Blazers 2024 Draft + Free Agency!

Blazers 2024 Draft + Free Agency!

[Music] yo what is up we have found we we all collectively we have all found we like the Blazers I am in fact Brandon goldner and over there is in fact Ryan Whited Ryan what’s up brother not much we’re testing out new technology it it took just us testing out new technology for you to absolutely blow the intro I love it anything freezes or sounds like crap it’s not our fault it probably is my fault I’m in a different room I have a weird microphone thing it’s probably still bouncy we’re using streamyard shout out to Rogue media Network for letting us use uh this incredible technology that we hope to take advantage of Ryan this does mean that we can have live streams we can have guests we can have comments we can have questions we can do fun stuff when the next season starts but until then we have offseason stuff to talk about Ryan let’s start chronologically for our your Portland Trail wazers actually before we do that I’m sorry man I’m just I’m jumping so far out how are you that’s what actually matters in this come on I’m great and I’m just loving you’re trying to speedrun this podcast you’re like look man we got 45 minutes of content we’re going to shove it into a 10minute span right now let’s go um yeah how you doing I’m doing great are I’m good are you guys unpacked you settled in you figured everything out mostly most things are unpacked this room this room and in particular still a bit a bit of a fright but we’re getting there um we need uh I think we need one computer desk and we’re done uh we feel very comfortable the cats are comfortable uh we’re ready for you and Sonia to come and visit us because this will be the room that you stay in in fact the podcast Studio pod hey that’ll make podcasting easy yeah just we’ll just wake you up while I’m podcasting like why is he in our room but no uh things are good yeah uh feeling settled have gotten to explore New Haven which is an incredibly Town lots of good food um stuff is walkable the biking leaves something to be desired it’s definitely a bit of a um if you’re going to get on your bike and get on these roads East Coast driving Ryan is not like West Coast driving at all no no it is not very different uh Interstate driving is very different I was actually quick anecdote then I want to hear from you but I was on the interstate speed limit 65 so I’m doing 73 in in the second well in the second to left lane so not even the passing Lane and this dude comes up and he I mean he must have been doing 90 95 maybe 100 miles an hour and I mean he almost clipped my car and I was just like wow and then that happened like the next day and then it happened like the day after that like it’s it’s quite um I like driving usually I’m I feel like I’m a good driver I’m a confident driver it’s a little scary out there so yeah everyone Connecticut just chill out please he’s just a baby East coaster you can’t go at him so hard I I don’t I don’t understand I’m going I’m going over the speed limit I’m not in the passing list so I’m I’m learning even the semi- trucks Ryan the semi trcks were passing me on the right I it’s really unbelievable I don’t know everybody’s in a hurry to to get to where the traffic is so they can wait that’s apparently the cops yeah there’s no there’s no police presence to to deal with any of this I guess or maybe they’re doing something else anyway yeah I’m GNA laugh you get a ticket for like dangerous driving because you’re not keeping up with the uh with the crowd I’m and I do I think it’s yes I’m trying to go with the flow of traffic um but then you’ll have these outliers that are just totally I yeah it’s something you’d see in Oregon maybe like once a year you’d get you or whatever like maybe once every couple months and it’s just every day and there’s someone going just insane anyway yeah how are you nice uh I’m fine my my house is no longer you know a sauna we’ve we’ve crossed the uh We’ve crossed the AC and heating thing replacement and so uh I’m I’m now looking for a seventh job you know if anyone El gonna say your wallet being somewhat lighter at this point oh God and it was funny cuz we got like two or three different bids and each one was getting like progressively more and more and I’m like like I will not spend that much money and we spent that much money but at least with this one like we went through Costco and Costco I mean I’m not going to be able to take this off my roof and drive it back to return it but at least has the Costco backing and they upgrade customer service and all that stuff and the benefit I might be able to get a two for one special out of this because the cash back on this that I get they’ll send me an actual direct shop Costco Shopper card for it for like 10% of the purchase uh and we’re in the market for a new fridge and freezer so if I can turn this into a brand new AC and new fridge and freezer all in one purchase it’ll make me feel a little bit better and then the Whit family is getting an ice plunge next uh all of the all the things to keep cool no that’s fair um good on you uh yeah I’m very thankful that actually the apartment building that we are in did not have this problem