Yesterday I put out a call to Portland Trail Blazer fans for any of their free agency questions. I got a lot of questions from fans and I will address a few below. I will occasionally be doing a mailbag like this. Join the conversation by following me on Twitter @PortlandGarrett.
“WTF can’t we sign big name players??”
Well isn’t this the million dollar question? If any of you have an easy answer to this question, I’m sure General Manager Neil Olshey would appreciate a phone call.
Anyways, as much as I wish I had an answer to this question, I don’t. Portland simply isn’t a destination like Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Antonio or San Francisco. Those bigger markets have more to offer NBA players that draw them there more than Portland.
Portland never even got in the room with any of the big names during the first few days of free agency. Their big meeting was with Chandler Parsons who has chronic knee issues. Until Portland can get in the room with top level free agents, they’ll never be able to sign them.
All hope isn’t lost. Portland has a young nucleus, a young leader in Damian Lillard and a player-friendly coach. I would say that it is only a matter of time before Portland can attract a top-level talent. Maybe not a LeBron James or Kevin Durant type talent, but definitely an All-Star level talent.
This league is all about relationships. Lillard and backcourt mate CJ McCollum are developing those relationships and connections that will one day pay off in the month of July.
“What will the Blazers do with Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe and Maurice Harkless?”
One of the biggest questions still remaining across the league is what will happen with the remaining restricted free agents. Teams were hesitant to tie up dead money by signing RFA’s to contract offer sheets. Now that the initial wave of free agency has passed, I expect some of these dominoes to fall.
Leonard reportedly met with the Raptors, Crabbe met with the Nets, Harkless has had interest from multiple teams. With all that said, with nothing substantial ever coming out in regards to the three, I anticipate them all returning to the Blazers.
There was a refuted report of a 4 year-$70 million deal for Crabbe in Brooklyn. If that were the case, I think that Portland would let Crabbe walk. That is a lot of money for a bench wing.
Aside from an astronomical offer coming from a desperate team, I would anticipate the Blazers putting the band back together by signing Leonard, Crabbe, and Harkless to long-term deal.
“Have the Blazers gotten better in Free Agency?”
This is the bone of contention for every Blazer fan. Basically what the Blazers have done so far is trade Evan Turner for Gerald Henderson. Turner’s deal is less team-friendly. Henderson is a better shooter.
Despite all that, I would argue that Turner is a better fit in Portland. He is younger, healthier, and much more of a bonafide playmaker with the ball in his hands. Turner will take some pressure off of Lillard and McCollum. Turner is also a better defender than Henderson.
On top of all that, I expect the Blazers to bring back their 3 restricted free agents. If that is the case, I truly believe the Blazers will be a better team.
Leonard will be healthy and ready to assume a bigger role. Harkless will have another year of experience in a more defined role. Crabbe will be a legit candidate for 6th Man of the Year. And the rest of the roster will continue to build the legendary chemistry that already exists on this roster. Have no fear, the Blazers will improve this summer.
“Is Olshey done?”
Absolutely not. He is far from done. One thing that Olshey has done exceptionally well since he took over as GM of the Blazers is be able to find bargains. Sometimes it has been players that have been overlooked or underused in their former situation, sometimes it has been on the trade market helping to facilitate a trade for two other teams.
With all that said, I think Olshey will be more active the next week or two than he has been the past week. I would expect a trade or two, maybe a signing of a free agent, and then the resolution of the restricted free agents on the roster.
Be patient, the summer is still young. I understand the frustration, but Olshey has a couple months to mold the roster before they ever take the court.
“Do you think the NBA should implement a review policy on flops? Seems like it’s becoming a soccer game out there.”
This is something that I could really dive into another time but I think it is worth touching on briefly here. I agree that there is an issue and that the NBA doesn’t do nearly enough to get rid of flopping from the game.
There really is not an easy solution. It has gotten to the point that acting and theatrics are all part of the game. There is truly an art to drawing a foul and guys like Chris Paul and James Harden have mastered that art.
The first step in cutting flopping out of the game would have to start with the referee association. They can’t reward floppers the way they have the past couple years. Call a foul when a foul has been committed, not when a player throws back his head like he has been shot.
Just my 2 cents.
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