For Blazer Fans (Part 2)

by Stumptown

This is the second part of a two part post split for length.  The first post covers every NBA team from Atlanta to the Lakers.  Now here is the rest of the alphabet.  If I were more clever, I'm sure I could add a link to that first post here, but I'm not.  Sorry.

Memphis

•n                  Available/Desirable -    Jack plus Przybilla for Mike Miller works as to contracts.  Let’s make this happen right now.  I think Mike Miller is a near perfect fit.  I might like Battier a little better because of his defense and leadership, but Miller would be an amazing addition.  Consistent scorer, good passer, would spread the floor for the bigs.  Could play the 2 or the 3.  Just makes me giddy thinking about it.  He has 3 more years on his deal which would mean that in 2 years when the Blazers are hoping to have available cap room, he would be a very tradable expiring deal.  Or he would come off the books the next year when a certain Chris Paul hits the FA market.  I’m telling you, lock this down.  Other than Miller, I’m also a Rudy Gay fan, but I kind of think he might be untouchable.

•n                  Willingness – Not so much.  Maybe before they signed Darko and drafted Connley and then saw the emergence of Lowry in the summer league, but not now.  Now they have a good young team possibly able to make a playoff run right now.  Sounds silly maybe, but they were a 6 seed two years ago right?  How much of their roster is different than it was then?  I’m just saying.  But maybe they secretly know they still have to trade Pau and will be interested in rebuilding with a good young PG and a good young center.  Hey, I can dream can’t I?

Miami

•n                  Available/Desirable – Wow, the Heat suck.  Can you believe they won a title two years ago?  I mean, there’s Wade and Shaq and a bunch of has beens and never weres.  How about Antoine Walker for 8 Mil?  He can shoot?  He can play multiple positions.  Heck, he can even bring the ball up so long as you don’t mind him shooting it from 25 feet.  He’s the perfect fit I think.  Of course I’m kidding.  Unless they wanted to take D Miles back (assuming we are 100 percent sure he is not retiring), then maybe….maybe…..ok still probably not.  Incredibly, Walker actually has more years left on his outrageous contract than Miles does.

•n                  Willingness – Sure, they’re willing.  They’re probably desperate.  They need any semblance of a player right now.  That said, what they really need is proven guys, but they would probably give up half of South Beach to get one of Portland’s PGs.  Too bad they don’t have anything.

Milwaukie

•n                  Available/Desirable – Here’s an interesting one.  What about Yi?  He’s probably a 3 right?  Flexible enough to play some 4 maybe.  Fits the age/timeline.  Has huge potential.  Good shooter.  Portland has a large Asian community.  He doesn’t help the Blazers this year at all and still leaves them without any proven scorers on the roster, but he might be too good to pass up if he were available.  A trade would be complicated, but I wonder if Jack and Prz would get it done?  I think I would do that trade if I were Portland.  They also have Charlie V and Simmons, but both those guys have injury issues that concern me.  That said, Villanueva is an interesting option.  Has some flexibility, has some shooting ability.  I would have to leave him on the potential target list depending on his price.

•n                  Willingness – As for Yi, it is looking more and more like they can either save their pride or help their franchise but not both.  That means, they need to suck it up and trade that kid.  I’m thinking GS might be willing to offer more, as might Philly or some other team, but Portland has a lot of good young players and if we are comfortable being pretty bad this next year, adding Yi might be worth it.

Minnesota

•n                  Available/Desirable – Hey, maybe we can get Ricky Ricky?  Yikes.  They don’t have an NBA starting small forward.  Sure, Corey Brewer would be a nice addition, but for what?  What would the Blazers be able to offer that would even get them close?  Nothing. Not much of anything here.

•n                  Willingness – I don’t think they will do anything until they either trade or decide they will absolutely not trade KG. 

New Jersey

•n                  Available/Desirable – How about this.  Oh, this is perfect.  NJ needs low post offense and an upgrade at power forward.  Portland needs a proven scorer and an upgrade at small forward.  How about Zach for Jefferson?  Win/Win.  No brainer.  Sure they both have some risk, but they just fit so much better on the other team, this makes too much sense not to happen.  Oh yeah, the Blazers decided a simple downgrade at PF was the better way to go.  Jefferson is still a good fit, but now the Blazers don’t have the pieces.  Plus, and I will say this about this deal even if we still had Zach.  Jefferson makes ridiculous money for a long time.  Nothing else to offer.

•n                  Willingness – No way, no how.  NJ is built to win right now.  They should move Jefferson for someone like Zach or O’Neal, but they aren’t interested in the Blazer kids.

New Orleans

•n                  Available/Desirable – Rasual?  Julian Wright?  Both would fit well.  Buler plays no D though and I think Nate would hate him.  Wright is a nice player, but a significant roster upgrade?  Not sure about that.  Too bad Peja wasn’t 4 years younger and healthy…and available…..and dying to move to Portland.

•n                  Willingness – they could use some depth, but I don’t see them anxious to part with Wright and aren’t going to trade any of their starters.

New York

•n                  Available/Desirable – Jeffries is a decent player and would be a good fit except now he makes way too much money and isn’t a huge upgrade.  Q would be a decent fit except for his attitude, defensive limitations and oh yes, he is also grossly overpaid.  Plus adding Q would give D Miles a reason to try to come back and we don’t want that under any circumstances.

•n                  Willingness – I get the idea that everyone on this team is available for the right price and by right price I mean one that has the Knicks way overpaying.  But Isaiah only wants to get guys who are big name guys who keep the team’s profile high in the Big Apple.  The Blazers only have Oden that fits that bill and he’s not going anywhere.