but the next building over that’s a part of the same complex their AC went out throughout the whole building and I stepped in and I was like oh dear cuz it’s not just it’s not just the heat it’s the humidity that gets you Ry um anyway I’m very thankful that very thankful for the air conditioning in the apartment and I’m jealous that you have it at your home because when we go back to Portland uh we will not have that uh but Ryan I can for you a couple bids okay uh yes I oh God anyway so many things cost money nowadays um just everything is a cost speaking of how am I going to do this uh entities that want to stay cool question mark the Blazers staying cool by making a chill trade we’re GNA go so by the way spoiler alert there was an NBA draft the Blazers participated there’s been an NBA offseason the Blazers have mostly not participated however we do want to go through in semi chronological order the things that the Blazers have done because we find them interesting uh and we think that you will too uh starting right before the draft the Blazers shipping in uh small forward Denny abdia uh coming in the 23-year-old 69ine Wing from the Washington Wizards who had a pretty a what you call a breakout season last year um getting some six man of the year or most improved player uh ballot votings excuse me the Blazers shipping out Malcolm Brogden shipping out the 14th pick in this year’s draft shipping out the second most favorable of the three picks they have in 2029 I may not even be alive then Ryan and I think a pair of second round picks to bring back Denny ABIA who is on the League’s most Team friendly contract he is under contract for the next three years in a descending contract that I think goes something like 164 11 million for someone who is now like reaching the point in his career where he’s looking like a sub Allstar at a position of need Ryan what besides not being able pronounce Denny ABIA which is totally fair what is your opinion about this trade do you have an opinion about this trade I do and I don’t so great uh great opinion to have right there uh it was definitely one of those things where when when when the news came out I was like who and then am I supposed to be excited and immediately just do a quick stats check all right looks looks promising and you know when I move myself from it um you know for one I kind of it’s weird because I think I had Malcolm Brogden valued a little more than this in my head but I totally understand the need and the fit that the Blazers brought back um I am also leaving myself open to in 2029 completely [ __ ] on this trade because I think that when it says the the the most favorable the Blazers have a pick coming from or second most favorable the Blazers will have their own pick because their obligation to Chicago will be fulfilled by then uh they’ll have a first round pick coming from the Celtics and then the Milwaukee Bucks pick who when the Damen Lillard trade went down we were all projecting like oh well they’ll be this far in and how good would the Bucks actually be so some of those like high value picks that we were hoping on that would turn into something great down the road we’ve already now shipped one of them out um and so again it when but when you stand back and you look at this this is a position of need for a young guy on a cheaper contract and testing out technology I love this great on a cheaper contract and it’s he’s for the people not watching on video I put a ticker up that says nobody cares about pix in 2029 Ryan sorry any and and he’s established you you’ve already seen what he can do so would you rather take that or would you rather with either the seventh or the 14th pick take a flyer and hope somebody develops into the kind of player that he is so in this case it does make sense in spending that 14th pick to get the established version of what you would have already drafted in a position of need someone who’s younger than Dalton connect is who was everyone’s so happy that the Lakers got Dalton connect in the draft this dude’s Denny obia still 23 and you know also let’s remember too the BL lasers in this move were able to duck the tax which you know For Better or Worse was important uh well you don’t want to be the third worst team in the league and being a taxpaying team that’s no definitely not no exactly so that’s part of it too and you know in a position of League wide need right like everyone loves stretchy 69ine wings so yeah I feel like it’s hard to have any qualms about this also Ryan remember I remember a podcast with two handsome gentlemen that aired last week on Little Feed I like to call we like the Blazers that did not include me that did include you and Steve dewald Ryan what is it that Steve said about the draft uh a lot of things it was the whole episode we spoke about the draft in the whole I know that’s a that was a [ __ ] question I’m sorry we clearly didn’t prep one of the things that Steve said to you was he would be happy if the Blazers divested as many of their picks as possible if they got out of this draft as much as they possibly could spoiler alert they also didn’t use any of the second round picks that they had this year instead opting to collect