Pekovic hearing Blazers want him is compliment

Doubtful he will be offered the max.

The question is do the Blazers make a run at him. Are Blazers willing to overpay (10-11 mil/yr for 4 yrs, a la Batum). This would likely just make the Wolves overpay . . . but is that such a bad thing. Also, Wolves have some big contracts coming up.

 

I am more on board with Al Jeff then others are so I would look there. if you aren't happy with that though I think you have to move on to a blockbuster trade to get your Center that you crave. (Probably giving up LMA to get any real value though)

 

Jeff worries me for a few reasons

1. Knee injury
2. 2 playoffs in 8 seasons
3. Never been a good defender

That being said, he is a lot better defensively than what we currently have. Ideally I'd like to trade for him if we were to get him so we could see if he works out with Aldridge before next summer

 

I am fully, 100% AGAINST a front court of LMA/Jefferson - that does nothing to address the alarming rate at which the opponent scores in the paint.

 

Gotta agree with that.

 

I must be missing something... Al Jeff is a better defender than Pek (I admit it is slight). So if you don't want LMA and Al Jeff then you don't want LMA and Pekovic.

I am talking the lesser of two evils here. With the Center position it doesn't seem like you can have your cake and eat it too unless you are going to trade a nice piece to get a legit one.

 

Utah isn't gonna trade Jefferson to a division rival they are battling for a play-off spot.

Jefferson is good offensively, but not as good on the boards as Hickson and not really much better defensively. Given that the three options being discussed are Pekovic, Jefferson and Hickson, I still say keep Hickson and develop Leonard. None of the three are good enough defensively to make a difference. Pek was horrible defending the pick and roll last night. He's just too slow to trap the guard. He also didn't get back on D and let Hickson get some easy fast break points.

All Pek and Jefferson give you over Hickson is more offense at the expense of worse rebounding. This team doesn't need more offense out of its 5th option. We need better defense without sacrificing rebounding. Plus, Pek is 3 years older than Hickson and Jefferson is 4 years older. No thanks.

BNM

 

They are both better defenders
The team actually rebounds better with Hickson out of the game, so that's not an issue
Portland needs an alternative to Hickson. Pek and Jefferson might not be it, but it has to be someone else or we will never take that next step

 

I certainly agree with that. But if neither Pek nor Jefferson are going to shore up our defense I'd rather stick with JJ - a "fan favorite" - until we can find someone who is actually going to make a difference. No sense in shuffling players laterally (and cheap ones for expensive ones) - especially when we're having more success than anyone expected.

 

"Sticking with JJ" kills any chance in the near future of getting that upgrade though. JJ is not going to be cheap, and doesn't want to come off the bench, and prefers to play PF

 

Also, LMA wants a center, not a PF, playing center next to him.

All good reasons not to keep Hickson around.

If Brooklyn really is keeping an eye on Hickson, I say we move him if they can offer us a Brooks-Evans package.

 

Brooks a NJ native? would they really offer him? And Evans is a dumb a$$

JJ would fit well there though

 

Why do you think retaining Hickson is even an option? We probably won't pay him more than anybody else and we won't start him at his natural position, and our All Star has made it clear he wants to play with a real center.

I'd really like to see somebody present a good argument that he'll wear a Blazer jersey next year. Seems to me there are probably 10 teams more likely to sign him than us.

 

Yeah, I doubt they would offer Brooks. Apparently Brooklyn has interest in Hickson...and looking at the Nets roster, Brooks is the only enticing piece they have.

Evans is a dumb ass, but he is on a cheap 3 year 5 million dollar deal. He is a good bench player that is one of the better rebounders in the league. For that price, I'd love to have him.

 

I'm not sold on Pek or Jefferson. Hickson would make a fine backup but we probably can't afford him and his hold hinders us in the free agent / lop sided trade market.

What are our other choices? What center not named Pek or Jeff could we sign and trade a package featuring Hickson for? Or sign outright?

Other than Hibbert I can't think of one.

 

I keep wondering if a change of scenery and a bigger role would help Timofey Mozgov blossom? Hard to see Denver trading with a division rival though.

 

I'm not advocating

Gortat
Bynum
R Lopez
Mozgov
Blatche
Dalembert
Pachulia
Splitter

 

Samuel Dalembert and Chris Kaman will be free agents.

Maybe Phoenix wants to tear down and rebuild?

If we renounce all of our guys this offseason and use our cap space in a Gortat-Frye for Leonard, Freeland, Barton and 2nds deal? Doubt they would just give Gortat up though. It really hurts that Charlotte has our protected 1st. If we lose the 1st this year, we'd have free reign to trade picks again during the offseason.

Denver might want to unload McGee, but I'd pass.

I'd love to grab Varejao but we don't really have anything to give up.

OKC would probably want to unload Perkins, but I don't want him.

Maybe Philly would dump Hawes for something?

 

I would jump all over McGee if the price were extremely right

 

This list just makes Oden's knee problems more sickening. With two good kness G.O. would have destroyed these pretenders.