4 minutes ago, DaEagles4Life said:

I would disagree. They realized they made a bad trade for Trent. Instead of compounding it by keeping the contract, they at least realized it and got off that 5/90 for Powell. 

I like the move for the Blazers and a sure sign of blowing it up. CJ is next and could see the Pelicans as the destination. 

No point in fiddling for the 6th to 9th seed for next 3 years. 

I get it but there is nothing of even marginal value that came back for Powell.  His contract isn't that onerous.  The original trade was a mistake but mostly because Trent was younger and immediately broke out when he wasn't on a team with so many redundant players. 

If he is averaging 18MM/yr, that is in the neighborhood of a number number of SF/SG that are equivalent or inferior players, many of which are even older.  Maybe everyone has a higher opinion on Keon Johnson and a lower opinion of Powell than I do.  

3 minutes ago, Shepard Wong said:

I get it but there is nothing of even marginal value that came back for Powell.  His contract isn't that onerous.  The original trade was a mistake but mostly because Trent was younger and immediately broke out when he wasn't on a team with so many redundant players. 

If he is averaging 18MM/yr, that is in the neighborhood of a number number of SF/SG that are equivalent or inferior players, many of which are even older.  Maybe everyone has a higher opinion on Keon Johnson and a lower opinion of Powell than I do.  

Its a cap dump. They got under the luxury tax this year, and those 3 guys are all expiring contracts next year that they can offload for more picks. Its the first move of their blow up and rebuild. Its not a trade with the intentions of receiving immediate basketball impact.

2 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Its a cap dump. They got under the luxury tax this year, and those 3 guys are all expiring contracts next year that they can offload for more picks. Its the first move of their blow up and rebuild. Its not a trade with the intentions of receiving immediate basketball impact.

Isn't Covington an expiring contract too?

3 minutes ago, Shepard Wong said:

I get it but there is nothing of even marginal value that came back for Powell.  His contract isn't that onerous.  The original trade was a mistake but mostly because Trent was younger and immediately broke out when he wasn't on a team with so many redundant players. 

If he is averaging 18MM/yr, that is in the neighborhood of a number number of SF/SG that are equivalent or inferior players, many of which are even older.  Maybe everyone has a higher opinion on Keon Johnson and a lower opinion of Powell than I do.  

I don't have a high opinion on Powell an undersized guard who doesn't do much beside shoot. He can shoot the 3, but he will be hunted on D. 

Just now, Shepard Wong said:

Isn't Covington an expiring contract too?

He is an an absolute shell of himself. 

Blazers also have to pay this year Anfernee Simons who has showed a ton and is only 22. 

Does 538 allow you to track those metrics year to year for individual players?  I'd be curious to see if it reflects Powell's defensive deficiencies being exacerbated on the a Blazers roster where everyone is a scorer/shooter with defensive deficiencies.  

I took a quick look on basketball ref and see his defensive box plus/minus is negative for last year and then got even deeper in the negative this season but for the entire rest of his career, it has been slightly positive. 

So by that metric, he went from an average defensive NBA player to a true liability.  Defensive metrics aren't particularly reliable but this looks to me that some contextual change occurred that drove the numbers down.  It could be the quality of defensive players around him or it could also be that his play time went up and he started getting exposed defensively.  Also, the number of games started went way up last season so it could be that once he was playing more time against NBA starters, he got exposed by superior players. 

I'll be curious to see how he plays in LA.

1 minute ago, Shepard Wong said:

Does 538 allow you to track those metrics year to year for individual players?  I'd be curious to see if it reflects Powell's defensive deficiencies being exacerbated on the a Blazers roster where everyone is a scorer/shooter with defensive deficiencies.  

I took a quick look on basketball ref and see his defensive box plus/minus is negative for last year and then got even deeper in the negative this season but for the entire rest of his career, it has been slightly positive. 

So by that metric, he went from an average defensive NBA player to a true liability.  Defensive metrics aren't particularly reliable but this looks to me that some contextual change occurred that drove the numbers down.  It could be the quality of defensive players around him or it could also be that his play time went up and he started getting exposed defensively.  Also, the number of games started went way up last season so it could be that once he was playing more time against NBA starters, he got exposed by superior players. 

I'll be curious to see how he plays in LA.

Balmer also doesn't care about the Luxury Tax so it was a way to get a 6th man for nothing. 

 

Its nice to hear they are doing something. This seems like the Lowry situation last year. Hes too old, and will cost too much to get too excited about. In the end Daryl will probably pursue it till the last second before the deadline. It doesnt get done, and we dont get anything else done either.

From the article:

 

Daryl will insist on Harden AND Durant for Ben. So Im not expecting it to happen.

If Maxey is not included, I’m good with it.

6 minutes ago, Shepard Wong said:

If Maxey is not included, I’m good with it.

Harden being a free agent at the end of the year hurts the nets in this. It’s already reported he’s unhappy there. So there’s a chance even if it’s not the sixers, he could just leave in free agency. They’d like a sign and trade if it’s in the offseason if that’s the route they go cause if not they get nothing for him. Don’t know what teams have a max money slot. Additionally just read the cap is increasing to $121 mil which is up 7.6%.. I think for the nets it comes down to do you think you can win a title this year with him otherwise I’d try and see what’s the most some team is willing to give up in a trade or potentially a three way type deal to move Simmons elsewhere and they get better pieces around Durant and kyrie. 

13 minutes ago, Shepard Wong said:

If Maxey is not included, I’m good with it.

Also, I should mention, if they do include Maxey, I'll be on here hypocritically talking myself into the deal.  

https://www.phillyvoice.com/nba-trade-rumors-nets-open-trading-james-harden-ben-simmons-trade-deadline-daryl-morey/

 

 

For sure tampering between Harden and Morey if this gets done. It is also a great spot for Simmons to be a pick and roll player with Irving and KD. 

2 minutes ago, DaEagles4Life said:

For sure tampering between Harden and Morey if this gets done. It is also a great spot for Simmons to be a pick and roll player with Irving and KD. 

This is probably one of the best fits Simmons could hope for with two truly elite shooters around him and he allows KD and Kyrie to not defend the best ball handler/scorer on the other team while improving their rebounding and ball movement.  

18 minutes ago, Shepard Wong said:

This is probably one of the best fits Simmons could hope for with two truly elite shooters around him and he allows KD and Kyrie to not defend the best ball handler/scorer on the other team while improving their rebounding and ball movement.  

I would also bet they get a Ibaka, Tristan Thompson or a Robin Lopez in a buyout for 5 depth. 

1 hour ago, Shepard Wong said:

If Maxey is not included, I’m good with it.

Harden needs to extend for the deal to work, does he not?

Just now, Procus said:

Harden needs to extend for the deal to work, does he not?

No

Suppose he doesn't re-sign, isn't his contract due to expire?

If I am Morey I am not budging on Maxey or Thybulle. Harden is a FA in the off-season, he can go to the Nets right now, and tell them he wants to play with Embiid so get a deal done. 

Nets don't budge then I adjust and get a package of expiring contracts and a makeshift unit of players to get by. Then in the off season tell them now you get this garbage for Simmons. 

51 minutes ago, DaEagles4Life said:

For sure tampering between Harden and Morey if this gets done. It is also a great spot for Simmons to be a pick and roll player with Irving and KD. 

Can't really be tampering if the team agrees to trade him.  That's more an issue if he decides to walk away and signs with the 6ers.