Essential The Official ESPN Insider Thread (ESPN+)

[Skooby]

FYI, I'm not posting these for every team.

Trade targets: How Cavs can help LeBron
thanks breh

Trade targets: Who can help Pelicans, Davis get on track?


New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 12-26
13th place in West





Status: Sellers

At this point, even the Pelicans probably have to concede they're unlikely to jump the five teams they trail in the standings and make up a five-game gap on the Utah Jazz for the eighth seed. So New Orleans could look to move 2016 free agents like Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon in pursuit of long-term solutions.







Potential trade targets



Markieff Morris
If properly motivated, Morris's ability to stretch the floor would work well next to Anthony Davis when the Pelicans shift Davis to center, and his team-friendly contract won't cut into New Orleans' 2016 cap space much.

Justin Holiday
Aiming low, but the Pelicans could use an athletic wing defender who shoots the 3 well enough to not completely crater their half-court offense (where incumbents Dante Cunningham and Alonzo Gee fall short). Holiday -- whose brother Jrue already plays in New Orleans -- is one example, but a variety of buy-low candidates would do.


Most trade value


1. Anthony Davis
Despite a downturn this season, Davis still has as much trade value as anyone in the league. He's not yet 23, has MVP upside and just signed a five-year extension that won't kick in until 2016-17.

2. Tyreke Evans
Six-plus years into his career, it's still unclear whether Evans is best used as a point guard or off the ball, but he's under contract through next season at a reasonable salary of just over $10 million.

3. Jrue Holiday
Recurrent stress injuries to his right tibia have limited Holiday's availability, and any interested team would want more information than New Orleans got from the Philadelphia 76ers when they dealt Holiday for two lottery picks. (According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers were fined $3 million by the NBA last June for failure to disclose the potential injury concern.)

4. Ryan Anderson
Anderson's value is limited because he might be a rental in the final season of his contract, but plenty of teams could use his floor-stretching ability for a possible playoff run.

5. Eric Gordon
Making $15.5 million in the final season of his contract, Gordon is overpaid but not so dramatically as to be untradeable. His outside shooting could help a contender if New Orleans decides to move on.





Most valuable draft pick
2016 first-rounder
In case the Pelicans can't make it back to the postseason, their first-round pick -- the first they've kept since drafting Davis and Austin Rivers in 2012 -- would have great value.





Toughest contract to trade


Omer Asik
Barely six months removed from re-signing, Asik has had a tough time staying on the court this season because of his inability to defend on the perimeter or catch and finish inside. Worse yet, he's due an average of $10.6 million over the next three seasons, with $3 million more guaranteed in 2019-20 according to BasketballInsiders.com.



Player most likely to be traded


Ryan Anderson
Anderson has been a good partner for Davis in the frontcourt, but he's due for a big payday this summer and will probably have more value to a team that would start him at power forward. A strong offer would be tough for New Orleans to turn down.

 

[Skooby]

Trade targets: How can the Cavs set up a title run?


Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 27-10
1st place in East





Status: Buyers

The Cleveland roster is well-stocked and mostly devoid of holes. That's a good thing, because the Cavs are miles over the luxury tax threshold, even after dealing injured guard Joe Harris to Orlando. That move did free up a roster spot, which Cleveland could fill with one more defense-oriented forward. Don't forget: The Cavs own a $10.5 million trade exception thanks to their offseason trade of Brendan Haywood.







Potential trade targets



Trevor Ariza
Ariza could be a guy who puts the Cavs over the top playing a role similar to the one he held down for the 2009 championship Lakers. The Rockets wouldn't necessarily be keen to unload him, but if Houston's season continues to be enigmatic, you never know.

Jared Dudley
Dudley's ability to defend both forward positions and space the floor at an elite level make him an ideal Cleveland target. Washington, of course, still needs him, but if the Wizards' season comes unhinged over the next few weeks, perhaps they'll seek to unload Dudley's reasonable but expiring deal.

P.J. Tucker
Tucker doesn't have Dudley's gravity as a floor spacer but has a similar defensive profile. And goodness knows the Suns need to shake things up.




