NBA/Blazers 2025-26 Thread

[Phalanx]

A top 4 pick would be amazing, but I've seen some very good players mocked at #12. It's a loaded draft and the Blazers have a lot of needs. It will be a shame to lose back to back picks.

I don't get why they played Jru and Deni full minutes in that game vs a team that has zero interest in winning.

The playoffs seem like a pretty good bet now if they are trying. Probably would have been pick 13 (or 13th best odds) anyway, since the Blazers always seem to lose tie-breakers.

[pudgejeff]

A top 4 pick would be amazing, but I've seen some very good players mocked at #12. It's a loaded draft and the Blazers have a lot of needs. It will be a shame to lose back to back picks.

Back to back?

[Phalanx]

I should apologize: I saw the score in the 3rd quarter with the Blazers up 14 and decided to turn on the game. The Suns IMMEDIATELY went on like a 24-4 run and are now on another run in the 4th qtr with the game pretty much put away. Dillon Brooks looks pretty good though. I really think the Blazers need a draft pick more than they need a first-round sweep. They don't look good, coughing up the ball all over the place and hucking up terrible looking outside shots. A reliable inside scoring threat would be on my wish list in the draft, based on what I am seeing here. Grant should be that guy, but he thinks he is Steph Curry, and he rebounds like him too.

[Phalanx]

Ha, as soon as I said Grant and Steph Curry in the same sentence, he hits two big threes to get them back in the game, up by one now as I type with 37 seconds left. Crazy game.

[Phalanx]

I don't believe it, they won. Congrats to the Blazers, and the Bulls for the sweet pick, which I assume is still #15 even though they will now be the 7th seed. Bring on Wemby, I guess. This was a fun game to watch, at least.

I will say, as I watch Jrue doing the post-game interview, it would have been a shame to waste this guy's year with no post-season. Jrue is made to play clutch in the playoffs. Even at this age, he is a tremendous team leader and one can see how he rubs off on his teammates. I'm glad they gave him something to play for, and I look forward to seeing what he has left in the tank.

[OregonFan4Life]

Good luck guys! Good win for Portland and hell of a game from Avdija. While I am not near as big of a Spurs fan since my all time fav athlete Tim Duncan retired, Wemby helped me re-discover some of my fandom for the Spurs, so I’m excited to see them in the playoffs again and extra excited to see them play the Blazers. Gonna be a good series!


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[Phalanx]

Just watching the replay of the last five minutes or so, Grant was a monster. Two threes to get them back in it and a huge block where he just took the ball away in the air and then at the end a steal and a dunk to seal it. They don't win that game without him, so give him his due. Hopefully he keeps it up vs the Spurs.

[pezsez1]

Huge win! I'm not sad about missing out on this year's pick. The tradeoff is now we have clarity on our assets and the ability to trade our future firsts, which will help us make a meaningful deal. The Blazers are LOADED with assets and could make a big move this offseason. I know this is a great draft, but a big trade will help the Blazers right now far more than another pick. Here's hoping Dundon has a nice pointy stick with which to poke Cronin into action.

In the meantime, RIP CITY! That was Deni's best game as a Blazer. He made everything go. Grant came up huge toward the end, and Jru/Scott were pretty good all game long. This team's biggest weakness right now might be the lack of an aggressive shot creator with Deni off of the floor, but they did just enough yesterday to get it done.

My one big complaint is why did Splitter wait so long to get Clingan back in the game? He wasn't scoring a lot, but he played phenomenal defense. I don't think RWIII did anything last night that Clingan couldn't have done better.

[Phalanx]

This team's biggest weakness right now might be the lack of an aggressive shot creator with Deni off of the floor

Call Milwaukee and tell them we will give them Grant and their picks/swaps back for Giannis. If they need more, we can throw in Lillard. Giannis would turn this team into an instant contender.

[pezsez1]

Dame has a no-trade clause!

