Minnesota Sports Forum

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

kekgeek1 wrote:

FNG wrote:I haven't read some of this thread, so I'm confused about the Kyle Anderson talk. Anderson played 28 minutes per game last season (4th on the team) and had the best on/off stats on the team. And despite his notorious lack of athleticism, he is a consistently elite defender...top 5 in DRPM among small forwards each of the past three seasons. He's a core piece for Memphis going forward and isn't going anywhere.

There are rumors that the Grizzlies are looking to trade Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks. Also based on some podcasts speculation the Grizzlies are trying to get worse because they are worried they are stuck in this middle ground with Morant and JJJ

From what I can tell... the rumor stems from somebody named Chris Fedor at cleveland.com discussing Cavalier-centric trades. Deep in the article, he writes this...

"A defensive-minded and unselfish big man, Nance would be an ideal fit for a playoff team. But he could also help fill an important leadership void for a rebuilding franchise. Keep an eye on Detroit and Memphis. Both teams have too many guaranteed contracts. They need to fix that. Sources say Grizzlies small forwards Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson are available for the right price."

Who are these sources? Are they legit? Who is Chris Fedor other than a reporter from Ohio who's been covering Ohio sports for 7 years? Is he more or less legit than Doogie? Charley Walters?

Let's say this Fedor guy is reasonably legit "Right price" could also mean they aren't exactly giving them away they want to get a solid return for them. If some team was willing to give up a first round pick for either them that might be plenty interesting for them. I'm not interested in doing that for the Wolves but Maybe some other team would give up something of that type of value. I think it's clear Memphis has been making some moves this offseason that looks more like a rebuilding team than one trying to get significantly better and take another step. The Wolves benefited from that already once and that Beverly trade added a guaranteed contract to Memphis roster.

I'm not entirely sure Beverley would have played much for Memphis anyway. Would he have been happy as a deep bench guy in/out of the rotation? He's not playing ahead of Morant in crunch time. By all accounts, Melton is a solid player deserving of more minutes. And they're invested in Tyus Jones as Morant's backup. And Bane and Brooks are the incumbents on the wing.

Heck, Milton and Brooks are very Beverley-like on defense already... and much younger. Maybe they think Milton is actually already better than Brooks and simply need Brooks out to open up more minutes for the younger guy.

I just find the talk of Memphis rebuilding sort of silly considering the team improved from 22 - 60 to 33 - 49 to 34 - 39 to 38 - 34 (without Jackson)...

Now, they're suddenly going to stop that progression despite already having 7 of the top 10 players younger than 27?

Meh.




[Note: Meanwhile in Minnesota, the Wolves are coming off a 23 - 49 season and players like D. Russell, McDaniels, Vanderbilt and Reid are deemed untouchable.]

Yeah It made sense for them to deal Beverly and they were probably a bit giddy about finding someone to take Bledsoe off their hands so they wouldn't have to pay him any money next season. Meanwhile they will probably move Rondo still to another team and who knows maybe they get some value there or they are able to save some money.

It's maybe worth mentioning that I'm glad the Wolves moved Rubio earlier before there was a glut of decent PGs easily available on the trade market. Getting value back for him even if it was just a 2nd round pick and saving money in the transaction looks even better now especially when they were able to get Beverly. I'm not knocking the Grizzlies for the trade I'm just saying the Wolves I think benefited and this is why I wanted as much movement in the offseason as possible because sometimes situations like this come around.

As much as Juancho and Culver aren't great or maybe any good, for Memphis if they had to pay someone the some salary anyway Juancho can be useful and Culver could at least be a defensive wing. Memphis might believe in their ability to develop Culver so why not take a flyer on a guy when they had to pay someone the money. Heck maybe they think they can get a little more out of Juancho too. That wouldn't be completely insane. They also saved about a million in salary too so that doesn't hurt.

Also Tyus is only signed for this year and then he is is a FA (how time flys) so I'm not sure how much they are or aren't invested in him.

The latest on the Ben Simmons saga:

And while team sources have reportedly denied that's the case, when you consider all that conjecture, a meeting between Simmons's agent and the team to discuss potential moves, and last week's announcement of a max extension for Joel Embiid, it seems like the relationship is at its expiration date. So far this summer, Simmons has been linked to the Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, and Spurs in trade talks. And one scout I spoke to said they wouldn't be surprised if Simmons considers not showing up to training camp if he hasn't been traded. - via Paolo Uggetti @ The Ringer

I'm sure Rosas is among several NBA executives waiting for the apparent acrimony between Ben and the Sixers, including a possible holdout, to drive down Ben's market value. We'll see what happens. If I were Portland's head basketball executive, I'd be inclined to pounce on this opportunity. It should be clear by now that the Lillard/McCollum duo isn't going to get Portland into the NBA finals - or even the Conference Finals. I think their team defense was as bad as the Wolves' defense las season. Morey desperately wants and needs Lillard - who would a perfect fit next to Embiid. So Portland should be able to get quite a haul from the Sixers in a Simmons/Lillard deal. And Simmons would be a good fit next to McCollum.

lipoli390 wrote:The latest on the Ben Simmons saga:

