Freeland and Claver along with Batum are all spurs like picks Freeland has only been playing basketball for like 6 years and he is improving by leaps and bounds...pretty awesome.
I talked to him for about an hour, but we got interrupted right after we talked talking hoops again. In said his main agent (who he was with) is named Roffa or something like that. But he did know he was represented by Arn Tellem, and I just got my messages mixed up. The only other thing he said is that he got the impression from his agent that Joel will be Blazer at some point, just not this upcoming season.
Maybe another update http://www.sportando.net/eng/usa/nba/3615/freeland_blazers_to_make_an_offer.html The articles date is 7/21/09. Seriously, I like Joel Freeland and all, but this off season has blown so far.
Nice find! Again, according to my friend, he says Freeland wants to play over here, but his agent is the one who is more hesitant.
Bringing Freeland over must now be a high priority with Millsap and Bass gone. Lee and Williams are too expensive. Anyone know what this year or last years #30 pick is set to make in guaranteed money? We can come fairly close to the $4m Euros ($6m US?) Im thinking our max with rookie contract is $.8m first year, $.9m second and $1m third. Sound right? Thats half but with the potential to make a boat load more soon after.
I doubt Freeland will fair any better than either Pendergraph or Cunningham, so I don't get the urgency
Not that we would necessarily want to, not knowing how well he will perform over here, but sicne we have cap space, can't we renounce our rights to Freeland, and then sign him as a free agent? I know it's risky, we could get screwed ala Boozer, but if KP actually wanted him over here, that could be an option for him to get a tiny bit more money. Although it doesn't seem necessary, as his offer didn't seem too huge there.
For some reason I think we have to wait a period of time before we can sign him if we do that. Again people, we are talking about a guy who has shown a little promise in a league far inferior to the NBA. Whether he signs or not won't really have an impact on our team.
Hey! We agree again! What are the chances? I would prefer Koponen. I see a LOT more urgency with our PG than our PF.
I'm not sure how that would save money considering he comes off our cap if we don't bring him over this year. I'm also guessing he would not resign on a team that has a young-talented PF like us if his agent had his way. Probably too risky even if it could save us money.
I disagree. Unlike Cunningham he isnt undersized at the 4. Pen is looked at to be the 3rd center not a 4 in Nates system. We need size, defense, hustle at the 4 without giving up rebounding. I'd be much happier with Freeland from what ive read than cunningham.
Its not about ACB vs NBA. Its that hes now the best 4 with skills we can use, unless another 4 is available to trade for that we arent aware of.
Not for us to save money. I meant, if KP really wanted him over here, but wanted to offer him, say a 4 year, 6 million dollar contract, as opposed to whatever his rookie scale deal is. Specifically to bring him over this year, not to wait.
I guess we will have to disagree. I don't think any of them are ready to really contribute to a team suppsedly wanting to make it out of the first round. No way anyone can convince me that the team below has any business thinking they can compete for anything more than a low seeded playoff spot. This year will be so different because teams will absolutely not overlook us like they have been the past couple of years. Blake/Bayless/Jeter Roy/Fernandez Batum/Outlaw/Webster/Cunningham Aldridge/Freeland Oden/Przybilla/Pendergraph
Nothing can convince you that the exact same team as last year, that was a #4 seed and won 54 games, will be nothing more than competing for a low playoff seed? You don't want convincing. It seems the last 3 months, you've wanted nothing but to bitch and complain about the team. I've not seen a positive remark, any excitement about the future of thissquad. I guess we are doomed. Oh well. I understand the overly optimistic bake-it crowd can get annoying, thinking everything is absolutely perfect, but you're just as bad with your overly dismal depressing whining day in and day out. Fuck. Maybe step away for a tiny bit, and come back in pre-season for the season,a dn try to get excited for the team you like.
What i envision, with getting Freeland and Cunn, the opportunity to then move Out to MEM to free up more spending money. We lose Outs scoring but then can replace that with another move (say for Miller or Robinson). Defensively and rebounding with our three-headed FreePenCunn would help POR more than keeping Out IMO.
I'm not sure I get the logic in Freeland's agent wanting him to stay in Europe. If Freeland wants to play in the NBA, the sooner he does so, the sooner he completes his rookie-scale contract. Staying in Europe and improving his game does not increase how much he'll make on his rookie NBA contract. Coming over and joining the Blazers now will do much more to improve his game than playing on inferior European teams, and sooner. And even if he were to wash out here, it isn't going to hurt him when he goes back to Europe as a much improved player. I don't know what his agent is smoking, but practicing against LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden every day is not going to slow his development compared to playing twice a week on some lowly European team.
Article VIII, section 2 of the CBA. If Freeland continues to play in Europe for at least 3 seasons after he was picked in the NBA draft, he is no longer bound by the rookie scale. He can refuse to come over unless the team (for example) offered him their full MLE. There's a discussion of the issue over in the Spurs' forum, as they are facing the same issue with Tiago Splitter. Of course, upcoming changes to the CBA could render all this moot....but maybe Freeland's agent likes to play "chicken".
Drop Freeland in the Big East last season and how does he compare with the other bigs? Freeland accomplished the following, in what most consider a league, the ACB, with superior players than the highest touted NCAA conference, the Big East: - 24.9 PER (ranked 5th best overall; 4th if only looking at bigs) - 5 rebounds in 17 minutes (10.6 per 40/pace adjusted) - .8 blocks in 17 minutes (1.8 per 40/pace adjusted) In the Eurocup, his PER beefed up to over 29, which puts him at #1 overall. Keep in mind he's only 22 years old. I really like the idea of Nate having the option of substituting Outlaw for either Freeland or Cunningham, depending on the match ups. If we can get him now, before he signs a massive deal, that's optimal.