them in future years so the Blazers only had one pick in this draft and Steve dewald’s you know fever dream came true right so I mean we also have to say good job because this is not a good draft that’s the point Ryan like Joe Cronin and Mike schmidtz and their other staff whose names I should probably know or whatever I don’t know like a lot of people doing good work behind the scenes identified this draft as one where they didn’t really want it invest a lot into it and they didn’t and that’s good too right so yeah and the other thing too is um Avia right it’s gonna take me a while guys AIA other letters I feel as j a i make jokes about like we were close to getting an allwhite person lineup and all Center lineup and all point guard lineup eventually it’s going to be the lineup of nobody’s name who I can pronounce but um it’s actually just don’t look at it just hear it AIA great I can say just don’t don’t read it that’s what’s going to throw us off as I’m looking at notes you’re telling me not to read don’t read he’s got he’s got a weird contract is is one of the things too and it it’s right he’s got weird as in good sign yeah he signed a four-year 55 million rookie extension which you’re like oh crap a lot of money but typically you’re like okay that’ll start low and work its way up high he’s got the reverse so I think um can’t remember what he’s making coming up this next season oh sorry he’s making 15.6 million this year 13.1 million after that 11.9 as as it ends and that’s gonna be as the salary cap is going up yes thank you that’s going to be like that’s going to be like one at the end of that contract that’s going to be like 115th of the salary cap for someone that the Blazers are projecting and hoping is like get a sub Allstar level Wing who’s already playing at like a you know a a solid starter level uh showing Improvement he’s 23 years old blah blah blah blah blah blah right like it’s good stuff it’s good stuff what the deal with not giving Joe Cronin credit and a lot of the pundants too it’s like if you go back and look at some of their draft analysis uh or pre-draft analysis of the year he was drafted he was he was very high he was considered a sleeper you know and again even with his you know getting some uh MIP um Mike SCH called him the steal of the draft when he was drafted before he was with before Schmitz was with the Blazers by the way at this point all of my draft prep is just going to be going through Mike Mike Smith’s uh um from like four years ago or five years ago it’s like when Neil OE kept signing people that he had drafted with the Clippers or like wanted to draft or wanted to sign when he was in LA and he like kept bringing him back uh bringing him back to Portland yeah and hey that’s fine Mike schmidtz has a he had a very good track record when he was with ESPN he’s had a good track record so far with the Blazers obviously he’s going to be judged most harshly on whether Shaden sharp and Scoot Henderson pan out but yeah like I trust his judgment and when the grades came in from every corner of these great United States I saw the grades for this trade B+ a minus B+ a a A+ a minus B+ one person from ESPN whose name is now escaping me said said that the Blazers had the steel of Draft Day by making this trade so you know good stuff I mean yeah credit Works do this is a good trade and so then we entered the actual draft and I don’t feel as though there was God bless ESPN uh and trying to make it dramatic or hyped up because in a draft where no one was they try they try yeah no one was really all that excited about it I mean I was at a 108 of the fan draft or Draft broadcast party thing and it it was literally as it was happening and they’re doing their radio show it almost felt as though watching it happen on the TV screen was just it happening in the background um you know a lot of it did come down to obviously Blazers drafted kingan at at seven um I want to say that the room was pretty split on a yay or nay for that um I was in the Nay originally but at that point in time I I hadn’t done much digging around on on the player we had just traded for AIA and was that right did I get it did I’m roll yeah I’m so proud yay I didn’t read it you’re right okay so in the player we just traded for an AIA and with with it being Clingan and and Cody Williams still on the board I was really wanting Cody Williams at that point um just because of what I think Cody Williams would have meant for the future of the team and drafting kinging I was like crap that means that aon’s probably going to be the first to go over anony Simons that was kind of like my my initial like workr in my process on it yeah um Joe Cronin later on in in a press post draft press conference which I love those because those seem a little more raw I guess you’re more likely to slip up and let some behind the scenes Secrets or thought process slip through in some of your answers but later on um Secrets he kind of he kind of assuaged my my concerns but by mentioning that you know they need to build around Scoot and Shaden there was no mention of aony Simons so I’m like okay yeah so but in this you know I expect kingan he’s gonna immediately probably bolster the defense