NBA/Blazers 2025-26 Thread

[pezsez1]

We'll see! Season can't start soon enough.

[Phalanx]

Saw this video of Ja Morant from 7 months ago, after he supposedly lost a step and doesn't dunk like he used to. Remember that his injury shortly after this that sidelined him for the rest of the season was to his elbow. If Portland gets anything like this Ja, I think all of this argument about minutes will melt away rather quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Zc-JXiKVw&t=233s

[pezsez1]

He's definitely not as explosive as he was before his injuries, but he's done a great job of adjusting his game. Would love to see him rediscover his burst. That would be lethal when on the court with a true floor spacer.

[Boom]

It's hard to get excited for another under sized guard.

[pezsez1]

It's hard to get excited for another under sized guard.

Man, you need to get pumped for the upcoming season. How are coaches Billups and Nori going to manage all of the minutes at guard and center?

[Phalanx]

I don't know why Denver is floating sign-and-trade scenarios when that just adds huge money to their repeater tax. Nuggets are going to lose Watson because they overpaid for Murray and Gordon. Great lesson for anyone who thinks salaries are not important. Some team might be able to swoop in and get a good deal with a front-loaded offer sheet. The problem is that Watson wants too much - he's looking for upwards of $25 million/yr according to one article I saw, and the Nuggets only offered him $14 million/yr. We'll see if he gets an offer tomorrow. I don't think from the Blazers - Dundon probably likes that revenue sharing from other teams' luxury taxes too much. He only has around $8 million under the tax - a little more if he waives one or two of the non-guaranteed guys.

Well, despite the Blazers reportedly trying to get in on him, Watson does indeed get traded to the Cavs as has been rumored for some time. Nuggets at least manage to salvage a first and a second-round pick for Watson, and they got no salary coming back other than a waived 2-way contract, thereby confirming what I thought that matching salaries are unnecessary when the exchange of draft picks is involved. I am curious why the Cavs didn't just do an offer sheet for the 4 years, $88 million and avoid paying out draft picks. Were they afraid the Nuggets would match? I guess they needed to dump Strus's salary to make room anyway.

I wonder what/who the Blazers were offering.