I just entered this on another board, but thought it would be fun to get started here as well. What are your predictions for the off-season (Draft, Trades and Free Agents)? There have been so many smoke screens, rumors, articles, etc. that it is really hard to determine, but that is what makes it fun...right? My predictions... Let's start with the Draft...because nothing is going to happen until then anyways... Clipper...Griffin Memphis...Rubio (despite his balking) OK...Thabeet Sacramento...Harden Washington...Curry ...there has been a trade...Portland trades Sergio/Outlaw/#32 for Conley and future #1 #24...Portland picks...Tyler Hansborough Trades...None other than mentioned above (Conley). Free Agents...Portland signs Ime Oduka. Re-signs...Channing Team next year: Conley/Blake/Bayless Roy/Rudy Batum/Webster/Udoka LMA/Tyler/Channing Oden/Pryz 13 players...cap room and options for 2010.
I would be happy with that outcome. Udoka is a hard working glue guy who the Blazers shouldn't have let go in the first place. Conley would fit right in. Psycho T would be a great bench guy. I would give that offseason an A grade.
It is always fun to speculate...I have no clue...but can sit back and enjoy watching anyway. Thanks for the support Chris.
I can not see Psycho-T fall to us - if he is still on board at #20 - Utah takes him and play him backup behind Millsap (assuming Boozer is a goner). We would have to trade up to get him. My gut feeling is that if we are staying at #24 (not very likely, imho) - we take Caspi and stash him.
My prediction is that this is a draft considered weak - but if there is one position it is deep in - it's PG - a position the Blazers are far from set at. So - given KP's tendency to ignore the idea that this draft is "weak" - he tries to go up big-time and take a good PG prospect. Getting Rubio seems pretty hard to do at this point - so someone like Curry would be a great prospect - especially if the team really thinks Rudy will need to be moved at some point down the line because he is a starter level material - if you lose Rudy - you can play Curry in his designated long-range bomber that can handle the ball some, distribute some and make smart basketball plays. If they can do that - they might be able to do some kind of a blockbuster move later with Rudy as the big name going out. A more reasonable target would be someone like Ty Lawson or Eric Maynor - so my opinion is that the team will probably try to go up in the draft to get one of these not Rubio star PGs - but will most likely only be able to get a solid prospect late lottery PGs like Lawson.