um he will be a great great guy to pair next to scoot and shadeen and AIA um and now it’s just kind of the Blazers need to figure out and we’ll get into this as we talk a little bit more about trades on you know who they want to ship out and how much Runway they want to give this young core that’s now very obviously developing what were your thoughts uh I actually didn’t have strong opinions one way or the other um like that futur bit where there’s two political parties and they’re both saying I have no strong feelings one way or the other like I didn’t know a lot about Donan kingan I mean I heard that maybe he was being considered by Atlanta as the top pick and you know that there were other teams maybe would have had interest in him and that you know he didn’t think that he was going to maybe fall as far as he did I mean I believe Cronin and schmidtz when they say that he was like really high on their board I do think there’s a little bit of pause we should take for as much as you I heard you talk about it I not so much but and other people saying that Zach Edy oh you can’t pick Zach Edy he’s a stiff he’s a slow Center Ryan which player did the worst in the combine agility drills I believe it was kinging wasn’t it I believe it was kingan so that’s worrisome that if you’re going to have someone who is like you know he’s very tall he’s very long he’s got big hands got a great wingspan and all that stuff translates to the NBA however there’s a world in which it’s just like well this dude was just huge and he wasn’t super mobile and he has like theoretically the ability to shoot like I think he was a shooter in high school and maybe just wasn’t given the opportunity to shoot in the system that they had at Yukon as they won two consecutive championships and you know good on them for that but so I don’t know man like I’m I’m going to firmly be undecided like again I trust that whatever Joe Cronin and Mike Schmid sees in this guy and again like other people who graded the Blazers said it was a great pick I’m gonna have to trust that but I don’t have a strong opinion about it can I give you a little bit of push back on on the the Zack being the most agile Center than you know posting those those numbers uh in the combine he he had that label and and this is one of the things where I I wish people and this goes across to all all sports you know well I think the NBA and uh NFL are the only two that really do a combine but players know their weaknesses when they come into those things and them and their agents hyperfocus on addressing those weaknesses not necessarily addressing them like fixing them but making sure that there’s a good showing and Zack Edy all through the NCAA tournament had comments and the narrative around him of that he is a stiff he does lack lateral movements and and this that and the other and so I feel as though post you know post Collegiate when he declares for the draft it’s nothing but we need to get you to look good in the combine to assuage any of these concerns that GMS at w to draft you might have so there there is a little bit of the I don’t I still don’t necessarily want to compare like those kingan and Ed’s like measurables because I do think to some degree a lot of them could be a flash in the pan kind of thing and it is then up to the scouts to figure out who’s putting on a show and who’s not but still I hear what you’re saying and also I don’t think that someone like Donovan kingan is gonna like not try hard because he doesn’t think he has to like I don’t know like I no I know it’s and I wasn’t trying to I wasn’t trying to insinuate that he’s not trying hard I mean he could still have legit things he has to work on but it was more in line of Zack Ed of make sure that you look like you can move side to side but yeah yes I I so yeah I I guess yeah it’s such a I don’t want to get all hot takey with you because the point that you’re making is a nuanced one and I feel you it’s like hey if someone is being told by their Camp before you go into the combine Focus on this and someone else isn’t then maybe the guy who’s being told you’ve really got to perform well got to disperse all of the you know all the skepticism that people have about your Mobility that yet maybe Zach Edy like it’s like Kevin Love playing defense on Steph Curry for that one possession in the finals right that version of Kevin Love is Like a defensive player of the year candidate but he did it once right so maybe maybe you’re right image lives in our head forever now yeah Kevin Love who actually just signed a 2-year contract with Miami Heat even though Kevin Love is a thousand years old get your money big man Pat Riley continuing to do nothing to help Jimmy Butler in his waning Prime but this show is not about the heat so okay yeah I don’t know like so I the short answer I talked I talk a lot uh I I’m waiting to see on Donan kingan I I like the theory of someone who’s really big defensive minded can anchor a defense I like that I also think that’s kind of what people thought Aon was going to be when he entered the league and he has not been that even though he’s been very good so um just to loop back to the point before we continue on what do you