Reaction Roundup: Diverse Opinions of Blazers’ Mason Plumlee Trade

Less than twenty-four hours after thePortland Trail Blazers moved center Mason Plumlee to the Denver Nuggetsin exchange for Jusef Nurkic, the league is already weighing in on the trade. Most analysts felt the Blazers will likely struggle in the short term, but that Nurkic has a small chance of being a long-term success. And the draft pick was very welcome. But is that enough for a good grade?

Kevin Pelton of ESPNfelt the Blazers won the trade.Portland received a B+, while theNuggets got a C-. He felt the Nuggets will be paying a lot of money for a player that will be their backup toNikola Jokic(though they can afford it), and will not help their defensive issues. For the Blazers, he felt this move would be a complement toEvan Turner的作用(从受伤一次)开始,和Nukic’s post-up game will help vary Portland’s offense. And that draft pick doesn’t hurt.

[Note: ABC News lists Pelton’s grade as a B, however Pelton informed Blazer’s Edge that is an error. It was a B+ in the original ESPN Insider article.]

The best part of the center swap from the Blazers' perspective is that Nurkic is still just 22 and two years removed from being one of the league's most promising rookies. Plumlee, who will turn 27 next month, is already near or at his peak as a player. Nurkic gives Portland more room to grow, something that's necessary given that the Blazers, as currently constituted, don't appear capable of competing in the West.

By getting that upside plus a first-round pick, Portland comes out ahead in this deal despite taking a step backward in the short term.

CBSSports.com gaveboth teams a B+,with writer Ananth Pandian citingPlumlee’s excellent passing would work well with Nuggets forward/center Nikola Jokic. For the Blazers, he grades them highly for reeling in a first-round pick and potentially removing themselves from the playoffs this year to focus on the future.

Portland also made this deal because Plumlee is a restricted free agent. After signingEvan Turnerand then re-signingMeyers Leonard,Allen Crabbe,Maurice Harklesswhile also giving a long-term extension to McCollum, the Blazers would've had a tough time re-signing Plumlee. They would have gone into the luxury tax to do so and since they've been largely mediocre this season, spending a lot to bring Plumlee back wouldn't have made sense.

SI.com’sBen Golliver wasn’t so high on the Blazers,grading them a C+. He argues that the team was built by General Manager Neil Olshey as a win now team, and that the draft picks that end up later in the first-round will only pay dividends onceDamian Lillardand CJ McCollum are passing 30 years old. He also argues that the Blazers still do not have a serviceable defensive center, and Nurkic is not an answer.Denver received a B+.

The biggest plus regarding Nurkic from Portland’s standpoint is his rookie contract: The Blazers add him on a low salary number ($1.9 million this year and $2.9 million next), much like they did with Plumlee two years ago, and plunge forward with their search for a real long-term solution in the middle. The cycle continues.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer likes the tradea bit more from Portland’s perspective. Citing Olshey’s draft pick history as mostly successful, he lauds the Blazers for finding a good way to stock up even with the team salary staying uncomfortably high until at least 2019. He did not assign grades to either team.

I made the case last month for the Blazers to trade McCollum to the Sixersfor high draft picks and dominant defensive center Nerlens Noel. Let’s think bigger. If the Blazers put McCollum (or Lillard) on the table in addition to their newfound assets, they could suddenly become leaders in a race for a star likeDeMarcus Cousins,Paul George, orJimmy Butler.

Sam Vecenie at the Sporting News felt the Blazers easily won this trade. He gavePortland a grade of B+, compared to aC- grade for Denver. He felt Nurkic is a worse player than Plumlee right now, but that Denver should not have taken on possibly a large long-term contract for Plumlee, just to strive for a quick first-round exit against theWarriors. He also questioned the inclusion of a draft pick. He feels Nurkic will hurt the Blazers’ playoff hopes this year, but feels he still has long-term promise. And the cap relief and draft pick doesn’t hurt.

Overall, it’s hard to come away feeling bad about this deal from Portland’s perspective. Given the team’s position — like the Nuggets, unlikely to move beyond the No. 8 seed and a date with an incomprehensibly good Golden State team — making a move for future value is the smart play. The downside is that Nurkic may never improve beyond his skill level at 22 years old, but his upside is also greater than that of a soon-to-be-27-year-old Plumlee. It’s a shake-up trade for the team that has the added value of bringing in a higher ceiling for the organization.

Social reaction

Instead of full articles, some writers simply gave their opinions via social media. Here is some of the best.

Monday morning, the trade will become official, and Nurkic and Plumlee will report to their new teams. It’s not yet confirmed if they will play in their respective games Monday night. Both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollumexpressed their disappointmentat the trade, while ESPN reported that the Blazers areattempting to moveinjured centerFestus Ezeli.

And despite all of today’s activity, there have been reports thatthe Blazers are still interested in the Sixers’ Jahlil Okafor. The trade deadline promises to be anything but boring in Portland.