Quick: JJ and Blazers parting ways

There are no hard feelings and no regrets, but it appears this will be the final week that J.J. Hickson and the Trail Blazers are together, with both sides acknowledging this week that the writing is on the wall.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i..._on_the_wall_jj_hickson_and_the_trail_bl.html

 

Sounds like Neil and I are on the same page.

Leonard will be on the bench next season.

 

Sounds like Roy Hibbert.

C'est la vie.

 

Only 11.8 million to spend? Yikes! (if I'm reading it correctly)

 

The only others than Hibbert that do it: (off the top of my head)

Tyson Chandler
Joaqim Noah
Dwight Howard
Tim Duncan

and.....uhhh, uhhh, I'm drawing blanks.

And those above are not available, nor are Noah, Hibbert and Chandler excellent in all three areas.

There are guys that fill space in the paint.

There are guys that are very good defenders in the paint area.

There are guys that are very good shot blockers.

There are guys that are very good defensive rebounders.

Who else besides Howard and Duncan can do all that at a high level, and Chandler, Hibbert, and Noah can do much of that at a lesser level?

None that I can think of that do all that. Some do two things well, but not all 3: block/rebound/defend.

Who is this mystery player that Olshey is talking about?

 

A 1yr deal for Dalembert seems likely

 

It's got to be Jason Jennings.

 

Well Dwight Howard is kind of available.

Edit: Would the Blazers even want to roll the dice with Bynum. I am guessing no.

 

I also get the feeling that JJ is going to be grossly overpaid this summer. I like the guy, I think he's a good player, but I don't think he'll be worth what he eventually gets.

It's too bad his bird rights didn't transfer in trade because I think there would be have been significantly more takers and we would have moved him before the deadline.

 

I know we need help on the defensive end, but it sucks knowing that WHOEVER we bring in, they will average no where near what he did this season.

 

you have to ask yourself, what team with money is going to want to overpay for JJ Hickson? I mean, really...only teams that kind of fail on that initial run for top free agents..maybe Houston? ATL has Horford already.....

 

I keep going to this. I keep thinking he'll get overpaid, but then questioning really who would, that has the cap space for it. Morey doesn't seem like he'd overpay for Hickson, IMO.

 

I don't see a lot of teams that will. maybe someone like a Charlotte Bobcats or New Hornets might? Phoenix might, he's a huge upgrade over Beasley. I can really see him doing well in Detroit too.

 

Blazers need a Center: Ha! I mean Ha!

 

11.8 is low. The cap will go up and the Blazers, if they renounce Maynor will have closer to 15mm

 

It's because we didn't make the playoffs. If we made the playoffs, we wouldn't have had a draft pick to sign, so we'd have $13 million.

 

Yeah the writing was on the wall most definitely. As was very little chance of trading him.

11.8 is enough for a unbalanced trade. I still think Washington would be a good trade partner.
#12 and cap space for Okafor. (Maybe include Freeland)

 

I don't want to lose JJ (I would like to have him back as the 7th man) but I agree the writing is on the wall. Unless he strikes out in Free Agency again and signs another approx 4 MIL deal then he is gone.

I think I just thought of the perfect team for him to start on that isn't a lottery team however. The Celtics. They have great defenders at every other position on the court so they could handle that he doesn't play all that much D. He would do well for them in all other areas.

 

I'd give them #12 and freeland for Okafor and a resigned Martell at something between 4-5m a year. I think that would allow us to give the QO to Maynor as well.