Clues lead to Wizards as trade partner for Blazers

I remember the last time we decided to bring in as much talent as possible, salary cap be damned, and just throw them all out on the court without giving a shit about chemistry. Guess I'm in the minority there.

 

why are you assuming all those comments over 3 months are about the same trade?

 

I get your point about bad contracts, they are a burden for any franchise . . . but I'm wondering if you shuddered when KP took on Francis and his 13 mil/yr for 2 years and then cut him? Or when the Blazers took on Raef's contract?

Blazers have a history of dishing out big contracts and taking on big contracts for washed up players.

I think the analysis is would the Wiz need to give up someone like Butler to get rid of Arenas . . . I don't think so. But if the Wiz could rebuild with several young players by giving those two up . . . well maybe??? It really comes down to whether the Wiz feel they still have a good playoff team with a healty Arenas, Jamison and Butler . . . on paper it sounds good and don't think the wiz are ready to give up that fast on a team they just locked up this summer.

 

They can keep Arenas, Jamison, and Butler AND obtain a top prospect this coming off-season in the draft.

 

We were in complete rebuilding mode, because we were still recovering from all the bad contracts of the Whitless and Nash eras. We're in a totally different situation right now (a great situation).

 

Salary cap be damned indeed. Portland's problem last time around wasn't the salary cap, it was that the team blew it in a certain fourth quarter in a year when they were good enough to win it all and simply wasn't good enough in the years after that.

To me the lesson wasn't "avoid talent if it's available." It was "make sure you get elite talent." Oden/Aldridge/Roy/Butler would be pretty elite talent (and Bayless, Rudy and/or Batum could join them as elite talents). Arenas would just be the cost of doing business.

 

Yes, that's true PA has been willing to take a bad contract to get his man but not at 111 million. He took 26-30 million over a couple years not 6 years. This is a 111 million on a player that has had 3 knee operations and isn't even close to coming back. Like I already posted there is nobody and I'm mean not even PA that would take that bad of a contract on a player until he is at least back playing and healthy.

 

I hope he is right. My arguement was that the trade was possible because if I was Washington I would want to dump Arenas' contract. I don't think he is worth it. i think he is a bit selfish. No doubt he is good, just a little to much concerned about his stats for me.

 

So in complete rebuilding mode, recovering from bad contracts, we showed a willingness, at such a sensitive time, to take on large contracts. When EVERY other team would most likely dump contracts, and not take on big deals, and we took on two big ones to either get a guy we wanted, or get rid of a guy. I think mentioning it in rebuilding mode works AGAINST your point.

 

Woot, i am on Courtside with my email!

 

Minstrel, did you call into courtside?

 

So just to throw this out there, have the Blazers ever been interested in RJ? I can't remember them being interested in him, and it doesn't make sense because the Bucks are actually in 8th place. But from what I have read, Herb Kohl (I think thats his name) who is the owner, has hit some financial straights and was looking at reducing payroll and or selling the team. So in some ways it makes sense.

 

They're watching...

 

The rumor was that the Blazers wanted to trade Zbo for RJ but the deal fell though and we traded with the Knicks instead.

 

I sent them that, was meaning to send the Arenas link so they would discuss that, but some times you mislink

 

It's funny, there is a poster who is of the opinion that Arenas has trade value by himself and there are other posters who think Arenas isn't even worth a Butler.

Out of curiostiy, how much have the Blazers paid Raef over the last three years . . . some thing like 45 mil?

You're right Gilbert doesn't jsut have a big contract, he has almost one of the biggest contracts, I'm assuming, as he jsut signed for a near max contract. But I'm thinking Arenas isn't all washed up and you get some value from him.

Anyways, I don't see it happening because I don't see the Wiz making such a drastic move (trading 2 of their best 3 players) . . . and I get the idea that the Blazers may be reluctant to take on that silly little contract of 111 MILLION.

 

Heh, no. I don't live in Oregon. Why?

 

What was your question?

 

I sent them mixums trade proposal, but they glossed over it, and didnt mention that i credited him either

 

That is a good point in many ways. If you are going to pay somebody for not playing, it might as well be a player that there is a chance they will come back and be awesome, instead of coming back and being...Raef Lafrentz....