Blazers get #6 and #11

Congratulations to New Orleans with getting the #1 pick. Couldn't happen to a better person than for Monty Williams to get an opportunity to coach Anthony Davis.

Here we go Blazers fans. Best Player Available, Trade or Best Player for Need????

use both picks and draft BPA....

Shop the picks, however, only make a trade that returns a quality veteran PG or C. Otherwise, use the picks on the BPA.

Trades I would make:

1) #6, #11 & Wesley for Rondo & #22

2) #6 & Wesley for Lowry & #16

The key to trading one or both of our picks is to pick up a good veteran player plus a later first round pick. This is a deep draft; there should be decent projects in the bottom half of the first round.

Shop the 6 pick and use 11 to get Kendall Marshal. We have so many holes that using both picks might be the best idea as I am not sold on the Joel's being our centers as it is not 100% we get Hickson back.

oldfishermen wrote:Shop the picks, however, only make a trade that returns a quality veteran PG or C. Otherwise, use the picks on the BPA.

Trades I would make:

1) #6, #11 & Wesley for Rondo & #22

2) #6 & Wesley for Lowry & #16

The key to trading one or both of our picks is to pick up a good veteran player plus a later first round pick. This is a deep draft; there should be decent projects in the bottom half of the first round.

I like trade 1 and would do it in a second even with out 22. After the game he had vs The Heat (44/8/10) it might be impossible.

Trade 2 is too much for my blood. Lowry isn't that far ahead of Wes and we would be dropping 10 picks to make up the difference. I will pass. I also think that Wes is viewed as a long term member of The Blazers, he did rep us at the lotto.

#6 Bradley Beal, Terrence Jones, or Perry Jones.

#11 Zeller, or whomever is the best Center available.

Lowry is not and has never been an All-Star -- how is he worth the #6 and Wes? No freaking way.

#6: Beal/Drummond/Barnes
#11: Marshall/Zeller/Henson

Personally I would like the Blazers to rebuild through the draft and get the best player available that will fit a transition game that the Blazers are rumored to be moving toward. With that said the major strengths at the current positions is only PF with LaMarcus still a mid-age NBA all-star.

Batum is still maturing and could play starting SG or SF. Matthews has almost peaked and I think could be moved later this summer or more than likely at the Feb trade deadline if they draft a SG or SF.

Starting PG is supposed to be taken care of through free agency. If the Blazers get Drummond at #6, then they should go with a safe pick at #11 like Terrence Ross (home town kid) that is supposed to be moving up the draft board. I think Perry Jones has star potential, but picking both Drummond and Jones is too much of a high risk.

#6 - Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes
#11 - Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Terrence Ross

I would like the Blazers to buy / trade their 2nd round picks for a pick in the 20's and go after Quincy Miller, Feb Melo or Tony Wroten.

2nd round if the Blazers can't trade up is Kyle O'Quinn 6'10" center with a 7'5" wingspan for defense and rebounding.

I understand Lowry is not everyone’s first choice. I never said he was an all-star. Wesley is a backup guard, Lowry is a starter.

Lowry is not my first PG choice. I am trying to be realistic about our chances of picking up a veteran PG this off season. The chance of Deron Williams signing with us is none. Unless a meteor hits Boston, trading for Rondo is going to be too expensive.

Houston has a choice to make, Dragic or Lowry. My bet is, they keep Dragic, and get what they can for Lowry. Letting Dragic get away for nothing does not appear to be the best option for them.
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Drafting a PG that “may” develop into a serviceable player is a gamble, and takes time. We need a serviceable PG to start next season. I would rather trade one of our picks for Lowry than start a rookie next season. If the #11 pick alone will get us Lowry, I am ok with this. The package with Wesley is to get the #16 pick back, and give us two good projects.

We need a proven PG, now.

You guys HOU is not going to trade Lowry until they are assured Dragic is going to resign with them and he is a UFA meaning there are no guarantees that he will resign....