Most trade value


1. LeBron James
But he won't get traded.

2. Kyrie Irving
See No. 1. Most teams would love to have Irving despite his apparent fragility.

3. Kevin Love
By now, we know Love won't match his Minnesota numbers as the No. 3 guy in Cleveland. Nevertheless, there's little impetus for the Cavs to break up their big three, especially before they've gone through a full playoff season together.

4. Mo Williams
Williams' contract and skill level have to be attractive to any number of contenders looking for a high-level bench scorer. He played well for the Cavs before Irving returned. Now he's out of the rotation and nursing an injured thumb.

5. Timofey Mozgov
Mozgov has fallen out of the starting lineup. Still, Cleveland would be hard-pressed to find a comparable low-post defender and rim protector at his price tag, and the expiring status of his deal would limit the return.

6. Tristan Thompson
Thompson may be the best offensive rebounder in the game and if you're the best at something, you've got trade value.

7. Matthew Dellavedova
Lots of teams would love to get their hands on Dellavedova for his shooting, versatility, defensive toughness and small price tag. All reasons why it'd be surprising if the Cavs moved him.

8. Anderson Varejao
For a team looking to add future picks by serving as a salary clearinghouse, Varejao would fit since his two remaining contract years are non-guaranteed. The Cavs can absorb a significant player with their trade exceptions, but that would be an expensive move. Trading Varejao and his relatively large salary could help ease the tax pain that would come with cashing in the Haywood trade exception.





Most valuable draft pick
2018 first-rounder
This year's first-rounder is headed to Phoenix, via Boston, though it has three years of top-10 protection. A team acquiring the next available Cleveland first-rounder will get it two years after the 2016 pick conveys to the Suns. Thanks to the rule necessitated by Cleveland favorite Ted Stepien, the Cavs can't trade their 2017 pick.





Toughest contract to trade


LeBron James
Even if Cleveland GM David Griffin went insane and decided to unload James, LeBron could simply opt out after the season and pick a new team. Even the strictest interpretation of multiverse theory can't prove this scenario exists somewhere, in any dimension.



Player most likely to be traded


Mo Williams
Williams retains value for Cleveland as an X-factor scorer who can carry a team for stretches and as insurance for Irving. But if he's deemed to be superfluous, Williams is the most movable guy on the depth chart. He could bring back a quality defender or extra rim protector.

 

[Cyber]

Can Curry Surpass Magic?

Whole article but especially want to see that part

 

[Skooby]

Can Curry Surpass Magic?

Whole article but especially want to see that part

5-on-5: Debating the NBA's top point guards of all time




1. Which top-10 point guard is ranked too low?



J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: Isiah Thomas. Even though he was considered an early version of a scoring point guard, he led the league in total assists twice. And he also could claim playoff series victories against Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson (although Magic missed most of the 1989 Finals with a hamstring injury).

Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: Jason Kidd. While he didn't shoot as well as Steve Nash, Chris Paul or Curry, Kidd excelled at almost every other facet of the game, and in his twilight he became a much improved shooter. One of the greatest rebounding guards of all time, an elite defender and an underrated back-to-the-basket player.

Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Nash. The guy they call "Two-Time" for earning a pair of MVP trophies is a couple of slots higher on my list. He was basically a career member of the 50/40/90 club (with field goal, 3-point and free throw percentages of .490/.428/.904) and was the league's assist leader for five seasons. He revolutionized the sport with unthinkable efficiency and playmaking.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: Bob Cousy has got to be top five. He set the template for how we've thought of point guards for 60 years, led the league in assists for eight straight years and helped six Celtics teams to championships. And he did it with panache.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: Kidd has a strong combination of peak value and incredible longevity. He's second all time in both assists and steals, as well as one of the greatest rebounding point guards ever. He shouldn't have to sneak into the top 10.





2. Which top-10 point guard is ranked too high?


Adande: Curry. This might simply be a matter of time, because he hasn't been around long enough to rack up the accomplishments of the rest of the guys in the top five -- guys who either held the all-time assists record or won multiple championships. Check back later (and see below).