think this selecting Donovan Kling and a center uh means for DeAndre Aon in the short term in in the short term I will say that before free agency started and we’ve kind of seen some dominoes that are falling so far I would have said that he is definitely on number one on the list to most likely be traded before the like early season like maybe a month or two in see how kingan’s doing and like you know some live fire actual NBA games and then you can go ahead and and work like set up a trade that you know early in the season get get some language going now um now I probably be willing to bet a sandwich that he may not even make the roster come the start of this year that he’ll already be traded off at this point in time so but I do think it does make his tenure here shorter significantly and again that was part of the reason why I was concerned with them drafting him because I would have rather ant’s tenure be here shorter than aton’s but whatever you do see this league wide shift though back towards centers and it wasn’t when Yama single-handedly forcing that ship but for example like I’m not sure if we see players like Cody Zeller and Mason plumbley at the points that those centers are in their career getting contracts the way that they have I I think Zeller going to Utah and plumbley going to Phoenix which is funny because he is him and Yousef nkit will have something to talk about having been traded for each other think that’s going to be an awkward locker room at all like nerk is gonna be like so now you’re here to take my take my job really I mean Mason plumbley is has always had a lower ceiling and has always been more consistent in the role in which he’s been asked to play so you know whatever but like I do think that we’re seeing a shift in the NBA towards Center’s good and if we’re going into Center’s good then perhaps having Aon and kinging at the same time isn’t the worst thing in the world right like if the The Meta of the NBA the schemes that teams run the rosters they build if that necessitate having lots of tall people then maybe it’s good that as Shaden sharp and Scoot Henderson and player unknown from next year’s draft are developing that they have tall people to play with because that’s like the meta of the NBA so I actually had thought about that until now but um all my best ideas are totally unformed and uh uh yeah unplanned but the off the cuff that’s my our last little bit about the draft and I mean this With all sincerity do you understand any thing that freaking happened with in the second round for the Blazers I was as F about that they they traded all their picks they they traded all their second round picks they got more future second round picks but I swear to God trying to keep up with that news which by the way split the draft into two days that’s one thing split the draft into two days and have day two be in the middle of the freaking afternoon not for me that is stupid I not for you Coast Supremacy media bias the East Coast media bias pathetic little West coasters look as a lifelong East coaster Ryan as someone who drives very quickly on the freeway no I don’t know like it was like you know I no I didn’t I I didn’t understand it in the moment because the reporting about this stuff is pretty confusing when the dust settled yeah it made sense they D they they they punted on this draft which again smart people like Steve dewald was like the Blazers ought to punt on this draft because there’s not a lot of talent in it and that’s exactly the Blazers did by the way the Blazers when they this is kind of leaking into the next piece but when they resigned Delano Banton the Blazers now have their 15 regular roster spots set so they didn’t want to spend a second round pick because they thought Delano Bon would be better than what those people could be and you know what that’s probably right so you know that’s fine with me like I will say this do you have any opinions about uh the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA draft oh my God yeah my opinion I to say any other draft nobody would have as many opinions as they have about the one in this draft and it is mind numbingly stupid I swear to God it I can’t escape Instagram my sports part of it is it was everything on freaking Twitter when it happened oh my god father Sun Duo like I get it that is cool but it would be nice if the son was an actual decent basketball player if it was anybody else he if it was anybody else even in this crap of a draft he would have gone undrafted but by God the Lakers he was there for him still I love that rich Paul by the way was coming out beforehand and he’s gonna go to Australia not to take him do not take him at all with pick 45 down otherwise he’ll go to Australia good I’ll put him on the boat and ship him there myself just so I never have to hear about it again and by the way probably the best bit of information or anything to have come out of this is the fact that LeBron James’s wife so Bron’s mom yeah re retweeted and retweeted yeah Savannah retweeted and retweeted not is isn’t the right word she screenshotted I think the Tweet of somebody that said it and put it on her Instagram and laughed but somebody had said it’s