If Paul Allen was serious about trying to do everything this summer to "go for it". I really think Haslem would be that last peice to this team to make it a legit championship contender . A) Veteran leadership- Has a ring B) Back up PF C) Good rebounder D) Good defender I'm wondering if KP has tried to make a play for him or not. I think he fits in much better than Milsap would have for many reasons. With one year left on his contract @ 7M it maybe a risk, but a risk worth taking. Would Outlaw and Bayless be enough to get him here ? Trade works money wise. Being a Florida boy how hard would it be to keep him here after one year. Also would you give up more than Bayless & Outlaw to get him ? IMO this makes Portland #2 in the West and a legit threat to the *akers
Paul Allen was never at a point where he said he would go for it at all costs. Giving up Bayless and Outlaw for a backup 4 seems a bit crazy to me. Outlaw for Haslem, sure.
Fairly overrated player. His production is below average, his defense is good but not great. I'd swap Outlaw for him...similarly good players but Haslem might better fill a need (unless Webster isn't ready to contribute, in which case Portland would have no real backup small forward). I would certainly not add Bayless to the deal.
So in a game 7 of a WCF you would rather have Bayless sitting on the bench rather than having an experinced physical player ? Sure if Webster doesn't come back and can't go it would be a problem. But with Batum emerging as possibly as a legit starter we would only need to find someone to play the SF position 12-15 minutes a game. With the wealth we have at the guard position ( Roy, Rudy, Miller, Blake ) I think we would get by very nicely. I just don't see Bayless with a future with this team. Come playoff time we are going to need a banger, experinced vet . Landry, Hayes, Scola kinda showed that last year. I also thought Reggie Evans would be another idea but he got traded to the Raps ? We still are soft at a key position, IMO. I'm thinking of what Buck Williams did to this team when he was added to the core of finesse players we had at the time ( 1989 ).
I am a huge Batum fan, but I don't think he's ready to consistently play 33-36 minutes a game. He also played more than 10-15 minutes a game like a back-up would (and even less in the playoffs).
No. But there's obviously no guarantee that Portland will be in a WCF game 7, and there will be seasons beyond this one. I'm not willing to trade Bayless and Outlaw for a player who's fairly average. I consider Haslem to be about the same caliber as Outlaw. Not as productive, but superior on defense. Well, that's a disagreement that would certainly lead us to different conclusions on this proposed deal. I think Bayless will fit very well next to Roy, so long as he develops. He won't be a proper point guard, but I don't think Portland needs that. A guard who can drive to the hoop and dish, shoot, and defend will fit well next to a play-maker like Roy, IMO. I agree that Portland is "soft" at backup power forward, but I don't agree that it's a key position. Aldridge will likely play around 35 minutes per game, so we're talking about a 13 MPG player. It's not trivial, but far from key to me. Buck Williams was about a 30 MPG player for the Blazers, because they had no star at the position. That made him quite important. The player who plays behind Aldridge will matter but isn't likely to be part of the "core." He'll be a reserve behind one the Blazers' best players.
Thats like saying it would be worth giving up a bunch of #1 draft picks for a bench player that could help you immediately. Short sided IMO and not worth the risk.
Haslem is alright, but hardly anybody I'd bend over backwards to trade for. This team probably needs some consolidation trade before the deadline, but I don't see this being much of an impact move.
Yes it would be the end of Bayless. No it's not a bunch of #1 draft picks. With Bayless I think we know what he is. With future picks who knows. Sorry I don't value Bayless as much as some do. My point is that we have the pieces now to possibly be a real threat in the west and I think it's time to go for it. Our core ( Roy, LA, GO, Nic, Webster ) are all under 25. Look what San Antonio has done. They have had a young core and have added vet's in to the mix and have been successful for years. It maybe for only 15-20 minutes a game, but having a physical presence in the playoffs has been proven. What did Roy say after the series w/ Houston ? " we need to get tougher ". As much as I like this team now, I see no point in keeping Outlaw and Bayless if they still have value and not trading them for something that we NEED!! I can see it now, next summer we will be after a vet power forward because we were pushed around in the playoffs. IMO
KURT THOMAS would be more than enough as a 15mpg guy who rotates well, grabs rebounds, can hit a mid-range J, and has tons of experience. Then we can trade Outlaw/Bayless for something exciting down the road (perhaps Rubio after he signs with Barcelona or Real Madrid for two years or make a run at Conley Jr or something). Miller/Blake Roy/Fernandez Batum/Webster Aldridge/Thomas Oden/Pryzbilla with the rights to Rubio in a couple of years... I like that team a lot, a good balance of potential, players about to enter their prime, and experience.
I like the idea of Thomas, but you're off with the trade idea. Outlaw/Bayless wouldn't be enough to get the rights to Rubio.
In my opinion, there's too much agony over a 14 minute a game position. Outlaw will probably get the lion's share of the back up time and our 2nd rounders look promising. It's cliche, but I say we let the cake bake until we have a chance to see our group play.
I think once we get into the season and we see that Webster is able to play I wouldn't mind going after Kurt Thomas. I think Thomas would fit the role just as good. I like the fact that Haslem is 8 years younger and if we could re-sign to a 2-3 year contract after this year . I think it would help with chemistry, etc not having to replace Thomas who is 37. Either way I think KP is waiting till the Euro's come off the books so he can take a vet PF from a team and give up a second round pick in exchange for a salary dump. Question is can KP make 3.7 M in cap space for Thomas ?
