Not really. Ericka sucks. I'd rather give a hungry D-Leaguer a spot on the training camp roster than a washed up scrub.
I'm pretty sure we have 15 under contract. So we'd have to have a trade in the works with Rudy to even have this be a consideration. Not sure if he knows Portland doesn't have a spot short of a trade. Still pretty deep at center with Oden, Joel, Camby, Aldridge and Pendy all able to play that position offiicially, as where PG only has Miller and Armon Johnson with Bayless and Roy backcourt guys who can bring the ball up the court if needed. So I'd much rather be looking for a new player to be added to be someone like a Devon Harris so we have some depth there in clase Miller goes down.
True, but the whole premise is you can't add a free agent without a trade, so one essentially goes hand-in-hand with the other. So I'm saying if we're going to be seeing any fresh blood other than the 15 we have, I'd rather it was someone like Devin Harris being signed via a trade, than a worthless Dampier as our 4th option at center who would could only get via a trade happening.
But it's a lot easier to trade Rudy for a 1st from Chicago, and then add Dampier than it is to find a suitable package to add Harris. To say you prefer one to the other makes it sound like they are both easily available for similar offers.
OK. True. I wasn't saying CP3 or anything. I guess my point is I'm finding the "trade for Rudy for a 1st rounder" about as difficult as trading Joel and pieces for another player in my mind. And I suppose in my mind I see trading for Harris to a team that is imploding and rebuilding about as likely as someone coming out and offering up a great 1st round pick for Rudy that hasn't come to the table as of yet. And if someone does come up and take Rudy off our hands, about the last thing we need is another center to get 3mpg this season when we only have one real PG and one very untested rookie PG and a couple guys that are only there to cover of the spot when needed. So I'd hope to god we don't waste that valuable 15th spot on yet another center.
We have 2 real PG's but the other PG is about as tested as Armon Johnson. Patty Mill's, really like the guy but well see if he even suits up for us this season.
If they trade Rudy for a draft pick and free up a roster spot, THEN sign Dampier, then we don't have any roster spots left for Patty and he becomes a free agent. So we end up back to only 1 real PG.
For some reason I think we would sign Patty instead of Dampier if a spot opens. Patty was a player Paul Allen wanted and I doubt he will want to let him go for a 4th string center.
"Erika"? Is it too much to ask to try to avoid sophomoric misogyny? (Y'know, because calling a man feminine as an insult is, y'know, an insult to women? Including the women who read this board?) What am I saying!? Of course it is.
I'd love for us to sign Dampier. Your talking about a guy who was a starter for a Mavs team that was way better than us. You could immediately cut Pendegraph or whoever our 15th man is. I'm shocked more people arn't interested in Dampier, he isn't a good deal at $10 million but for something close to the vet minimum he is a steal.
I don't know how people can say, with a straight face, that Dampier sucks. He's a starting-level center in the NBA. He won't carry us anywhere, but he would provide front court depth and would definitely help us more this year than Pendergraph would and than Howard did last year. I'm not sure why he'd come to Portland, but if he did I'd be pleased. Ed O.