gonna be really awkward when one teammate realizes their other teammate is [ __ ] their [Laughter] mom and the lady in question of that entire premise screenshotted that with laughy face emojis and put it on which that is that’s the best thing it’s good that’s the best of news it’s the only discourse that I have enjoyed about it everything else knock it off stop talking about it nobody gives a [ __ ] one more thing the the most annoying discourse about this was Adrien wowski going on television oh the literally being oh you know what there’s so much other nepotism you know what Adrien we don’t like any of the other nepotism either so let’s cool it yeah it’s nepotism let’s call it what it f can I counter with you I do not recall you having an issue when dami and lilmont Oly Lillard got his cousin a roster spot with playing time I am fairly certain I made fun of that I I’m pretty sure that I did so whatever and the same way that I make fun of thanasis being on the bucks um for five consecutive years shout out to Theo family AR both brothers on his his yeah I think they are I think they are anyways but we’re not here to talk about that we’re here to talk about the Blazers so okay so there we go um then so the Blazers they get uh Donovan Kling seven traded the 14th pick and part to get Denny AIA AIA great traded out of the second round completely for future picks great they reign as I said earlier resigned Delano Banton to a regular contract uh great and the Blazers uh have now also so I believe today they signed Justin manah to a two-way deal that he’s been on the team the last couple Seasons bouncing between the big club and the Rip City remix so shout out to him it is I’m unclear on how many I think the Blazers can add two more two-way Deals they have 15 regular spots manah is a two-way deal I think you’re allowed to have three so they can have up to 18 players with three of them being two-way deals you’re noding your head so I’m I’m going to assume that you you there was a temporary Co rule that then when they went back to their first actual full season that was rescinded but uh the teams actually liked it it was so popular that then the following year they made that a permanent change so okay fair enough um so there’s that and then Ryan can we quickly tick through unless you have any more on that some like other kind of around the NBA news and just do a couple quick hits and call it a day or how you feeling sure so right off the bat we got some we’ve had some laser Centric rumors uh for by the way for one free agency starting when it did totally off guard I am normally on that like freaking white on rice no I scroll on the internet and somebody was like I just saw like one hour till the craziness and I was like wait what already I forgot that they you know extended that you know moratorium period or kind of changed the rules I still think everybody’s effing tampering I mean you heard a rumor that you know LeBron James had called Klay Thompson the minute that you know it open but whatever umy uh players agents and teams can all tamper according to the NBA but um rumors uh Jeremy Grant might be available uh this is a a substantiated unsubstantiated report uh Anthony Irwin uh who is a local Lakers beat reporter I believe um he’s been saying that the Lakers have been in discussions with the Blazers about Jeremy Grant and um I can believe it yeah and that I don’t know what the Lakers would have to offer it says they’re going to they’re willing to trade two first round picks in the transaction um as well so do they have two first round picks that was my first question I cannot verify if they have them uh as I made a joke before we started recording if they don’t I’m sure they will connive somebody into giving them first round picks for absolutely Adam Silver will open up his secret box of draft picks and create one for them a he will create a 61st pick in order for the Lakers to get an extra first round pick yeah yeah yeah um one of the one of the reasons that that has just always been like in talks so far is that um there were other dominoes that people were waiting to fall um uh obviously Paul George who went and signed to the Sixers uh I’m glad he is now on his fourth team uh in a decade in which he will say that he wants to retire there uh congratulations to him moving also like moving from one Superstar who can’t play in the playoffs to another Superstar who can’t play in the playoffs like have fun Paul trust the process um also the the other big Domino was a Klay Thompson you know breaking up the Splash Brothers they were waiting to see where he goes um I actually think the Mavs are a really good fit for him uh I’m amazed at the number of years and money that they gave him but uh I actually think that is a really good move to have you know uh Kyrie Luca and clay that uh has a very very deadly Trio yeah the theory of clay but I don’t know the reality of clay and the theory of clay at this it’s the same thing with Chris Paul to the Spurs where it’s oh it’s gonna be but these dudes are like they’re they’re either fully washed or like washed adjacent I mean did we forget that Klay Thompson went 0 for 10 in his last game as a warrior like zero