Out of the starters; the most valuable trading asset

Trade him for another equally talented player also on a rookie contract. Or for a package of the #1 pick in the draft with a scrub contract.

I can't think of the last time such a thing happened, but it's possible.

Looking back over the past decade or so, we could have traded Roy, Oden or Randolph on rookie deals and gotten the moon in return. Could have gotten less but still a crap-ton for guys like Bonzi and Sergio and Rudy.

Nobody even discusses those opportunities, which is why GM's never do it. Nobody gets fired as a GM for holding onto a promising young stud who one way or another breaks your heart. But everybody remembers if you trade away a young asset like that and it blows up into Jermaine O'Neal.

People don't trade promising rookies. Not because they can't, but because it's a potentially devastating career move for GM's.

 

Never said or meant that we did guys. Just answering the question.

 

No we wouldn't get a player more talented than Aldridge. That's the point. But with Matthews; we actually could because of his very manageable contract and trade of being a deadly shooter and good defender.

 

You are the only person in the world who values Wesley Matthews that highly.

 

(Financial considerations aside) since when do teams get a more talented player back in a trade when they send out a single player? Answer: Never. But what the Blazers might get back is a a couple of good prospects with some untapped ceiling and a crack or two at a lottery pick.

 

Matthews is a top 15 SG in the NBA

 

Lakers traded Bynum and got Howard

Lakers traded Divac and got Kobe

 

Nice way of saying he's a completely average starting SG in the NBA. Which is both true and not really that bad.

 

Howard and Bynum were part of a multi-team, multiple players trade and Kobe was a draft pick.

 

Um, sure you got the correct Wes? I would say good shooter, not great, and certainly not deadly.

Also disagree with Wes being the most valuable, even by your formula. Lots of teams will have cap space this coming off season. The size of LMA's deal is not that bad and there will not be many players at his level willing to change teams.

 

You said give up One player and get One in return. That is exactly what the Lakers did with Bynum. As for Kobe, the Hornets drafted him and traded him for Divac on draft night.

 

I prefer to approach it as "Out of Our Starters, who is the most "Possible" trade asset. Excluding 1 year contract, expiring...Hickson from the equation and I would answer Wesley Matthews.

Don't mistake this statement as in any way shape or form meaning I advocate for trading him, I do not. I think he is severely underrated. He's probably our best individual defender, and he has a warriors mentality. But it becomes pretty simple, baring a disaster The Blazers are not trading Aldridge, Batum or Lillard....by default that leaves Wesley.

There are a lot of scenario's where it could work. Move Batum to 2 guard? Replace your SF? Leave Batum at SF....find a replacement 2 guard?

If you think of it as a "JENGA" tower, and you are forced to remove one piece from the base? Wesley arguably is the piece you could possibly remove without destroying everything. It would depend entirely on what you were getting for him, and what you believe you may already have.

That being said, while Aldridge, Batum and Lillard get much of the spotlight, Wesley just quietly does the right thing. Defends, scores and hit's the big shots. His commentary makes me believe he is a good type of person to have in the locker room. Unless the gain was undeniable? I certainly wouldn't sacrifice Wesley.

The Blazers are in the slow, somewhat arduous stage of rebuilding their depth and asset base. Right now, The Blazers simply do not have the depth to make a major trade, unless you want to digress this rebuild, to a total ground up rebuild, which I do not believe The Blazers want to do.

 

WTF? Eric, step away from the keyboard and seek help immediately

 

Wes, like Hickson, would make for a very good bench. The trick with Hickson is finding a way to obtain a true defensive center while retaining him, and while not overpaying him. That doesn't seem likely. His contract makes it hard to get value for him atm. I agree with unclewiffy that Wes is the most tradeable 'productive' player we have that is also replaceable, but unless we get an upgrade, don't trade him either. I agree we seem to be in the collect assets phase that precludes a meaningful trade. That leaves the draft and free-agency as the most likely ways to upgrade our team -- even though many argue both of those are unlikely, they are still the most likely. As for trades, I'd trade Hickson and Wes for that elusive defensive center (i.e. Hibbert) and worry about filling the wing position later.

 

Unclewiffy welcome to s2! Glad you decided to stop by man! I like your definition btw. Makes a lot of sense.

 

wes mathews has the 11th highest WS so far this season for a SG, and thats with missing 6 games or whatever

it might not be correct but it certainly isnt wtf worthy

 

Maybe not, but he is rated 22nd overall SG in PER, (13.0 for SG) while his opponents SG PER is 14.6. 22nd pretty far away from Top 15