The Trail Blazers are in a tough spot heading into this year’s free agency period, with more than $133MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap, not to mention cap holds for a pair of first-round picks. However, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details, Neil Olshey continues to explore ways to make his team better, even if his financial flexibility is virtually non-existent.
“We’re never content with the roster,” said the Trail Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “Every day we wake up looking to find ways to improve the roster, to accelerate what we’ve been trying to do the last couple of years and make the team more competitive. We’re incredibly pleased with what we were able to accomplish in the draft with both of these guys and they are going to contribute. But until we get to October and training camp starts, the roster always is in a state of flux and we’re always looking to upgrade and we’re always looking to accelerate what we’ve been trying to build the last couple of years.”
While Olshey doesn’t intend to stand pat in July, he also cautioned against pursuing “quick fixes,” stressing that the Trail Blazers front office wants to build a team capable of long-term success, rather than pushing all its chips into the middle.
Here’s more from around the Northwest division:
- Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover from a broken leg, but the Trail Blazers expect him to be healthy and ready to go by the time training camp begins in September, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. As Richman notes, the franchise is also counting on Ed Davis (torn labrum) and Allen Crabbe (foot surgery) to be back for training camp.
- Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post has a Nuggets injury update, writing that Jamal Murray played in a two-on-two game on Tuesday. Murray, who underwent surgeries to repair core muscle-related injuries in April, “thinks he’s ready to go now,” according to GM Tim Connelly. The 2016 lottery pick is expected to be medically cleared well before training camp begins.
- Appearing on The Scoop podcast with Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that the Bulls initiated talks related to Jimmy Butler, and added that the Wolves wouldn’t have made the deal if Chicago hadn’t included the No. 16 pick.
Nurkic should be expendable, Collins can be way better.
Nurkic is better than Zach Collins at like literally everything.
Plus Nurkic is only 22, throws his body around in the paint like Shaq just bullying people, and sets the hard screens to free Lillard and McCollumn. Hard to get around a guy that big. Collins will be nice off the bench but they need to compete now and they need Nurk for that.
He was awesome in Denver, just not compatible with Jokic who will be a superstar. Since he ‘flipped off’ Denver, it is justifiable to say that he was injured most of the time there. Hope he stays well, but he couldn’t in Denver.
Nurkic was a triple double threat in the games he played with Portland
He’s just a troll
No he’s an idiot
Sometimes he says things that make sense. Then sometimes you get this.
I doubt the Wolves would’ve pulled out if they hadn’t gotten the #16 pick. It’s a good deal without it. The only redeeming part of this trade for Chicago is they get out of the no man’s land known as the #8 seed.
True, but that makes the trade look worse for the Bulls knowing they could’ve probably just not included the #16 pick and still have got the deal done.
Trading Butler without multiple picks in return was a farce. They got fleeced and everyone around the league knows it except Garpax.
The trade also allowed them to tank this upcoming year. So, in reality, they will actually end up indirectly receiving another top 5 pick with this deal.
Anyone that thinks they got fleeced in getting Dunn, Lavine, Markannen, and a future top 5 pick, is absolutely out of their minds.
Butler is a solid two-way player, but he’s still extremely overvalued, and his selfish antics make him a clubhouse wild card, which is not good.
I don’t think Thibs realizes how much the humble kid from Tomball, Texas, that he coached, has changed….greatly.
And he’s now a primadonna drama queen who thinks he’s worth much more than he actually is.
……and I’m also dying to see how Butler responds when it finally sinks in that he’s the 3rd scoring option, and he goes from padding his stats in Chicago, to averaging 12 point per game in Minnesota.
Given the fact that he has the mental maturity of a 14 year old, it probably isn’t going to go to well.
I think butler will be alright in minny. He may be the third option, but that’s cause he is going to spend more energy on defense. Plus, you know he’s still going to be the one getting late game shots.
Ya I highly doubt Minnesota pulls out if they didn’t get 16 back. It was a good deal for them without it.