Within a week from NBA draftThe card will start falling soon Portland Trail Blazers The off-season is full of potential moves and pressures to build around Damian Lillard.
One of those potential moves is whether to re-sign around Jusuf Nurkić, an unlimited free agent.according to Athletic’s recent workJohn Hollinger ranked Nurkić as the fourth best free agent center on the market, but probably the best that the Blazers can get in that position.
Defined as a “mid-level above, below maximum” player in Holinger’s Ranking Tier II, he sets the potential value of Nurkic for the next season at around $ 17 million. Hollinger described Nurkic as a cost-effective and safe option for Portland. That is, if another suitor does not raise the price.
In theory, there is a cap room scenario. Blazers Walk Nurkic to make room to chase other players. In fact, Portland’s best bet is to re-sign Nurkić in mid-teens and use other cap options (including huge trade exceptions) to rebuild the team this offseason. That is.
Nurkić seems to have almost recovered from a catastrophic foot injury two years ago, just rounded last winter when the Blazers season got out of step. He turned 28 in August and has consistently increased the number of middle-class starting centers, so long-term trading for him is not particularly dangerous. The only real question is whether another team will participate in the bid and try to pull him away from Portland, and how many must be in order for that number to succeed.
Toronto Raptors Center Chris Boucher and New York Knicks Mitchell Robinson ranked ahead of Nurkić in Tier II.
Phoenix Suns Deandre Ayton, a restricted free agent, was ranked number one on the list and was the only center in Tier I to include players worthy of the largest contract.
Several former Blazers have appeared elsewhere on the list. Mason Plumlee and Hassan Whiteside were ranked 10th and 13th, respectively, as players whose “value above the lowest” was “less than the middle level”.
LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez and Ed Davis have all appeared in Tier V, including the veteran’s lowest-deserving player. According to Holinger, Aldridge remains aggressive as he grows older.
Aldridge, the last known practitioner of the pick-and-pop midrange jumper, was deadly enough from that range, shooting 57.8 percent in two seconds last season. He will be 37 next year, struggling to stay in court and unable to defend in space. All restrictions may result in a minimum transaction for an additional year. But he can still get some buckets.
Drew Eubanks, Blazers’ free agent center, praised Portland for a series of 10-day contracts later in the season, but wasn’t included in the rankings.