I'm going to throw out a hot take trade though that I think could actually work for everyone. I haven't ran this through the NBA trade machine or anything like that so obviously there would have to be players attached here and there for salary reasons. But the rough outline of my proposed realistic trade is:

Miami: Gets Giannis and Jru Holiday
Portland: Gets Tyler Herro and FRPs from Miami
Bucks: Gets (salary filler) from Miami + picks back from Portland

I think something like this could actually work for several reasons:

1) Giannis has reportedly expressed interest in Miami as a trade destination.
2) The Heat are constantly shopping Herro.
3) The Blazers' biggest weakness in their starting lineup right now is at shooting guard.
4) This would clear up Portland's logjam at PG.
5) Herro isn't worth those Buck picks, which is why we'd get at least one FRP from Miami along with Herro.
6) Miami would benefit from Jru playing with Bam.
7) The Bucks would put themselves on the best path for a rebuild.

I always scoff at reports of Miami dangling Herro for players like Dame and Giannis, but if we had a chance to get Herro for a reasonable price then he's exactly what this lineup needs. Portland's biggest weakness right now is a lack of shot creation beyond Deni. I think we've all been hoping that Shaedon would take that next step -- and he is ultra talented -- but I just don't think he has that dog in him.

Either that, or we play Deni at the 2 and go hunting elsewhere for a long-term power forward.

[Phalanx]

I know he has a no-trade clause. Just ship him anyway.

I am happier with Jrue than I was when he was traded. He is not the Jrue from 10 years ago, but I still think he is teaching Portland's young guys to play tough D. If he leaves, who will their main influence be? Ol' no-defense Lillard. No thanks, we've already seen what happens when he takes players like Simons under his wing. Jrue probably makes too much money, but he is still a valuable team leader.

The way contracts are set up right now, 2028 is the year the team will need to reset, and that is also the year the picks and swaps start kicking in. Portland will need those rookie deals to fill out the team with the contract money they will be shelling out for Avdija and Clingan and maybe Scoot next year if they want to keep him. They already traded one of those firsts away to get Deni, but they should hold on to the other two and start drafting better.

[Boom]

I know he has a no-trade clause. Just ship him anyway.

I am happier with Jrue than I was when he was traded. He is not the Jrue from 10 years ago, but I still think he is teaching Portland's young guys to play tough D. If he leaves, who will their main influence be? Ol' no-defense Lillard. No thanks, we've already seen what happens when he takes players like Simons under his wing. Jrue probably makes too much money, but he is still a valuable team leader.

The way contracts are set up right now, 2028 is the year the team will need to reset, and that is also the year the picks and swaps start kicking in. Portland will need those rookie deals to fill out the team with the contract money they will be shelling out for Avdija and Clingan and maybe Scoot next year if they want to keep him. They already traded one of those firsts away to get Deni, but they should hold on to the other two and start drafting better.

This team is in an awkward spot moving forward. I'm hoping they can add at least 1 youngish back court player to pair with Deni this summer. Jrue/Dame are 20 minutes per game players at this point in their career. I wouldn't give up on Scoot yet, even though I do think his fit with Deni might be difficult. Maybe Sharpe + Grant can get them something appealing.

[Phalanx]

People keep posting here like they didn't just sign Shaedon to a 4-year $90 million extension. This is the off-guard, people. The upgrade at that position is when he gets better.

For the next several years, I will be surprised if the regular starting five is something other than Scoot, Shaedon, Deni, Toumani, and Clingan. Grant and Jrue and possibly Lillard (I have doubts) will sometimes start, but I think we better hope those five young guys are a playoff team. No draft pick this year and a pick from 2027 or 2028 would take some time to develop. The money they will save with Ayton they are giving to Shaedon and Toumani. Thybulle and RWIII will be interesting decisions this offseason, but whether they sign those two or two with similar salaries, it looks like that's about all the money there is under the tax - about $30 million. There's also the option to cut Murray loose, but he is only $5.3 million, so I bet they keep him. Get used to this team, I'd say, unless there really is a magical trade involving Grant. I'm not holding my breath.