2017-18: 49-33 (3rd in the West, lost in the 1st rd)
Draft picks: 24,54
Signed for next season ($112m): Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, Evan Turner, Moe Harkless, Meyers Leonard, Al-Farouk Aminu, Zach Collins, Caleb Swanigan, Jake Layman
This summer's free agents: Ed Davis, Jusuf Nurkic, Shabazz Napier, Pat Connaughton, Wade Baldwin, CJ Wilcox, Georgias Papagiannis
Right now they are right on the edge of the salary cap, so even though I'm guessing they'd love to bring back Davis, Nurkic, Napier and probably even Connaughton, I'm not sure they've got the money to do it. Wilcox is on a 2-way contract. Baldwin and Papagiannis may be available for 2-way contracts, too (summer league for those two?).
After getting mowed down by the suddenly mighty Pelicans, the buzz is that they may fire Coach Terry Stotts. Personally I think that'd be a mistake. He's been through thick and thin with this squad, he knows these players, knows the environment, considering they're likely to be rolling into next season with roughly the same squad, not sure I see the upside of starting with a new coach. Hey, man, the Pelicans were fucking legit in that series, you wish the Blazers would be better but its not like they gacked it up to a sub-standard team. This is gonna be a weird summer but I think moving on from Stotts right now would not be a good move.
In the draft #25 could net them Trevon Duval (Duke), Jalen Brunson (Villanova) or Landry Shamet (Wichita State), each of those guys looks to give them another combo guard that might make losing Napier and Connaughton a little easier to deal with. Or if they want some size maybe Chimezie Metu (USC), Omari Spellman (Villanova) or Brandon McCoy (UNLV) would be there. At #54 Cody Martin (Nevada) might be another combo guard for them to try out.
Pointless trade idea (warning: this one ain't that great): Evan Turner straight up for Tristan Thompson. Their contracts are virtually identical, so this is would be swapping a ball handler (which the Cavs could use if Lebron moves on) for a big guy (which the Blazers could use if they can't bring back Davis or Nurkic). The Cavs clearly have given up on Tristan and while he's not exactly the best big man ever, a change of scenery might do him so good. This doesn't really do anything for their cap situation (Tristan is slightly cheaper for each of the next two years) but it does shift their focus for off-season acquisitions and could make the plethora of combo guards in the draft a little more enticing.
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