Trail Blazers Calculated Gamble with Mason Plumlee
The Trail Blazers appear ready to take their chances with Mason Plumlee as he heads towards restricted free agency
The deadline for contract extensions will likely come and pass without the Trail Blazers reaching an extension agreement with Mason Plumlee. This doesn’t mean that his future with the team is in complete jeopardy, as Neil Olshey (GM) will have the option to match any offer made to Portland’s starting center. Without reaching an agreement, it looks like the Trail Blazers are content with seeing what the market says about Plumlee’s value at the end of the season.
The biggest issue facing Portland could be their current salary cap situation. Paul Allen (owner) is headed towards a massive tax bill if the team maintains its current make-up. Dishing out another large extension at this point would further limit the Trail Blazers’ flexibility in the future. If Olshey can keep (future) money off of the books it could open up fruitful trade talks around the midseason deadline.
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Even though the salary cap situation looks dire at this point, there are ways that the Trail Blazers can fit Plumlee into their plans. The current wing depth on the roster suggests a possible trade, which has the potential to free up a ton of cash in a hurry. On top of a possible trade – Festus Ezeli‘s contract for the 2017-18 season is largely un-guranteed, so Portland can escape the commitment with ease if they choose.
Plumlee’s value will ultimately be dictated by the other players that join him on the market. Rudy Gobert (Jazz) and Steven Adams (Thunder) are also heading towards restricted free agency. Neither player has reached an extension deal with their current team (as of this post), which is a positive sign for the Trail Blazers. Giving potential suitors more than one quality option should lower Plumlee’s price-tag (in theory).
The Trail Blazers will now hope that they can get their future finances in order to match an offer for Plumlee, or simply create a situation that is too special for either side to walk away from.