And while team sources have reportedly denied that's the case, when you consider all that conjecture, a meeting between Simmons's agent and the team to discuss potential moves, and last week's announcement of a max extension for Joel Embiid, it seems like the relationship is at its expiration date. So far this summer, Simmons has been linked to the Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, and Spurs in trade talks. And one scout I spoke to said they wouldn't be surprised if Simmons considers not showing up to training camp if he hasn't been traded. - via Paolo Uggetti @ The Ringer

I'm sure Rosas is among several NBA executives waiting for the apparent acrimony between Ben and the Sixers, including a possible holdout, to drive down Ben's market value. We'll see what happens. If I were Portland's head basketball executive, I'd be inclined to pounce on this opportunity. It should be clear by now that the Lillard/McCollum duo isn't going to get Portland into the NBA finals - or even the Conference Finals. I think their team defense was as bad as the Wolves' defense las season. Morey desperately wants and needs Lillard - who would a perfect fit next to Embiid. So Portland should be able to get quite a haul from the Sixers in a Simmons/Lillard deal. And Simmons would be a good fit next to McCollum.

That's a very reasonable take, Lip, and one that I agree with to a point. I think the Blazers are in a tough situation, but they should do everything in their power to hold on to Damian Lillard. He's a top-10 player in the league right now and has essentially kept Portland in the playoff mix by himself year after year. If I was Neil Olshey, I'd be prepared to throw C.J. McCollum and at least two first-round picks at Philadelphia in hopes they bite. They should be trying to pair Lillard and Ben Simmons together even if that means mortgaging their future.

Camden wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:The latest on the Ben Simmons saga:

And while team sources have reportedly denied that's the case, when you consider all that conjecture, a meeting between Simmons's agent and the team to discuss potential moves, and last week's announcement of a max extension for Joel Embiid, it seems like the relationship is at its expiration date. So far this summer, Simmons has been linked to the Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, and Spurs in trade talks. And one scout I spoke to said they wouldn't be surprised if Simmons considers not showing up to training camp if he hasn't been traded. - via Paolo Uggetti @ The Ringer

I'm sure Rosas is among several NBA executives waiting for the apparent acrimony between Ben and the Sixers, including a possible holdout, to drive down Ben's market value. We'll see what happens. If I were Portland's head basketball executive, I'd be inclined to pounce on this opportunity. It should be clear by now that the Lillard/McCollum duo isn't going to get Portland into the NBA finals - or even the Conference Finals. I think their team defense was as bad as the Wolves' defense las season. Morey desperately wants and needs Lillard - who would a perfect fit next to Embiid. So Portland should be able to get quite a haul from the Sixers in a Simmons/Lillard deal. And Simmons would be a good fit next to McCollum.

That's a very reasonable take, Lip, and one that I agree with to a point. I think the Blazers are in a tough situation, but they should do everything in their power to hold on to Damian Lillard. He's a top-10 player in the league right now and has essentially kept Portland in the playoff mix by himself year after year. If I was Neil Olshey, I'd be prepared to throw C.J. McCollum and at least two first-round picks at Philadelphia in hopes they bite. They should be trying to pair Lillard and Ben Simmons together even if that means mortgaging their future.

Yeah. I'm with you.

Until Lillard demands out... Portland should keep him. He's arguably the signature player in franchise history and by all accounts an exceptional leader and the heart and soul of that franchise. AND... he's still a helluva good player. I don't think (m)any Portland fans are wanting him to leave.

Portland needs to do something. But they do have their superstar and sometimes, that's the hardest part.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Camden wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:The latest on the Ben Simmons saga:

And while team sources have reportedly denied that's the case, when you consider all that conjecture, a meeting between Simmons's agent and the team to discuss potential moves, and last week's announcement of a max extension for Joel Embiid, it seems like the relationship is at its expiration date. So far this summer, Simmons has been linked to the Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, and Spurs in trade talks. And one scout I spoke to said they wouldn't be surprised if Simmons considers not showing up to training camp if he hasn't been traded. - via Paolo Uggetti @ The Ringer

I'm sure Rosas is among several NBA executives waiting for the apparent acrimony between Ben and the Sixers, including a possible holdout, to drive down Ben's market value. We'll see what happens. If I were Portland's head basketball executive, I'd be inclined to pounce on this opportunity. It should be clear by now that the Lillard/McCollum duo isn't going to get Portland into the NBA finals - or even the Conference Finals. I think their team defense was as bad as the Wolves' defense las season. Morey desperately wants and needs Lillard - who would a perfect fit next to Embiid. So Portland should be able to get quite a haul from the Sixers in a Simmons/Lillard deal. And Simmons would be a good fit next to McCollum.

That's a very reasonable take, Lip, and one that I agree with to a point. I think the Blazers are in a tough situation, but they should do everything in their power to hold on to Damian Lillard. He's a top-10 player in the league right now and has essentially kept Portland in the playoff mix by himself year after year. If I was Neil Olshey, I'd be prepared to throw C.J. McCollum and at least two first-round picks at Philadelphia in hopes they bite. They should be trying to pair Lillard and Ben Simmons together even if that means mortgaging their future.