points I I don’t know man like it’s just yeah I don’t know yeah but uh I like the theory of it yeah so there were those dominoes to fall so now that the Lakers which is is funny to watch them now continuously miss out on some of these big names you know maybe Jeremy Grant might they might get into desperation mode the Blazers would in this case find themselves in a position of power and and leverage in those negotiations um there’s also been which I’m pretty sure this could possibly be off the table but there’s been some rumors and mumblings about matis thel and the Maverick I don’t think that’s necessarily in the works anymore I think the Mavs are pretty much near approaching the uh the first apron um after this Klay Thompson deal um but there are also some rumors that you’re hearing out there about now interest in Aon and um so we’ll just kind of see where it goes I mean it was it was a very awkward slow start to you know NBA free agency uh you are definitely seeing leagues be a lot more conscious of this whole first second apron thing and so it’s funny that they’re probably going to turn around and use use the aprons as excuses for why they couldn’t be better when it’s they had to put the handcuffs on themselves I wanted I wanted a couple a couple hits around the NBA stuff to that point that you just made the Clippers released a statement before Paul George signed with the Sixers so weird they so weird they released a statement and in that statement they mentioned the apron like three different oh we wish Paul the best but Jesus knew CBA in the apron makes it blah blah blah blah blah it’s like very very [ __ ] strange also like wasn’t the whole reason that they didn’t want to or they didn’t want to give him a fourth year but he wanted a fourth year wasn’t that the entire argument of that contract and they’re trying to line up the end of kawai’s contract at the end of Paul Georg but listen Steve Balmer you’re opening up a new Arena you sent out sheay gildas Alexander and a thousand picks to get Paul George you’re really going to let one year get in the way of you retaining him because what is their team now they signed derck Jones Jr away from the Mavs good on you for that but what are the Clippers now what are they like why that one was really weird I don’t know they’re a team that will play on an arena that will have a lot of toilets and I don’t know if you know how expensive toilets are meadows but do you know of this press conference that I’m talking about where he was yeah bragging about how many people can piss at the same time or something I don’t know yes it was fantastic one of my f Steve Balmer press conferences are just great but yeah we like we like Steve Balmer come and buy the Blazers too you know I think I think as of today he officially passed Bill Gates so now he is sixth richest man in the world so he could have afforded Paul George buy buy the Blazers immediately um yeah I don’t know man are you allowed to own two teams probably not probably not but like in the same vein of teams trying to you know not pay a bunch of money the know Denver Nuggets who last off seon lost players that helped them win a championship now lost cavius calwell pop who is joining the magic and like again like yo Denver like hello you are you were you won the title lost some players were slightly worse this year couldn’t really manage through the regular season because you didn’t have enough rotation players you lost someone now even more important than any of the players you lost the year before so like I don’t know what the nuggets are doing and I don’t know if I’m Nicol yic how I feel about that but again maybe that’s the pressure of the apron you know um we talked about Kevin Love talked about Chris Paul oh really quick on Chris Paul like are you buying into like Chris Paul is gonna get a thousand assists he’s playing with Wy like I don’t know yes I actually the minute that the Chris Paul news broke I had I was already texting with a couple buddies about NBA free agency stuff and the the minute that I screenshotted over that graphic to let him know like hey isn’t this hilarious that it’s just walk for nothing um I was like I don’t know why but Chris Paul to the the Spurs just make sense and then like three hours later I was like hm okay apparently I wasn’t the only one that thought that huh interesting the team that confuses me the most with what the hell they’re doing is the Pelicans I don’t fully under I don’t fully understand whatever thought process they’re current oh bump the desk what thought process they’re going through and now they are one of the teams that’s rumored to be looking for a center now that they let Jonas Val and Chun or you know Jonas Val and chunis go and allegedly Brandon Ingram is on the trading block and so like for some reason there’s a real possibility that we could be look or that you know you could be doing a Brandon Ingram and DeAndre Aton centered trade would that be something that would interest you at this point in you know I mean he’s 26 years old he is young but I mean I huh that’s really interesting uh probably not probably not I was say case you would assume that it would be a lineup of scoot Shaden uh of