Orlando

•n                  Available/Desirable – A couple interesting options here.  I’m thinking with Lewis taking 40 minutes a night, any other wing player is available.  Plus, wouldn’t Orland want another option at PG?  To say nothing of SG?  Their front line is even thin other than Howard.  They could use some other pieces and they have two players that could help the Blazers.  The first is Trevor Ariza who I believe is just waiting the right opportunity to really bust out.  I think I would give up Webster and one of the new picks for Ariza and a second rounder.  I think Ariza is better and will be better.  Then there is Hedo.  I think he is a good fit.  Prz and some loose change could bring him to the NW.   I hear this has been discussed and is dead, but would be a good deal.  I’m worried that with Oden likely to be in foul trouble a lot, Joel could be useful.  Plus as my buddy Jeff points out, Przybilla probably brings a bit more toughness.  But Hedo has a semi-reasonable contract and can spread the floor.  If Raef is healthy enough to play some minutes at the 4 and 5, I say do this deal.

•n                  Willingness – I don’t know why they wouldn’t jump at the chance to trade Hedo for Prz with as thin as they are at the power forward.  Plus, how do you play Hedo and Lewis at the same time?  They are basically the same player, just one is better.  But like I said, I hear this is dead, so who knows?

Philadelphia

•n                  Available/Desirable – Both Korver and Iggy would be good fits.  But the new AI is surely absolutely untouchable.  Korver may or may not be.  He is really mostly a specialist and it is tough to say how highly Philly might value him.  I think   I think Korver fits well on the Blazers.  Good shooter to spread the floor.  Still young.  Relatively reasonably paid.  Seems like a good fit.  For the contracts, Przybilla for Korver and Shavlick Randolph works.  Why Philly would do that when they already have several mediocre big guys who can’t score, is another question.

•n                  Willingness – Tough to say if Philly would be willing to discuss moving Korver.  I’m guessing it would have to be a part of a much larger deal than Portland would be interested in.  Really, I just don’t think Portland has anything that would get them very excited.

Phoenix

•n                  Available/Desirable – Sure Diaw and Marion and Hill and even Raja Bell would be upgrades to the roster and players that fit from a talent perspective, but I think Diaw only works as a Sun and even there has motivation issues.  Marion is too much money and too expensive I’m sure.  Hill is too old and doesn’t want to play anywhere else and Bell isn’t a big enough upgrade to make it worth it since he is really a 2 rather than a 3. 

•n                  Willingness – I don’t see much here.  I imagine they would be happy to get Portland to take on Diaw’s huge contract, but that isn’t going to happen.

Sacramento

•n                  Avaialable/Desirable – I hate this roster.  Artest would be a good fit as far as talent goes, but he is a walking nightmare and now that he shoots all the time, it is just worse.  Yuck.  The player at the 3 that I like here is Francisco Garcia.  Man he has bulked up since college when he looked like the second coming of Tayshawn Prince.  I like his game and think it would fit for Portland.  But he’s still mostly upside which is what Portland already has plenty of.  Pass.

•n                  Willingness – they should be blowing this thing up, but I don’t see any kind of discernable plan.  Tough to say what they might be willing to do.  I know Artest is available, but who wants him?

San Antonio

•n                  Available/Desirable – Too old and too entrenched.  Manu’s great, but not being traded.  We’ll just move along

•n                  Willingness – Uhmmm….no.

Seattle

•n                  Available/Desirable – Well, Green and Durant would be nice, but not likely to be traded.  Wally fits pretty well if he were healthy and not paid 12 million dollars next year.  Though considering he doesn’t fit into Seattle’s plans either I’m sure how about a LaFrentz and cash or picks for Wally?  Both are banged up.  Niether fit in the team’s plan.  Both come off the books in two years.  Sure Wally is better, but he plays the same position as Green and Durant so are they even going to play him?  Seems like something that could work out for all involved.

•n                  Willingness – I don’t think so.  Seattle’s not looking to do any trading with Portland after Mr. Sonic’s defection.  Interesting idea though.

Toronto

•n                  Available/Desirable – I don’t see anyone who they would consider trading that fits what Portland is trying to do.  Just don’t see it.

•n                  Willingness – they could use someone like Przybilla, but not enough to give up something like Bargnani or Garbajosa.

Utah

•n                  Available/Desirable – AK was another one I wondered about when Portland still had Zach, but we’re past that…seriously, we have to be past that.  I actually think the Blazers could use someone like Harpring.  For the contracts Prz for Harp straight up works.  He would add some toughness and leadership to a young team and plays like Nate likes.  Not a great guy for an uptempo team, but would be a nice yin to Outlaw’s yang (I promise to never write about Outlaw’s yang again).  Ronnie Brewer could turn out to be a nice player, but doesn’t really fit Portland’s needs right now and is still very unproven.

•n                  Willingness – I don’t see Utah wanting to trade Harp for a back up center.  Maybe if there was a way to sweeten the pot, but this seems unlikely and nothing to get excited about even if it was likely.

Washington

•n                  Available/Desirable – You know what I said about Jefferson above?  Well replace him with Jamison and you get the idea.  Oh, what could have been….  Anyway, as it is, since Caron Butler is surely not available for a back up center, prospect shooter and backup point guard, I don’t think we need to spend much time here.  Though I would love to see the Blazers get Caron.

•n                  Willingness – I bet they are very willing to move Jarvis Hayes.  Just a guess.  But, you know, who cares?

So, after all that, what’s the lesson to be learned?  After that Zach trade failed to net a scoring small forward, there really isn’t much out there.  Only 2 or 3 teams could provide any options and none of them are likely to really want what Portland has.  I am becoming more and more convinced that the Blazers will start the year with a starting 5 of Blake, Roy, Outlaw, Aldridge and Oden with Jack, Frye, Webster and Jones all getting some starts in the early going.