Elhassan: Curry. It pains me to say it, as he's one of my favorite players to watch and he's having an all-time great season, but he just doesn't have the longevity to compete with several of the names ahead of him at this time. Honorable mention: Bob Cousy, whose talents wouldn't time-travel well.

Haberstroh: Frazier. Keenest eye for fashion? No one is, was or will be better than Clyde. But I'd slot Bob Cousy ahead of Frazier, who was never top three in the MVP vote and had half as many All-Star appearances as the Celtic. There is no outrage here on my part, but if I had to choose one switch, that's my pick.

Doolittle: There's no way to answer this without nitpicking the feats of a bona fide Hall of Famer, but Isiah Thomas is overrated here. Great player who won a couple of titles. But though Thomas was the headliner, the Pistons took off when he became more a member of an ensemble that won with balance and defense.

Pelton: Even if we give him full credit for winning another MVP this season, Curry still belongs toward the bottom of the list. He has only been an All-Star twice! Kidd was an All-NBA first team pick five times. He needs to add more to his résumé -- which I fully expect he will.








3. Where will Stephen Curry be ranked at the end of his career?


Adande: He could get to third. He already has won more championships than John Stockton. He won't match the assist numbers but will blow him away on 3-pointers. But the reverence I have for Magic Johnson -- and in turn the reverence he has for Oscar Robertson -- make it hard for me to picture anyone supplanting those two. They controlled entire games, where Curry takes over for scintillating stretches.

Elhassan: If he continues with this elevated level of play for several more years, Curry should end up where he's ranked right now (4th). He probably won't reach Magic's track record of success, Robertson's dominance or Stockton's combination of excellence and longevity, but Curry's first in line for the rest.

Haberstroh: Third. He's not even halfway through his career, so this admittedly feels premature. As crazy as it sounds, he could own a pair of titles and MVPs at age-28 and Robertson only owns one of each. Curry wields an all-time skill set that doesn't age (his handle and 3-point shooting), but a delayed entry to superstardom hurts his all-time stock. For now.

Doolittle: We're a little ahead of ourselves with Curry. He's in only his seventh season! But I'll predict he ends up right where we have him, at No. 4. Maybe he gets past Stockton for No. 3, but that would mean he has remained elite for another eight or nine years. That could happen, but so could lots of other things. I mean, if we were doing these rankings 40 years ago, we would have put Nate Archibald in the top five.

Pelton: Given what I just said, it's hard for Curry to move up the point guard rankings too much. He's likely to jump Stockton and battle Robertson for second on the list behind Magic.







4. Where will Russell Westbrook be ranked at the end of his career?


Adande: Just outside the top 10. Westbrook could end up like Charles Barkley or Bo Jackson, with more indelible memories than lasting achievements -- one of those players whose actions you had to see more than whose numbers you need to look up. Rankings are typically based on statistics, and there's no statistical category for most athletic player at the position.

Elhassan: I don't know if he cracks the top 10 unless he has an epiphany and becomes a much more cerebral player over the second half of his career. He's the most athletic player to ever play the position, and I definitely have him over Cousy. But I struggle to see him surpassing the likes of Gary Payton, Walt Frazier, Jason Kidd, et al.

Haberstroh: Top 10. I'd love to put him higher, but his game is so dependent on ruthless athleticism that I can't see a dominant second half of his career, when his wheels start to go flat. He ranks first among point guards in points per 100 possessions through age 27, but he can't be this explosive forever. Right? RIGHT?

Doolittle: He'll end up lower than we have him now. He's a freak of nature and all, but as soon as his athleticism declines, we're looking at years of high-volume, low-efficiency production. I just don't see him as having an extended peak.

Pelton: Maybe eighth or ninth. I don't see Westbrook winning an MVP, and he'd probably need that or a title to jump guys such as Paul and Nash. I wouldn't be stunned if Westbrook ends up peaking early.







5. Which current NBA PGs will make the top 10 eventually?
Not including Curry, Westbrook and Chris Paul.

Adande: At some point we're going to have to account for Tony Parker and his four (at least) championships. In this Golden Era of Point Guards he's the only one of the current crop who has a Finals MVP, yet he's constantly left out of the discussion. Tim Duncan was the foundation of the Spurs, but they often were only as successful as Parker made them.

