It's just getting comical at this point. Olshey knows he is so bad at evaluating talent in the mid to late first round, he has taken to just dumping the pick every year for another 6'7'' power forward. So yet another piece of Portland's future is sacrificed for a temporary player to placate Lillard, who will probably still whine about having no talent around him. Nance costs a million more for the upcoming season, so it didn't help the luxury tax problem either.
People fret about wasting Lillard's prime. I really can't wait for him to get too old to play. He is killing the team.
StevensTechU wrote:Blazers send a first round pick and Derrick Jones Jr in exchange for Larry Nance Jr, a highly mediocre power forward, as part of a three way trade with Cleveland and Chicago. Cleveland gets highly skilled but oft injured Lauri Makkanen, who the Blazers should've have traded for heads up if they were not idiots.
Difference is Nance Jr. plays better defense and stays healthier more often than Markanen. A Bulls reporter is saying Portland tried trading DJJ and the first rounder for Markanen but they wanted a second one as well.
Last two seasons, Nance played in 91 games, Markkanen played in 101. So Nance has been the more injury prone player the last two years.
I don't think the Blazers could have afforded Markkanen anyway. He just signed a contract for $67 million for four years ($16.75 million per year). The Blazers were only paying D.J. $9.7 million next year.
