https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10062779-nba-insider-notebook-trade-buzz-around-trail-blazers-john-collins-celtics-more
The struggling Portland Trail Blazers are intensely engrossed in improving the roster with the trade deadline approaching, and they are said to be listening to all overtures, league sources tell Bleacher Report.
The organization remains committed to being opportunistic and creative in trying to surround franchise star Damian Lillard with a roster capable of competing with the best.
There are no plans to tank this season, sources say.
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Remember, this is the same guy that reported Simons was near untouchable recently. This seems to suggest otherwise.
by Scalmaa
25 Comments
AKA Hart is definitely getting traded.
Don’t think the return on Simons would be worth it, nor do I get that vibe from Haynes. Probably signals that Cronin is looking to make some real moves though. Main area of lack is our bench depth and lack of vets there. Notable from Haynes:
“Shooting, size and depth are areas of need. Portland is dead last in points off the bench (24.0 points).”
The ONLY way forward is through the draft. Nobody is giving up the kind of talent we need.
Either ride it out and draft well or trade Dame for a Kings ransom
Gonna be a wild ride. Could be great or they could be like the Wizards here soon who knows. Let’s hope for the best and hope they make the playoffs at least
Mikal bridges is Dames guy, Don’t be surprised if we see an Ant for Mikal Bridges Swap
If Ant is truly “untouchable”, I would bet Sharpe a major component of any “real” deadline deal. You have to trade value to get value. An expiring deal (Hart) and bad bench fodder don’t get you a needle mover. If we make a major play, I bet Sharpe is involved.
> intensely engrossed
Haynes writes like a 9th grader lmao
If Hart took more shots I would definitely be more keen on keeping him. His rebounding is valuable but his lack of shooting kills us. Would be looking to move him and Winslow if the right SF upgrade was there.
Would be sad if Ant goes but in theory that means we got someone with some major potential coming back.
Please not Shaedon 🙁
Just give me some names goddammit
I would venture Cronin is looking to package a few bench guys, contracts, picks, etc into another seasoned bench big. Collins. Vanderbilt. We’re talking about Walker, Watford, Johnson, Brown. After that if there are bigger fish to be had you’re looking at escalating and working Hart or Nurkic into a deal. To me, this is the shape of a deal. It’s an incremental improvement of building blocks.
Hopefully we just blow this up and start over, building around dame is a waste of time
*calling everyone in the league.
Dame Nas Grant Siakam Collins GP2 Sharpe Eubanks and some vets who can shoot wins the title in 2-3 years
I love Hart and don’t want to see him go. And this is just my opinion… but according to his tweets, I don’t know that he’s happy living in Portland. Seems to always ask why this, why that.. nothing to do… weather sucks.
Dude there’s so much to do. And it’s rain. I’ll take it over 100% humidity heat waves, bugs the size of my elbow and 10 feet of snow every winter.
That said… please don’t go Hart.
I’ll take any fake trashy trade news at this point, even if it comes from Henry Abbott.
Simons Winslow Johnson
for
DeRozan Green
The lawyers can figure out the picks.
Dame GPII
Sharpe Hart Green
DeRozan Little Walker
Grant Watford Brown
Nurk Eubanks Badji
At the 2, I don’t care. Sharpe, Hart, Green, or Little Starting. Or even GPII starting and splitting time at point and shooting. Likewise, those same names could spend some time at backup 3.
Nah, Simons is still untouchable. Hart is 100% on the trading block if we can find a decent long winged SF or PF.
Ideally Grant moves to SF and we get a lengthy PF.
No it doesn’t.
Picking up the phone doesn’t mean you commit to whatever someone else might be offering.
I don’t know if you need another team to fire Chauncey.
Hart and Nurk and Keon and a protected 1st for Ayton.
Let Sharpe and Nas spread their wings this year (so we can trade Sharpe for a playoff starter around draft time).
Wouldn’t mind getting in the bidding for the Raptors fire sale either.
We desperately need a TRUE power forward that rebounds. Moving Grant over to small forward will fix A LOT of problems. We will improve on rebounding and add length on the wings.
What does this really mean? The team already knew this team was not going to be good enough to contend with its current roster and said as much before the season started.
I feel like this could be re-titled “Haynes: Blazers confirm what they said [last July](https://www.blazersedge.com/2022/7/21/23272567/portland-trail-blazers-general-manager-joe-cronin-nba-offseason-damian-lillard-free-agency-trades)”
Dame is too old to build a team around, the window has passed for them to win a chip on his back. Keep the young pieces and let them develop so Dame can get his ring at 39 and ride in to the sunset
Blazers don’t have enough talent to get upgrades back. With how little it cost the Fakers to get Hachimura, Hart is going to only net one single 2nd round pick with his unwilling to shoot the ball this year.
And with how poor the Blazers been playing, it’ll be scary to try to lift the lottery protection on the 1st rounder that is owned by Chicago.
There are 8 games left for the Blazers until the trade deadline and with how poor they have been playing, going 0-8 is a real possibility. If they don’t go .500 on this run, I say it’s time to tank. There a some intriguing wing players in the top 10 this year.
Send Hart to San Antonio for Zach Collins. Use RoCo TPE for Cam Johnson and whatever 2nd round picks needed to get it done. Problem solved.