Elhassan: John Wall? Damian Lillard? Kyrie Irving? Really, I don't think any current player not named Curry, Paul or Westbrook has a legitimate chance. Then again, three current top-10 players (Curry, Nash and Stockton) had slow starts to their respective careers and ended up among the game's greats.

Haberstroh: For me, Irving has the best chance of cracking the top 10, but I still don't think it's likely. Irving's just 23 years old and on his way to becoming one of the best scoring point guards ever. That is, if he can stay healthy. That's a big if. Wall and Lillard enter their primes as some of the best point guards today, but I'd project them in a tier with Tim Hardaway and Kevin Johnson.

Doolittle: None of them, with the most likely candidates being Irving (who already has injury problems piling up) and Wall. Part of the problem is that with the pick-and-roll taking over as the default NBA play, efficiency and productivity at the point guard position have become the norm.

Pelton: Westbrook is the only one not currently in the top 10 I'd give a good chance of getting there. Irving is probably the next best candidate but that's a long ways off.

 

[satam55]

@Skooby Can you post this article?: Nation's No. 2 safety Deontay Anderson talks Texas visit

 

[Skooby]

@Skooby Can you post this article?: Nation's No. 2 safety Deontay Anderson talks Texas visit

Nation's No. 2 safety Deontay Anderson talks Texas visit

Texas hosted 19 prospects on official visits over the weekend, including 10 members of the ESPN300. Among the bevy of talent in Austin this weekend was top target and the nation's No. 2-ranked safety, Deontay Anderson.

“I loved the visit,” said Anderson.” Coach Strong and all the staff did a great job with my family and I. I had a great time for sure. I loved it.”

The No. 42-ranked prospect in the ESPN 300 said he was more than impressed with the message from Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong.

“Coach Strong said I have no choice but to get an education. He said I have a unique talent, but I’m doing everything athletically. He told me they would teach me how to play the safety position. That really caught my eye.”

Anderson was joined in Austin by ESPN 300 safety and good friend Brandon Jones, top linebacker target Jeffrey McCulloch; ESPN 300 defensive tackle targets Stephon Taylor and Chris Daniels (an Oklahoma commit) and Marcel Southall, along with many others.

“The vibe was good," Anderson said. "They treated all of uss like we were already there as players.”

If there was a highlight other than Strong’s message, it was the food and a Saturday night visit to Strong’s house that stood out.

“The food was great," Anderson said. "Everything was great, really. We went to Coach Strong’s house Saturday night -- he has a really big house.”

Anderson will be back on the road next weekend with an official visit to LSU followed by a trip to Ole Miss Jan. 29. This weekend's visit will serve as a measuring stick the next two weekends.

“It was a great one [visit]. I’m just imagining how LSU and Ole Miss will be and how they will be similar.”

The Manvel High product will announce his decision live on ESPNU on national signing day, February 3.

 

[TrillCauleyStein]

5-on-5: Dwight Howard top-10 all-time center?
skooby

 

[Skooby]

5-on-5: Dwight Howard top-10 all-time center?
skooby

5-on-5: Debating the NBA's top centers of all time

1. Which top-10 center is ranked too low?

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: Hakeem Olajuwon. I'd move him ahead of Shaquille O'Neal, in part because Shaq never led the league in rebounds or blocked shots while Hakeem did it twice in each category. Plus, Shaq himself always held Hakeem in such high regard, he probably wouldn't mind looking up at him one more time.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: George Mikan was a towering figure literally and figuratively, on and off the court. At the very least, he should be ahead of Patrick Ewing. I get that his career was short, but in the context of his era, that pales in comparison to his impact on the game. The shot clock? That was a direct byproduct of Mikan's dominance. Besides, if you spearhead five titles, that's enough no matter how long you play.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: David Robinson. Despite his relatively poor playoff track record, Robinson was so good in the regular season -- he has the second-best season since 1977-78 by my wins above replacement player metric -- that I would put him ahead of Moses Malone and, more controversially, contemporary Hakeem Olajuwon.

