The Trail Blazers currently hold three first-round picks in next month’s draft, and according to Keith Smith of RealGM.com (via Twitter), the team is willing to discuss attaching one of those picks to a big contract in order to cut costs.
No NBA team has more money on its 2017/18 cap than the Blazers, who have an astounding $133MM+ tied up in guaranteed salaries. That figure doesn’t include cap holds for their three first-round picks, which would take team salary up over $139MM. Considering the NBA’s latest salary cap projections call for a $101MM cap and a tax line around $121MM, Portland will need to dump a good chunk of salary in order to avoid a significant tax bill.
[RELATED: 2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Portland Trail Blazers]
The fact that the Blazers are willing to discuss moving one of their first-rounders to a team willing to eat some salary isn’t surprising. I alluded to that possibility in my offseason preview on the club, noting that many of Portland’s higher-paid players – with the exception of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum – wouldn’t have much trade value on their own without attaching them to a more valuable asset, like a first-round pick.
If the Blazers were to make such a deal, players like Allen Crabbe ($19.33MM salary for 2017/18), Evan Turner ($17.13MM), and Meyers Leonard ($9.9MM) would be trade candidates. Teams with an excess of cap room and without immediate aspirations of contending, such as the Kings, the Nets, and perhaps the Sixers and Suns, would be among the logical trade partners for Portland.
I would move Turner over Crabbe
They will probably end up trading Crabbe and a first to Brooklyn.
I agree
Brooklyn has literally nothing in terms of assets that Portland would want
Cap relief is an asset
Portland wouldnt be looking for assets in return. They are desperately needing to dump salary
God who is there GM damn this are some bad contracts he should be fired for those
Neil Olshey
Philly we need to jump on this Crabbe deal.
He makes $18-19 mil a year for 3 more years plus a 15% trade kicker. No way
How can he do that when he got a max contract???
Or at least I think it was.
Although, I just looked it up and it’s there.
It’s slightly below the 25% max for a player with his experience (below 7 years). His max would have been roughly $23 million from the $92mm salary cap for the 2016-17 season.
I wood move Turner and Leonard
Brooklyn should be all over this!! They wanted Crabb in the first place!! Pick him up with another first rounder!!
Deng for Crabb.. Portland could use a stretch 4. Trade a bad contract for a another bad contract.
Portland is trying to get out from a bad contract not trade for another. That’s why they are willing to include a 1st rounder. Crabbe is serviceable but on a bad contract but Deng might have the worst contract in the NBA
Philly should be willing to take on a bad contract this offseason. They can take on any player with 3 years or less left on their deal. They can take multiple players honestly.
If I had my choice though, I’d rather take Russell + Deng give back Okafor or a couple 2nds.
Crabbe just underwent foot surgery. Turner is so overpaid it’s not funny. Leonard is interesting as a taller, poor-man’s Ryan Anderson or really poor man’s Porzingis as a 7-1 Stretch 4.
Take Crabbe & Leonard (<30M) and future 1sts like… 2019, 2021, and 2023.
if the Knicks were a real Nba team they would trade their 2 2nd rounders for turner and the Blazers #1.
Salaries have to match
Salaries only have to match if the acquiring team is over the cap.
I doubt anyone with current cap space is taking Turner or Crabbe into it for just one middling 1st round pick. Those are 3 year contracts. Much better players can be had in FA for 18 mm. Maybe the Nets for the 15th with Crabbe, if they really like a player that falls to 15.