David Lee Trade Talks

So if you haven’t already heard a trade rumor involving the Blazers yesterday was tearing up the web. I was going to make a post on it, but I had already made two for the day and had some stuff to take care of. So now I bring it to you.

The deal involved bringing David Lee to Portland from the New York Knicks. I heard various different scenarios, but one that seemed to make the most sense was this (Click link and it will take you to the ESPN trade machine that I did. Also, not shown in a 1st round pick from the Blazers to the Clippers. I think this would be the most logical and fair deal involving the key names mentioned. I would do that in a heart beat as a Blazer fan, would you?

Apparently there were reports that the Blazers front office is “enamored” with Lee, and think he would fit perfect into what we are doing here. I agree, I think he would be a great fit, but there are two drawbacks that I can see. 1. Lee is a restricted free agent this summer, which means if we traded for him, we could match any offer he receives and retain him. Sounds good right? But what if someone throws a max deal at him? Is he worth that much? Then we not only lose Frye and Sergio for nothing, but also a 1st round pick. 2. Lee has stated publicly more then once that he wants to be a starter. And I can guarantee that he will not start in front Aldridge.

Here is an interesting exerpt from Chad Ford’s chat today on ESPN.

“Nick (NYC): Chad, what have you heard on this David Lee to Portland stuff?? Wouldn't Lee for Jerryd Bayless and a first rounder be a great deal for both teams??



Chad Ford: Portland has interest in Lee. But honestly, Portland has interest in all of the good young players in the league. Kevin Pritchard is very proactive and likes to collect assets. The Knicks would probably be interested in that deal ... Bayless and a first rounder. The problem is, Portland's not offering that. I think they're not willing to give up that much for Lee. I think Lee will be gone by the trade deadline, but I'm not sure it will be Portland.”

Sounds like classic Pritchard to me, which is what I love about him. He never puts all his eggs in one basket, and is constantly turning over every rock (and sometimes the same rock over and over again) to better this team. Could it be smoke screen? Remember that every deal the Blazers have ever pulled off, there have been no rumors prior the transaction. Every single time the first time you hear about the deal, it is imminent. Pritchard plays his cards very close to the chest, so I would highly doubt that a deal for Lee is in the near future. Not to say it will never happen, just not right now.

But this stirs the pot a little for me and begins trade talk and speculation (one of my favorite things to do/talk about). So what do you think about David Lee to Portland? Good fit? If not him, then who would like to see? Who would you like to give up? Post some ideas, and we can discuss why or why not those players coming to Portland is a reality or just a dream.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

-Kyle

Darius Miles Update

So as I am sure some of you already know, if Darius Miles plays 10 games or more in the next 2 years, his $9 mil. Annual salary goes back on Portland’s books. Miles, made yet another huge step towards doing this last night in Memphis’ game vs. Dallas. Miles played a little under 2 mins in a blowout Memphis win. This is huge in the fact, that Miles has already made it through his 10 game suspension (for taking a banned weight loss drug). So Darius is 1 down, 9 to go.

What is intriguing about his current situation is as of Friday (01/09/09), any player that is on a team with a non-guaranteed contract, will automatically be turned into a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the year. Darius Miles is one of those players. So what if the Grizzlies decide to cut Miles? Well, if Miles gets cut and becomes a free agent then anyone in the league can sign him to a 10-day contract. However, Miles can only be signed to a total of (2) 10-day contracts, before a team has to give him a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season.

So lets run through a scenario (one that Portland fans such as myself would like to see). Memphis has three games between now and Friday. So what are the chances that Darius gets to play in any or all of those games? It’s hard to tell, because he only played 2 mins in a blowout win vs. Dallas. What if it’s a blowout loss? Memphis is playing, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Toronto this week. I am willing to bet at least two of those games will be fairly close, so I think its safe to say Miles could only legitimately see burn on 1 game.

Now lets say they cut him. He gets picked up in a few weeks by a team on a 10-day contract. Most teams play an average of 4 games in 10 days, assuming he gets 2 of those 4 games, that puts him at (5). Then the same for another 10 day contract.

So to me it basically comes down to if the Grizzles cut him this week or retain him for the remainder of the year. Let’s hope they cut him, so we have some room to work this offseason.

Laker Game Recap

Game Review

Well, we hung in there for a half. Then the same problem arose, we simply could not score for a long period of time. In the 3rd quarter, the Blazers had only 7 points in the first 9 minutes of the quarter. No one could hit a shot, and surprisingly enough they were all jumpers. Aldridge had a fantastic game offensively, but our guards couldn’t/wouldn’t get him the ball. He finished 11-19 for 22 points and 11 rebounds. Greg Oden also had some mild success in the post, but he did not get the ball either. During one series, the Blazers missed 4 three pointers, and one jumpshot, while getting fouled once and 4 offensive rebounds, to finally hit a 3. All of the shots were wide open too. It was a rough sight from some usually reliable shooters such as Blake and Rudy, who went a combined 10-29 (5-16 from deep). During the period, LA went on a 17-3 run, and never looked back.

A Few Random Thoughts on the Game:

1. I personally think Oden out performed Bynum, even though you can’t tell from the stat book. Oden changes so many shots and clears so much room for everyone else to come get rebounds. He also had multiple times where he tipped the rebound to keep it alive.

2. It would be nice to have someone besides Brandon Roy who can consistently create their own shot.

3. Kobe Bryant is good at basketball.

4. The Blazers hardly ever get easy baskets. They don’t run, no one besides Roy really gets to the hole, Oden isn’t consistant enough to get quality shots on the block, Aldridge takes difficult shots as with Outlaw. Blake never goes to the hoop. The list goes on and on….

Game Summary in One Sentence: The Blazers hit another one of their “dry spells” and could never battle back.