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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jul 10, 2005 4:19:15 GMT -5
From various and sources, Ainge is looking to give us financial flexibility, and is looking at deals to bring this about.
A sign and trade involving Walker for an expiring contract will allow Ainge to get some value back from Walker (and give Walker the bigger contract he's looking for), and allow us to lower our salary once that contract expires.
Talks of Isaiah Thomas having an interest in Walker may not go nowhere, as Ainge isn't the type to trade with division rivals--though its not impossible.
Houston and Sacramento have been rumored to be interested in Walker, and that may be possibilities. Could Mike James be brought back to Boston as a vet PG to backup Delonte (or Banks)? His contract of 3.7 mil expires at the end of the 2007 season.
David Wesley has an expiring contract after this season, which pays him close to 5 mil. He's a vet who can handle the PG duties, although he's not a guy who will rack up assists. He's just a guy to bring the ball up and provide outside shooting.
Charlie Ward is also a free agent after this season, and his salary is only 1.8 mil.
Bobby Jackson from Sacramento is going to be a free agent after the season ends, and he's making 3.8 mil this year. Greg Ostertag is in the same boat, with a 4.4 mil contract.
These are trades that could give us financial flexibility once the players are released. The trade may not necessarily be appetizing, but they serve their purpose of getting us in better shape financially.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jul 10, 2005 4:23:12 GMT -5
I've heard that Ainge, Rivers, and Wyc have been sited at the Vegas summer league, watching the Blazers' game very intently. Is there an interest in a player on the Blazers' squad? C'mon Ainge, pry Telfair away from them (I know--wishful thinking).
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Post by VI_CelticsFan on Jul 10, 2005 7:32:12 GMT -5
I've heard that Ainge, Rivers, and Wyc have been sited at the Vegas summer league, watching the Blazers' game very intently. Is there an interest in a player on the Blazers' squad? C'mon Ainge, pry Telfair away from them (I know--wishful thinking). Hmmmmm I wonder who we would want from the Blazers. If we could get Telfair, it would be great, but I don't think that's happening. Is Darius Miles playing on their Summer League team? |
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jul 10, 2005 13:02:47 GMT -5
No, he's not. But Travis Outlaw is. He's a young, very athletic, and he's producing in these summer league games. So far, he's averaging 25 ppg and 8.5 rpg, plus 2 blocks. At 6'9", he could go well with Gerald Green to give us a tall and extremely athletic wing combination.
Of course, there's Sebastian Telfair, a guy who I sorely wished we could have drafted in '04. I really want a true floor general, and even though I like Delonte West a lot, I feel we'd be even stronger with a PG who can direct the offense better.
Outlaw and Telfair are both considered the future of the Blazers' franchise. But with new coach Nate McMillan on board, he may be interested in making changes.
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Post by VI_CelticsFan on Jul 10, 2005 13:26:59 GMT -5
No, he's not. But Travis Outlaw is. He's a young, very athletic, and he's producing in these summer league games. So far, he's averaging 25 ppg and 8.5 rpg, plus 2 blocks. At 6'9", he could go well with Gerald Green to give us a tall and extremely athletic wing combination. Of course, there's Sebastian Telfair, a guy who I sorely wished we could have drafted in '04. I really want a true floor general, and even though I like Delonte West a lot, I feel we'd be even stronger with a PG who can direct the offense better. Outlaw and Telfair are both considered the future of the Blazers' franchise. But with new coach Nate McMillan on board, he may be interested in making changes. Either Telfair or Outlaw would be a great pick-up. What would it take to pry one of them (or both) from Portland? Allen? Banks? Toine? Ricky? |
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jul 10, 2005 13:30:31 GMT -5
Hard to say because they have Zach Randolph cemented at PF, and if they are looking into the future, they'll have Outlaw as their SF, Martel Webster at SG, and Telfair at PG. Doesn't seem like they need anyone on our team to make their future brighter. They could use a Center, but we only have Perkins to dangle, and while he's certainly not untouchable, he's the only Center prospect we have on our roster.
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Post by The Eye of the Q is upon you! on Jul 10, 2005 14:05:10 GMT -5
Portland has expunged a lot of their salary and is actually under the cap right now. I cannot rule out a Banks for Telfair type swap. They need a center so shipping Blount there is a possibility.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jul 10, 2005 21:56:47 GMT -5
I don't see them taking Banks and giving us Telfair. Telfair is far more advanced already as a passing PG and his floor leadership ranks higher than Banks', even though he's yet to turn 20. Unless Nate McMillan wants to have a better defensive team--then he may want Banks.
As for Blount, I can only hope they'd be foolish enough to take him. He's a step down from the just-as-skinny-big man Theo Ratliff.
But will the Blazers be interested in getting Pierce and giving up Martel Webster, Jarret Jack, or Telfair, and another piece, whether it be a trade fodder or a first round pick? Ainge seems to be targeting someone from the Blazers ever since before the draft. There might be something brewing here.
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Post by eja117 on Jul 11, 2005 13:24:41 GMT -5
Teams that want to build a winner usually build around cheap young guys like Al J or Lebron (I know they won't be cheap for long), not older max contract guys that have never led their team. That's why I think it will be really hard to get a good trade for PP. He can't really be a number one guy and win a championship unless he has a heck of a team around him. I suppose we could be that team some day. I just think anyone trading for him will be dumping some salary back. I would have thought maybe Clevland would be a good place for him since they were looking so hard for a running mate for Lebron and seemed to have a decent relationship with DA (Jiri...then again maybe its an aweful reationship), but then they gave Larry Hughes a ridiculous amount of money. Whatever. I assume by now DA knows exactly what he would accept from every team and exactly what he would give and nothing happened so I'm not so sure it will happen till maybe the trade deadline
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jul 11, 2005 22:10:49 GMT -5
Hey hey, Eja. Haven't seen you for over a week. We expect more from you ;D
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jul 11, 2005 22:33:34 GMT -5
So far, all the different trade ideas Ive heard for Walker have been good. I like the idea of getting a good role-model type vet or two in return for Twan. They dont have to be great, something in the CWeatherspoon, CWard, ADavis mold. And if we can get rid of Blounts contract as well? Please.
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Post by Celtic17 on Jul 11, 2005 22:42:27 GMT -5
I'm kinda worried abouts Reaf's health more than MBlounts sucking. We have a lot of young guys looking for minutes in the front-court. We need a vet or two that can handle some PT. MBlount is normally healthy.
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Post by Roadrunner on Jul 11, 2005 22:44:20 GMT -5
I am not sold on Hughes...regardless if he went to St Lou U w/ my sister. How many good years has he had in the NBA? 1/2 season. Expect him to "tank" next season.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jul 11, 2005 23:12:09 GMT -5
Some of the salaries being doled out are obsurd. All these 2's and 3's getting humongous contracts makes PP contract look pretty good by comparision. What kind of Salary # is PHX gonna have after they give Amare the Max next summer? They now have Johnson and Marion making the max, and Nash is awfully close. Thats almost 55 million a year wrapped up in those four. But I guess if you can fill the rest of the holes with rookie contracts and vet. minimums, thats a good core to build around.
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Post by Celtic17 on Jul 11, 2005 23:23:13 GMT -5
From the looks of the rooks the last couple yrs and the new ones coming in, this might not be a problem. I hope...
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