or damn it I already forgot aaji AIA um AIA I don’t know why I want to pronounce that just call him Denny that’s fine a there we go Denny Denny call him Denny I’m gonna call him IHOP just perfect yes yeah anyways so uh Denny and then Ingram and and kinging I don’t know uh it sounds like an interesting lineup it sounds like a lineup that makes a hell of a lot more sense than anything think the rolled out in years Pelicans probably don’t have any interest in that but like it is true like I mean they you know they traded for um Deontay Murray from the Hawks right and so obviously you know to your point like Brandon Ingram like he’s got to go somewhere because it’s probably not going to be on on the Pelicans I’m assuming the Pelicans are going to want more from Ingram given his age given his he looks good on paper but like always seems to not have the same impact by the eye test as he does on paper so I don’t know maybe other teams are wise to that who knows yeah um other other kind of big NBA news which we’ll go through I cannot believe that in the Clippers especially with letting Paul George go somehow were convinced by James Harden to agree to a two-year $70 million deal with a which I believe year two player option so just prepare yourself for James Harden part 97 for his usual season angst um and then uh kind of Blazer Centric uh Nicholas Tom found a new home well no re not new home new home again he’s going back to the Clippers so that boy really loves himself some La uh Drew Eubanks joining Utah makes sense super white pasty guy joining the ja absolutely just the whitest you know Derrik Jones J going down to the sorry which one no hartenstein to the Thunder which by the way oh I missed that news oh yeah Nick lose Isaiah hartenstein and the the Thunder are the recipients of his services and they really needed rebounding guess what they got some rebounding yeah that is an extremely reflective Twin Towers I that they will run out there that also a lot of white it is but a lot of competent white as as the case may be I I mean the thunder boy what they are just they are so um I’m so jealous of how that franchise is being run they are they were really good last million first round picks God really good last year they’re going to be better this year maybe not by the win total but they’ll be better in talent and to your point they have 7 trillion picks anything else in free agency or is that how are we feeling yes I have some extremely happy free agency breaking Blazers news if I can bring it to you okay breaking news I love it will be a day that goes down in Blazers history as far as news goes that is because as of today Andrew Nicholson’s contract is finally off the books we have finally off the Allen crab trade but as of 12 o’clock this morning the Andrew Nicholson contract is off the books which I do find ironic because happy Bobby Bonia Day to you kind of Sir same thing but baseball adjacent uh yeah Bobby Bonia was given a uh a contract extension for 30 years at $1 million a year and he is not playing played baseball in about oh I want to say 15 to 20 years or something like that and he is still collecting a million dollars year so it is Bobby Bonia day on Bobby Bonia day Andrew Nicholson’s contract finally off the books well there we go the mistakes of the past being softly erased as the sands of time shift gently and that will do it for this Days of Our Lives are going to sue you look I was just I you know sometimes the metaphors are great and sometimes they are awful actually before we break anything else that you wanted to get to or how you feeling no no I I I got nothing I’m doing that Midwestern thing where I I lean back and I slap my knees and I go well that means we’re done if you want to reach out to us you can always do that at we likethe blazers.com you can always find us on Twitter as well at liketh Blazers or me at goldner PDX or him at the witty Ryan and you can also find our other amazing podcasts that are part of the Rogue media Network and part of the Blazers Edge Family podcast that would be the Rip City round table with Cory Dickman and Trail daddy with Dave Deckard uh we appreciate you all thank you all so much for bearing with us with a new technology new place new time zone new everything but same old Blazers hopefully with some more optimism going into next year but until next time I appreciate you I’m Brandon that’s Ryan thank you and go Blazers go Blazers [Music]

Ep. 95 – With the NBA draft behind us and the free agency period in full swing, the Blazers had themselves quite the week. Ryan and Brandon start from the top, reacting to the trade of the 14th pick for a young, proven player at a position of need. Then they discuss their thoughts and feelings about the selection Donovan Clingan with the 7th pick and whether it provides any clues to the direction of the team. Finally, with free agency seeing a flurry of big names changing teams, the guys check in on some of the Portland Trail Blazers that have been linked to big name teams that find themselves scrambling to fill holes in their starting five.

Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy with Dave Deckard and Rip City Roundtable with Cory Dickman.