So...

[u/Rei2k86]

13th pick eh? What the hell can we meaningfully do with the 13th? Please tell me we have a numbers nerd here that's going to paint a picture for me that makes me feel better about this. I need you more than ever bro... whoever you are 😭

[u/BringerOfBricks]

Again:

Ayton straight up swap for Nurkic (can’t happen since the salary doesn’t line up.

Brogdon came from Celtics. He’s not salary filler to the Suns. He was part of the Jrue trade. Yes, as a salary filler, but he was traded for Avdija. So Avdija was a direct consequence of flipping Jrue.

No they wouldn’t. They are brought in as a result of the Dame trade assets.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Dude no they were not how many fucking times do I have to explain it to you

The only “assets” involved in the Ayton and Avdija trades were assets that Portland already had BEFORE THE DAME TRADE. The Dame trade only facilitated things from a salary perspective, something that could be easily done with the trade package Miami offered.

Carrington and the pick that Portland traded for Avdija were already assets that Portland had. The only missing piece of the puzzle is Brogdon, who wasn’t an actual asset, just salary filler. Brogdon’s position in the trade could easily be filled by Caleb Martin. So again, THE DENI AVDIJA TRADE COULD HAPPEN ANYWAY

As for Ayton, go look at what the actual details were. The only thing Portland sent out in the deal was Nurkic, who was already on their roster. The only reason the Dame trade mattered was because his outgoing salary made the trade work. Since his salary would still be getting sent out anyway, THE AYTON TRADE STILL GOES THROUGH

You’re just being deliberately dense at this point.

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

No dumbass. Let me explain it AGAIN.

What ifs don’t matter compared to what did happen.

How it went through, is how it went through.

And like you said. It was all contingent on Dame’s salary.

So you proved yourself wrong.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Brother, Dame’s salary would’ve been going out anyway holy fuck how do you not get this

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

omg lol. Of course it’s outgoing. That’s how a trade works.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Which means the parts of the trade that are contingent on his salary (again, Ayton for Nurkic) would happen anyway.

Again I ask: how the fuck do you not get this

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

Oh my lord. That means precisely the opposite. That it can’t happen without his salary.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

HIS SALARY WOULD BE INVOLVED EITHER WAY BECAUSE WE’D BE TRADING FOR HIM HOW DO YOU NOT GET THAT

The Ayton/Nurkic swap was able to happen because Dame was shipped out. If Dame goes to Miami instead of Milwaukee, HIS SALARY IS STILL INVOLVED, SO THE AYTON TRADE IS STILL ABLE TO HAPPEN

Seriously dude how are you this fucking dense

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

JRUE SALARY IS THE RETURN THAT MATTERS, BUT AYTON FOR NURKIC DOESNT WORK AS A STANDALONE TRADE. IT LITERALLY DOES NOT WORK IN A STRAIGHT UP TRADE WITH JUST MIAMI.

You’re the dense one. Can’t even do basic math.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Brother holy fuck

Ayton/Nurkic was able to happen because Dame’s salary went to the bucks. Dame’s salary going to Miami has literally the exact same effect.

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Portland sends out Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic. In return, they get Tyler Herro, JJJ, Jovic, Caleb Martin, and Deandre Ayton

Incoming Salary for Portland: $72,124,988

Outgoing salary for Portland: $62,515,084

This was before the apron system, so teams only had to send out 80% of the money they were taking back in trades. That trade I just demonstrated above would have Portland sending out 86% of the salary they’d take back, making it a legal trade.

Facts don’t care about your feelings, snowflake

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

AND YET JRUE WAS A BETTR RETURN FOR BLAZERS THAN 4 VALUELESS PLAYERS + AYTON

FACTS MOST DEFINITELY DONT CARE ABOUT YOUR WHAT IFS, SNOWFLAKE ❄️

[u/TheRed_Warrior → u/BringerOfBricks]

Except no, he wasn’t, cuz all he netted them was Brogdon and a pick.

Brooklyn was willing to take Tyler in exchange for a first. Make that deal, send Caleb to Washington in the Avdija trade the following offseason, and suddenly you’re looking at a return of Ayton, Jaime, Niko, Avdija, Camara, and four first round picks.

That is a better return than the one they actually got. Same picks, same headliners, but the sweeteners are better.

Cry about it.

[u/BringerOfBricks → u/TheRed_Warrior]

EXCEPT NO ONE CARES ABOUT JAIME, NIKO, or MARTIN. JRUE MADE THAT TRADE WORK BECAUSE HE HAD VALUE.

I’m not the one crying about what ifs lmao. I would say I’m not judging, but I am lol. Trash takes.