David Thorpe, ESPN Insider: The Dream. There is an argument that he has had the best combination of low-post scoring and defense in league history, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And he checked every box: leader, great teammate, champion.

Rob Peterson, ESPN.com: Mikan. I understand he played a majority of his career before the shot-clock era, but he was the reason for the shot-clock era. Sure, he would get killed in one-on-one matchups against today's more athletic big men, but Mikan's contributions to the game should have pushed him a little higher.





2. Which top-10 center is ranked too high?
Adande: Bill Walton. He simply didn't have enough great seasons. He played in 65 games or more only three times. His career point total is one-third that of Bob McAdoo's, to name one player below him on the list. Walton's peak was transcendent, but it has also been given too much weight relative to the totality of his career.

Doolittle: Patrick Ewing. Not only should Mikan move ahead of him, but so should Walton, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld and Dave Cowens. And while Knicks fans grind their teeth, let me ask those familiar with the franchise's history: Are you really going to put Ewing ahead of Reed?

Pelton: Walton. Given how short his prime was due to injuries -- less than two seasons -- Walton shouldn't be ranked ahead of players who were consistently slightly less good over a much longer period of time. I wouldn't have him close to my top 10.

Thorpe: Has to be Bill Russell, which I know sounds like blasphemy. But any man who was almost always the tallest and quickest guy on the court but made just 43 percent of his shots can't be ranked ahead of guys like Shaq and Olajuwon. They were simply better than he was.

Peterson: Walton. At his peak there was no one -- except Kareem -- who was better. He could score, pass and play D, leading the NBA in blocked shots the season he also led the Blazers to a title. But because of injuries, Walton's peak was far, far too brief to rank in the top 10.




3. Which center outside the top 10 should have made the list?
Adande: Robert Parish. It's not just the longevity and consistency throughout the bulk of his 20 NBA seasons. He also won NBA Finals series against Moses Malone, Abdul-Jabbar and Olajuwon. Anyone else on the list got a trio of antlers on the wall like that?

Doolittle: I already mentioned some of the top 10 candidates, but in reality there have been way more great centers than spots we have to put them in. I mean, where's Walt Bellamy? Vlade Divac has a top-20 case as well. It's tough, because I can't say there's anyone in our top 20 that I would drop.

Pelton: Dwight Howard. Howard ranks ahead of both Walton and Ewing in both career regular-season and playoff value, and he has five All-NBA First Team selections to their two combined. That's partially because of the eras in which they played, but those stats still reflect that Howard peaked higher than Ewing and had far more longevity than Walton.

Thorpe: No one, but I will give a shoutout to Cowens. Physically, he shouldn't be close to the top 100 power forwards of all time, much less be top 20 as a center. But toughness, feel and smarts are talents too.

Peterson: I don't think people understand the force that Artis Gilmore was in his career, on both ends of the floor. He was still blocking two shots per game at age 35 and shot .599 in his NBA career, the best ever. And in terms of win shares over a 10-year-period, there are only five centers -- Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Shaq and the Admiral -- who were better than him.





4. Where will Dwight Howard be ranked at the end of his career?
Adande: Outside the top 10. While he has already put together a greater body of work than Walton statistically, he lacks the hardware to complete his case. That's why I wouldn't leapfrog him over the people ahead of him. Howard's MVP-winning window has closed, due both to his injuries and the changing nature of the league. Winning championships is his only hope.

Doolittle: Howard has said he'd like to play into his 40s. As he goes on, he's likely to add several mediocre seasons to the pile, which probably won't help his case for the top 10. If we see several years of Howard in an increasingly diminished state and he never wins a title, he may be remembered more as a relic than the MVP contender he was for a few years.

Pelton: Howard is unlikely to return to his prime form at this point, so unless he has a second act as a role player on championship teams, I don't think he'll move up more than a couple of spots from his current ranking of 17th. The perception of Howard's immaturity works against him too much.