Good point Kmurph1, timing of trades is a big issue.

There is another timing issue on the Blazers side. Technically the Blazers are still over the cap until July 1st. To close a trade deal on draft day for a veteran player, the 125% + 100K rule would still be in affect. To make a trade for a vet on draft day, a player’s salary will need to go out, which is where Wesley comes into play on draft day.

If a trade deal is struck on draft day, there is a good chance it will not be finalized until after July 11, the starting date to sign RFAs & UFAs.

The tricky part of this timing is, teams can not start talking to FAs until July 1st, and after the draft.

1. Ongoing talks with teams prior to the draft. Player workouts. GM and coaching hires. Opt-in-out by SWilliams and Crawford.
2. The draft -- this helps shape free agency by who is picked at what position ... the deals we hear about and those that didn't happen ...
3. Free agency July 1 and getting verbal agreements that get inked on the 11th and the rush to get deals done. Any deals made by the Blazers to other teams' RFA's beating the timing of Batum getting an offer. And UFA offers that can get done seconds after the opening of business on July 11. Timing is everything starting July 1, but the draft shapes it.

When it comes to picks in the range of #6:
1. Not a fan of a SF like Barnes for the Blazers. [Character, team play, stroke are good. Handles, not so much. Makes me think of Webster too much.]
2. Availability of Drummond? But does he have the drive to play ball?
3. Sullinger will be cheaper than Hickson. Just a thought. [Anyone else see the rumor some time ago that one of Sullinger's legs is about an inch longer than the other? Ackkkkkk!]
4. How high will Beal go?
5. How high will workout wonders and uber athletes go for teams above 6? 11?
6. Who does Portland like more -- Lillard or Marshall?

I know that Portland is addressing the PG situation this offseason ... we all get that ... but I don't buy that it's primarily with a veteran. Not buying that it's Lowry. Dragic is more likely. Nash and Kidd are too old (though I can hope). Williams is Brooklyn or Dallas [though a deal involving Gasol fits what the Lakers would do]. Capt. Kirk Hinrich would be good in the short term and as a backup after Portland selects a PG in the draft at 6 or 11.

Starting PG is supposed to be taken care of through free agency. If the Blazers get Drummond at #6, then they should go with a safe pick at #11 like Terrence Ross (home town kid) that is supposed to be moving up the draft board. I think Perry Jones has star potential, but picking both Drummond and Jones is too much of a high risk.

#6 - Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes
#11 - Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Terrence Ross

I would like the Blazers to buy / trade their 2nd round picks for a pick in the 20's and go after Quincy Miller, Feb Melo or Tony Wroten.

2nd round if the Blazers can't trade up is Kyle O'Quinn 6'10" center with a 7'5" wingspan for defense and rebounding.

I agree about getting a PG in Free Agency. Drafting PG means another 2-3 years of development at a minimum which puts LA at near 30....no thanks. I also like the idea of taking a gamble with one pick and a more sure thing with the other but believe at least one of those picks will be used in a trade of some kind.

Put me on the Quincy Miller bandwagon and if they would get O'Quinn in the 2nd round, I'd be stoked as he has as much of a chance to contribute as a 2nd rounder as anyone else I see down there.

This whole draft a point guard vs get one in free agency debate is to me pointless. The only answer? Do both.

Get the best free agent point guard we can--within reason--don't miss out Dragic because we were chasing Williams, for example. AND draft the best available rookie--again, within reason--if we have the choice between a good big man vs a good pg with a pick, we might go with the big man, but we need to pick up the best pure point available with our later pick or the 2nd rounder.

We need to be done with the point guard shortage. We need a starter AND a backup--and we will need a starter in 3--4 years when whoever we pick up now is getting past his prime.

Lowry whooped us with Yao Ming and Coach Adelman in the playoffs a few years back. I personally have never been a fan of aquiring Blazers that have humiliated us in the past. Unless it's Steve Nash of course.

Anyone interested in trading the two Blazer’s lottery picks for Harden?