(Crystall Ball Time) Three backcourt players, three question marks ...

Sounds like that vacancy went to Bayless and Martel to me.

 

Slightly boring take, but I don't see any of them traded away.

Webster is a reasonably-paid reserve. There's no pressing need to trade him, since the team needs a reserve small forward. His value to other teams is not sufficient to generate a big enough return to force Pritchard's hand.

Bayless is progressing approximately the way you'd hope a raw, high-level prospect would. He had a poor rookie season but with flashes of impressive talent. He followed that up by nearly doubling his PER to the production of a roughly average starter, with even more flashes of excellence. Observational evaluations of course are going to differ, but my own impression is that Bayless is showing more court awareness and ability to find open teammates. Again, his value around the league isn't going to be high enough to force Pritchard's hand, so why wouldn't he continue to see how Bayless develops?

Fernandez has been the main non-Oden-related disappointment to me. He isn't playing well enough to trade for value...trading him at this point would be trading him at the bottom of his value. I think he's better than he has played this year, so the team is much better served holding onto him and hoping he rebounds into an above-average player.

If a consolidation trade comes along in which the other team wants those players, I can definitely see them being moved. But I don't see that being a reality. So they'll likely all be parts of the bench next season, in my opinion.

 

I don't think there is much interest by other teams in either Webster or Bayless; Webster would only be included in a larger deal where his contract would make the salaries match. The Blazers probably figure it's better to wait and hope Bayless gets better since right now they could not get much back for him.

Rudy has more trade value as some teams might be intrigued by his ability to attract fans in their area and also may feel like he could do better with more playing time, so he might be the most likely to go. But he really hasn't had that much injury-free time to develop his game as a Blazer so I think the Blazers might want to see him for another year: I think that would be their best choice. If his game improves they could find a bigger role for him or if it looks like he still is not happy with them, his trade value would be higher.

 

I think the most interesting bigger question you raise here is: how do the Blazers fill the starting point guard position in the next few years?

Or, more pointedly - do the Blazers think that Andre Miller, at his age, is the PG for the Blazers' "championship window"?

If yes, then I think holding onto Bayless is a good idea, as a decent combo guard off the bench. I think that's the role that he's best suited for. He'll never be a good enough ball-handler or passer to be a starter-quality PG, and possibly not good enough to be a reserve who's exclusively expected to run the offense. But he can create his own shot against another team's reserves - or against starters who aren't expecting it. And he's a good enough ball-handler not to screw things up royally.

If Miller is not the PG for the championship run, then I think the Blazers have to deal Bayless - and probably one of the other two guys mentioned (Webster or Rudy, but probably Rudy since he has greater trade value) - and pick up a point guard.

 

Yes. Totally agree, however, I still wouldn't mind holding onto all three of them for one more year. I think they all have more in them. But maybe I'm just being a homer.

 

I don't think you answer this question until you see how they do the rest of the year. The young guards just got committed to at the trade deadline. There is a reason they committed to them. They want to see them play and improve. You don't commit to your young guards, and then give up on them a week later. You take your lumps, and hope they will improve.