Merged: Rumors from Hoopsworld chat / Portland will trade pick away

FWIW.

 

Re: Rumors from Hoopsworld chat

It makes sense. This team doesn't need more youth.

 

Portland will do NOTHING in this draft!

You heard it hear first people. They will trade #24 for future picks. Then they will trade 2 of there 2nd rd picks for cash and 2010 and 2011 picks. Then they will draft some stiff PF who will be next years Ike Diogu and with there last pick they will draft some euro that you will never see in a blazers uniform. That's just reality people. There is no way in hell there is going to be some big trade or that they will move up into the top 10. Get over it, because its not going to happen. Kevin Pritchard is to in love with a lot of this young talent on this team and he won't trade it. That's his downfall in my opinion. He is to close to these players and when the time comes to pull the trigger, just like the trade deadline KP won't do it. So get used to seeing a lot of Doubtlaw fade away MJ jumpers in your future.

 

LMA, Martell and Blake for ZBO
Roy + Rudy for Stache
Jerryd Bayless for Jarrett Jack

HOLD ONTO YOUR SHORTS!

 

Re: Portland will do NOTHING in this draft!

I would like to disagree with you, but KP has pretty much only traded away guys that he had no hand in acquiring. IE Telfair, Randolph, Jack, etc. The only person left that I could see KP trading because he isn't one of "his guys" is Webster.

 

which would be dumb because he has no real trade value excpet for potential right now and has a pretty reasonable contract....

 

I am sure they have discussed\explored several opportunities with other NBA teams...however it doesn't mean they are looking to trade out of the draft....it just means they are being thorough....

 

I'll make a bold prediction. Blazers take Jeff Pendergraph at 32 and that's the only pick they make in this year's draft. If KP really does trade out of the first round I think it's going to show a lot of maturity as a GM, that he's not just a "draft day guy" and that he and Nate are on the same page with respect to adding some good veteran pieces through trade and free agency.

 

I do not see what this means about maturity - especially if there are real talents to have. The draft is pretty much the cheapest way to get real talent in the NBA unless you deal with Chris Wallace and dangle Kwame Brown in front of his face.

If there is real talent he can get for spare-parts/money/other picks - it would just be irresponsible, as a GM - not to get it. It is as simple as that...

If there is nothing there - sure, trading out makes sense - but there are some players in this league that are just very very intriguing.

Personally - I would be ecstatic if there is a way to get someone like Rubio, Curry or Blair... All of them look like real talents with potential to do special things in the league that also fit the culture/needs of the team.

 

I see this is as a particularly weak draft ... or at least a draft that probably isn't worth trading away a lot of talent to move up in. So making major deals to get a guy has a high potential to be a lateral move at best. That's what I mean by "maturity," the ability to show some restraint when it might be called for. Now if on the other hand his scouting metrics are screaming at him that there is some guy he can't pass up and it's reasonable to move up and get him then by all means do it, but outside of Griffin and Rubio is there really anybody worth the pain of moving up into the early lottery where it counts? I'm just not seeing it.

 

This, for the record, is not the first place I heard this.


By the way Natebishop, you forgot to remind people that KP had no hand in acquiring Mr Sonic.

 

Maybe talent evaluation is what is the topic. If the Blazers have a significant advantage over other teams in this area, it would be a waste not to make use of it -- even if only for a short time. Such as, draft a player whose real value is not judged appropriately by other teams, then show off the talent in summer league or early in the season, and then put them in a trade at the trade deadline or sooner.

However, a changed factor for the Blazers is that they don't have so many wrongly valued "spare parts" to throw into trades. It is becoming much harder for them to get good value in return for their young players, since their salary "values" are low, and since their needs now are more specific.

 

I think Curry has the potential to be a super-deluxe version of Blake - a better shooter with even better passing ability and BBIQ than Blake. Blake already works very well as a backcourt-mate to Roy - so getting Curry really seems like a great opportunity to me. Same, for the record - Blair - as far as begin super-productive in a position of need (backup PF) that provides fantastic rebounding and post moves. Can you just imagine the rebounding this team would have with an Oden/LMA backed by Joel/Blair? Crazy.

 

If we get rid of Blake who starts between bayless and curry? If we get curry that is

 

Good! No more young guys. We are set for the future, i want some vets.

 

How the heck would I know? That's why they have practice and coaches, I think.

 

Or Joel or Travis.

 

KP re-signed Joel. Remember he flew out to MKE and sat on his door step at 1201am.

 

Totally agree. Curry may just be a perfect player to play off Brandon.

 

I can't think of a rookie PG starting on a 54 win team. If we get rid of Blake, we're gonna get a VET to replace him (at least for the short term). Nate wouldn't have it any other way, and to be honest, neither would I.