Yeah. I'm with you.

Until Lillard demands out... Portland should keep him. He's arguably the signature player in franchise history and by all accounts an exceptional leader and the heart and soul of that franchise. AND... he's still a helluva good player. I don't think (m)any Portland fans are wanting him to leave.

Portland needs to do something. But they do have their superstar and sometimes, that's the hardest part.

Well Portland did do something. They fired their pretty successful head coach and hired a former NBA player with 1 year experience as an NBA assistant. I personally think that was a risky move we will see if it pays off.

Maybe some of the cheap FAs they brought in will help. I'd guess Cody Zeller if he is healthy will be better defensively than Kanter.

Maybe this is the year Simons really breaks out. Maybe they can stay healthy and be a higher seed. Lots of maybes but moving on from Lilliard brings on a bunch of them too.

Camden wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:The latest on the Ben Simmons saga:

And while team sources have reportedly denied that's the case, when you consider all that conjecture, a meeting between Simmons's agent and the team to discuss potential moves, and last week's announcement of a max extension for Joel Embiid, it seems like the relationship is at its expiration date. So far this summer, Simmons has been linked to the Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, and Spurs in trade talks. And one scout I spoke to said they wouldn't be surprised if Simmons considers not showing up to training camp if he hasn't been traded. - via Paolo Uggetti @ The Ringer

I'm sure Rosas is among several NBA executives waiting for the apparent acrimony between Ben and the Sixers, including a possible holdout, to drive down Ben's market value. We'll see what happens. If I were Portland's head basketball executive, I'd be inclined to pounce on this opportunity. It should be clear by now that the Lillard/McCollum duo isn't going to get Portland into the NBA finals - or even the Conference Finals. I think their team defense was as bad as the Wolves' defense las season. Morey desperately wants and needs Lillard - who would a perfect fit next to Embiid. So Portland should be able to get quite a haul from the Sixers in a Simmons/Lillard deal. And Simmons would be a good fit next to McCollum.

That's a very reasonable take, Lip, and one that I agree with to a point. I think the Blazers are in a tough situation, but they should do everything in their power to hold on to Damian Lillard. He's a top-10 player in the league right now and has essentially kept Portland in the playoff mix by himself year after year. If I was Neil Olshey, I'd be prepared to throw C.J. McCollum and at least two first-round picks at Philadelphia in hopes they bite. They should be trying to pair Lillard and Ben Simmons together even if that means mortgaging their future.

I tend to agree with you on this, Cam. Like you, if I were in Olshey's position my first choice would be some sort of McCollum deal for Simmons. I just can't think of a package that would be enough for Morey. Simmons, Thybulle, Maxey and the Sixers 2023 1st-round pick would be a reasonable package for Lillard. Or maybe Simmons, Thybulle and Milton plus the 2023 1st. I guess it depends on what Portland's front office staff, scouts and coaching staff think of Simmons.

Anyone see that Nerlens Noel is suing his former agent Rich Paul for losing potential earnings? Good for him. If Paul truly is the reason for Noel never securing that long deal, then he should be held accountable for it.

The Cavaliers will acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that also includes the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Portland will receive Larry Nance Jr. in the deal, according to Wojnarowski and will send Derrick Jones Jr. and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Chicago. The Blazers will also get a 2023 second-rounder from Cleveland that originally belonged to the Nuggets.

Markkanen will receive a four-year, $67MM contract from the Cavs, Wojnarowski reports, and the Bulls get the first-round pick they were seeking in return for the 24-year-old restricted free agent. That pick from Portland will be lottery protected through 2028, Woj adds, and will become a second-round selection if it's not conveyed before then.

Camden wrote:The Cavaliers will acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that also includes the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Portland will receive Larry Nance Jr. in the deal, according to Wojnarowski and will send Derrick Jones Jr. and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Chicago. The Blazers will also get a 2023 second-rounder from Cleveland that originally belonged to the Nuggets.

Markkanen will receive a four-year, $67MM contract from the Cavs, Wojnarowski reports, and the Bulls get the first-round pick they were seeking in return for the 24-year-old restricted free agent. That pick from Portland will be lottery protected through 2028, Woj adds, and will become a second-round selection if it's not conveyed before then.

I think I like Nance in Portland.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Camden wrote:The Cavaliers will acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that also includes the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Portland will receive Larry Nance Jr. in the deal, according to Wojnarowski and will send Derrick Jones Jr. and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Chicago. The Blazers will also get a 2023 second-rounder from Cleveland that originally belonged to the Nuggets.

Markkanen will receive a four-year, $67MM contract from the Cavs, Wojnarowski reports, and the Bulls get the first-round pick they were seeking in return for the 24-year-old restricted free agent. That pick from Portland will be lottery protected through 2028, Woj adds, and will become a second-round selection if it's not conveyed before then.

I think I like Nance in Portland.

Yup, swapping out 'Melo minutes at PF for Nance is going to help their defense a lot. He's a guy a lot of us would liked to have had! RoCo can now play some PF and SF with Nance in the mix and Jones gone. This is a "keep Dame" move.