I’m not a fan of people saying “I told you so”. But I mean, I told you that Justice Winslow was going to be a big part of this. portland trailblazers franchise.
said in February, August When October.
That’s right, growling out of the way.
Now the Blazers have to make a decision. And they have to do it by the trading deadline.
The decision is either to try to re-sign Winslow in July or trade him so as not to lose him needlessly after February 9th.
The 26-year-old sparked controversy in February los angeles clippers, Eric Bledsoe, Keeon Johnson, and second-round picks of Norman Powell and Robert Covington. That deal looks to be getting better for the Blazers with each passing day.
While to some people his arrival came with little to no expectations, the 6-foot-6 forward has recently been described as an incredibly useful NBA player with several national pundits. have proved Compare him to Golden State Warriors mainstay Draymond Green.
And for good reason. Winslow’s team his first-team focus and ability to guard positions 1-5 well has made him a revelation off the Blazers’ bench. Yes, he probably hasn’t scored enough to enter the Sixth Man of the Year conversation, but he’s everything this franchise needed from a larger, athletic, and skilled reserve. is.
Of course, he can’t shoot. But this team has a lot of shooters. But his IQ in defense, ball-handling, passing, and basketball have been invaluable since he arrived, and even more important this season as the Blazers lead the Westerns in his conference.
Like Draymond Green, the guy does intelligent things on the floor. Whether he’s passing, screens and defensively, whether he’s swiping or cutting, being in the right place at the right time is an inborn skill.
There was a reason the former Duke standout was reportedly worth it Four first-round picks for the Boston Celtics to Danny Ainge on draft night in 2015. Yes, injuries, reduced opportunities and a stint of poor health have held him back, but his innate ability will always find a way to shine.
Statistically, despite posting a near-triple-double against the Phoenix Suns on November 4, his stats of 7.9 points, 31% of 3 points, 5.1 boards, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals put his contribution to the game. It doesn’t justify. Look what I did there
But Winslow isn’t necessary for flashy numbers. His values are behind his stats and he does every little thing to make his teammates and the team better.
Now, several factors come into play if the Blazers want to keep Winslow beyond the 2022-23 season. Given the nature of his $4.1 million contract, especially early bird rights, the franchise doesn’t have the same options as other contracted players. More on this later.
Other moving parts
As I said many times, Josh Hart seems to be the Blazers best trade chip. He’s capable on both ends of the floor, this season he’s on a $12.9 million deal and next season he probably won’t get his option as a $12.9 million player.
Cronin openly said he still has Things to do to improve this team Given the franchise’s pay sheet, deals, internal growth and clever draft decisions seem to be the only way forward.
Winslow contributes less than Hart, but the difference is relatively negligible. Neither are great shooters, but they grow in ball handling, facilitation, hustling, rebounding and defense.
As far as other free agents go, Jerami Grant has already proven himself to be a vital part of this team, and is sure to get an extension at some point this season. Drew Eubanks has a veteran minimum deal, so it’s just an injection as part of the trade.
deadline trade
Blazers are somewhat restricted. As discussed, Winslow’s $4.1 million contract doesn’t get much back.I have already explained about Possibility to combine Winslow and Hart In a deal (totaling $17 million), it’s probably not the smartest move, and it drains the franchise’s wing depth.
I honestly don’t know what you’re getting for $4.1 million.The only thing I bring up is that the Boston Celtics still interested in winslow, the player they coveted seven years ago. If that’s the case, Grant Williams would be the only player I would want to see him twice for the same salary. But the soon-to-be 24-year-old is expected to break into restricted free agency next summer and possibly get paid.
free agent
Winslow’s early bird rights mean the Blazers can’t extend him midseason. This makes unrestricted free agency the only avenue he can go down to retain him long term.
Early bird rights allow franchises to re-sign players regardless of cap status. The 2023-24 salary will be around $7 million.
This is where gambling comes into play. If Winslow continues to outperform his current contract, he could potentially get his $7 million or more from another team with real cap space for him.
The only way the Blazers can pay Winslow more than $7 million is if Cronin somehow cuts his salary enough to access the mid-level exception (estimated at about $11.3 million). is the case. In this unlikely event, I doubt Cronin is offering her Winslow that much value.
Interestingly, the taxpayer intermediate level exception is expected to be just over $7 million. If this is the only mid-level exception the Blazers have to work with, they could sign Winslow via Early Bird rights if he wants it and use TPMLE on someone else. You may stick to it.
Winslow’s market outside of Portland is difficult to predict. At this very early stage, the Cap Space team will primarily be a tanking franchise. utah jazz, San Antonio Spurs, houston rockets, detroit pistons, orlando magic, Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets When oklahoma city thunderBut there are two other things that could be higher up the food chain. Memphis Grizzlies Winslow has already played, but he hasn’t spoken too well. los angeles lakersfinally freed from Russell Westbrook’s terrible deal.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting Winslow wants anything more than a full Midlevel Exception, but it would be interesting to see teams other than Blazer who might be in a position to offer something. That’s it.
Conclusion
Like I said, I’m a Winslow fan, so maybe I’m not the best person to write this. , the Blazers would agree to make a decision by February.
he Liked it in Oregonand probably “House hunting” Honoring franchises that help restore his value, could encourage him to choose Portland regardless of the money offered.
One thing is certain, Winslow can’t extend midseason. That means the Blazers will either sign him by the deadline or take a chance and try to re-sign him in July. The latter is less certain, but you should try to keep his big wing due to the fact that he helps this team in many ways.