Thorpe: He's unlikely to move much unless he ends up on a team that wins some titles. Otherwise he just won't be able to overcome the negative vibe that surrounds him. And unless he joins a team like San Antonio, Golden State or Cleveland, his chances at a ring (while playing alongside James Harden) are not great.

Peterson: He's tough to pin down. Early in his career, I would have said he would have been a lock. He's an intimidating force as a rim protector, but his lack of development on offense and overall mercurial play will probably keep him out of the top 10.





5. Which other current centers have the best chance to make the all-time top 10?
Adande: None of them. The NBA is too different now. All the centers in the current top 10 (except Patrick Ewing) were the foundations of championship teams. Do we see that label applying to even the promising starts of Andre Drummond and Karl-Anthony Towns? Of all the titles Shaq gave himself, the Last Great Big Man might be the most accurate.

Doolittle: The best candidates are big guys who aren't currently full-time centers, like Anthony Davis and Kristaps Porzingis. Maybe, just as the NBA has dropped the position from the All-Star ballot, there won't be such a thing as a true, full-time, two-way center in the future. Then again, this game is changing all the time. Maybe the Dwight Howards of the future will shoot like Steph Curry.

Pelton: Given the difficulty of cracking the top 10 at center, I think we can safely rule out any player over age 25 getting to that level. That leaves DeMarcus Cousins, Drummond, Porzingis and Towns as possible contenders. But they'd all have to meet something like a best-case scenario for their career.

Thorpe: Drummond and Towns have that kind of ability. With an elite coach and some good young guards, Detroit might become a contender. Towns has elite talent (I call him Tim Duncan with range) but is with a franchise that has never been able to do things right for long. Absent a better showing in the future, his ceiling is lowered. With a different team or better management by the Wolves, he has a chance.

Peterson: The game today is geared toward the guard and it'll be tough -- almost impossible, actually -- for a current center to make the top 10. Maybe Davis, if you categorize him that way, or Towns, who's just a rookie and has his whole career ahead of him. But of the current crop, I can't see it.

 

[TrillCauleyStein]

I wont ask for every team but I want:
Trade targets: Should Blazers move McCollum?
Fantasy basketball trends you can trust

 

[TrillCauleyStein]

https://docupub.com/docs/4ea0cf08-0a45-4139-b7e0-a6b919c32893/bilas 2.pdf

hey, repost it manually please..these links never work for me

 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

@Skooby

Kiper: Re-grading the 2015 NFL draft

 

[Jplaya2023]

Outsiders: Peyton Manning's playoff career is better than you think

 

[FTBS]

Just sliding through dapping my man @Skooby up. to you breh for looking out like this.

 

[Skooby]

@Skooby

Kiper: Re-grading the 2015 NFL draft

https://docupub.com/docs/b9393201-3...new grades for every 2015 NFL draft class.pdf

 

[Skooby]

I wont ask for every team but I want:
Trade targets: Should Blazers move McCollum?
Fantasy basketball trends you can trust

Trade targets: Should the Blazers move C.J. McCollum?

Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 19-25
9th in West





Status: Sellers

Because the Western Conference postseason race hasn't materialized as expected, the Blazers find themselves just a half-game behind the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot.


Still, don't expect Portland to load up for a run at the playoffs. The Blazers lose their first-round pick to the Denver Nuggets via the Arron Afflalo trade if they reach the postseason. Otherwise, it's lottery-protected again next season before converting to second-round picks in 2018 and 2019. As a result, the focus in Portland remains on long-term development more than wins this season.







Potential trade targets



Ty Lawson
The Blazers remain $13.6 million in payroll below the NBA's salary floor, and while the penalty for failing to spend to that level is minimal (Portland would have to pay the difference, to be split among the players on the roster), that presents an opportunity to save money. That's because the full salary of any player the Blazers acquire at the deadline counts against the floor, while Portland pays only the amount the player is still owed this season (about one-third of his salary if acquired at the deadline).

Ideally, the Blazers would add a player who can be part of their young core or a prime pick as compensation for taking on a bad contract. Lawson is one such example. If the Houston Rockets decide Lawson's season can't be salvaged, trading him into Portland's cap space would not only nearly get the Blazers to the floor, but also move the Rockets below the luxury tax and give them an enormous trade exception that could be used in another deal. In this case, Portland would surely ask for some kind of picks or prospects for helping Houston out.

