matchups so that that’s kind of a fun thing if

You’re a total hoop nerds to check out just on the NBA League Pass App you click on streams and we’ll be one of them uh we’re doing who are we doing tomorrow should probably figure that out we oh we’re doing uh rockets and Spurs tomorrow so hopefully wanyama will play

If you want to check that game out a lot of young interesting players you can join us for that or or a lot of Zack Collins if you’re a Blazer fan um maybe just like a little too much Zack Collins uh Nate it’s always a pleasure talking to you I I I appreciate

The time uh listeners come back tomorrow we do five days a week rev you get Podcast and also on YouTube tell your friends about the program I appreciate you listening I’ll talk to you soon

Nate Duncan (Dunc’d On Basketball Podcast) joins the program to talk Trail Blazers Present and Future.

Scoot’s Season, Deandre Ayton’s Role and with the Blazers, Not Making Moves at the Trade Deadline, the murky path forward and Shaedon Sharpes Sophomore Campaign.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBlazers?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

Watch the show and subscribe on YouTube
📺 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeE7WdPaNWwA-IZGfHek90Q?sub_confirmation=1

Music for Locked On Blazers by Drae Slapz. Find more of Drae’s work here: https://ffm.bio/thedraeslapz

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Nissan
Our friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Terms and conditions apply.

eBay Motors
For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

BetterHelp
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.

PrizePicks
Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel
Get buckets with your first bet on FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your bet wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#TrailBlazers #NBA