Lance Stephenson of the Los Angeles Clippers and Chris Andersen of the Miami Heat are lower-priced players who could be moved to the Blazers to reduce their teams' tax obligation.

Joe Johnson
Failing to get picks or prospects, Portland can still make a deal that would save both teams money by taking a high-priced player off another team's hands. For example, dealing Gerald Henderson for Johnson would save the Blazers about $7 million while also saving the Brooklyn Nets about $6 million by reducing their payroll.


Most trade value


1. Damian Lillard
Lillard's price skyrockets next season, when he'll begin a maximum five-year extension worth an estimated $120 million, but he's proven this season that he's worth the investment as a capable go-to guy.

2. C.J. McCollum
Because he has one more bargain year left on his rookie contract, McCollum might be nearly as valuable as Lillard. But McCollum is a year away from potentially demanding an even larger starting salary on his own rookie extension.

That's one reason Oregonian columnist John Canzano argued last week that the Blazers should trade McCollum, setting off an intense discussion in Rip City.

If they can get a bigger young guard who has a similar ability to complement Lillard offensively, the organization should consider it. However, complete players like that typically aren't available in trades.

3. Mason Plumlee
Making just $1.4 million this season to start at center, Plumlee is another one of the league's best bargains. He, too, has one more cheap season on his rookie contract ($2.3 million for 2016-17) before becoming eligible for an extension.

4. Al-Farouq Aminu
It's to the credit of Portland GM Neil Olshey that multiple players the team signed as free agents last summer have positive trade value because they've outplayed their contracts.

That list is headlined by Aminu, the Blazers' highest-paid player this season. His contract will descend in the next three seasons, paying him approximately $22 million in that span.

That's a great rate for a quality defender who has shown enough 3-point ability to capably start at small forward and cover for the defensive shortcomings of the Lillard-McCollum backcourt.

5. Allen Crabbe
Crabbe has emerged as a strong reserve wing who can score and hold his own defensively, and he's making the league minimum for third-year players this season. However, Crabbe is due for a big raise as a restricted free agent this summer.

6. Ed Davis
Davis, who has emerged as one of the league's top backup centers and will be making just $13 million the next two seasons as the cap explodes, also falls into the category of 2015 free agents with positive trade value less than a year later.

7. Meyers Leonard
After opting not to sign an extension during training camp, Leonard has seen his value decline after a shooting slump likely tied to the shoulder injury that sidelined him in November. Yet the Portland offense continues to run better with Leonard dragging opposing big men to the perimeter. He'll be a restricted free agent next summer.





Most valuable draft pick
2018 first-rounder
Because of the Afflalo trade, the Blazers can't deal a first-round pick until 2018 at the earliest, and even that would be contingent on their pick not going to Denver in 2017.





Biggest question mark


Noah Vonleh
Vonleh is less than two years removed from being the No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets quickly moved on, dealing Vonleh for Nicolas Batum last summer, and Vonleh's flashes of impressive play as a starter in Portland haven't translated into consistent production.

If he's not the long-term answer at power forward for the Blazers, who is?





Toughest contract to trade


Chris Kaman
Because they had so much cap space, the Blazers hung onto Kaman despite his $5 million salary being only $1 million guaranteed last summer. With younger, better options, Terry Stotts has found little use for Kaman, who has played just 55 minutes all season.

Kaman is a year removed from playing regularly on a playoff team, so he might be able to contribute elsewhere if a team looks past his price tag.



Player most likely to be traded


Gerald Henderson
Sent to Portlandia in the Vonleh-Batum deal, Henderson has provided his usual long 2-and-D production. Yet he's playing just 16.1 minutes per game -- his lowest average since his rookie season -- because of the Blazers' crowd at the wing spots.

Both Crabbe and Maurice Harkless are more likely to fit into Portland's long-term plans than Henderson, who could help a wing-needy contender like the Oklahoma City Thunder.