Nay. I don't like Prince's $7+ million salary in addition to the salary of the player we would sign to fill the roster spot. It would also leave us with four guys combined at the three and four. The free agent we sign could fill that spot but as much as I am not thrilled with Leonard, I don't think that player would be any kind of an upgrade.
He'd have a Walter Davis level of effectiveness for us, no thanks. I'm no Leonard fan but this is classic buy high sell low which is anti-Olshey. edit: Prince turns 34 in a month which is not super old, but he lost a step 2 or 3 years ago. I could see it if we had chemistry problems as he's a good chemistry guy but we absolutely don't have that problem.
A couple of things: 1) I like AK47 but I don't think we could get him. 2) If you want to make up trade scenarios, think about Claver, Barton, Wright, Leonard or Freeland (but not both) and maybe Mo. I don't think these guys have a long term future with the team - not because they're not any good, but I think some of these are poor fits for our system. I view Crabbe and CJ as great fits for our system. Also think about trading for a backup C or possibly SF, that's our greatest need. 3) Love your avatar!
We should not repeat one of the worst all time trades in franchise history: http://www.blazersedge.com/2011/10/...s-all-time-most-disappointing-acquisitions-11 basically, we traded a future allstar for a player who didn't help us at all. This trade shortened our window.
I can think of only one team in the last decade that did, and it didn't work out for them. 2012-13 Finalists: Heat didn't make any trades, Spurs didn't make any trades. 2011-12 Finalists: Heat didn't make any trades. Thunder traded Green, Krstic and a 1st for Perkins and Krypto-Nate. 2010-11 Finalists: Heat didn't make midseason trade. DAL traded in the summer for Tyson Chandler, giving up Carroll, Najera and Dampier. Seems like a buy-low scenario. 2009-10 Finalists: L*kers didn't make any trade. BOS didn't make a trade. 2008-09 Finalists: L*kers didn't make any trade. ORL needed a PG after Nelson went down, and traded Brian Cook and a protected 1st for Rafer Alston. Hardly buying high. 2007-08 Finalists: BOS made their "Big 3" trade, but I don't know that they "Bought high". LAL made the Gasol trade for peanuts. 2006-07 Finalists: SAS didn't make a trade. CLE didn't make a trade. 2005-06 Finalists: MIA had already traded for Shaq the year before and signed FA vets. DAL didn't make any trades. 2004-05 Finalists: SAS didn't make a trade. DET didn't make a trade. 2003-04 Finalists: LAL didn't make a trade (just FA signings). DET's trade for Sheed sent out Bobby Sura, Zelco Rebrajca and a protected 1st. I don't see that as "buying high". To your point, I think that history shows that unless you're getting a star for pennies on the dollar, contenders generally roll with what they have starting out the season.
Portland could well be a player away from a legit run. That being said, that player ain't Prince. We are set in the backcourt, for the most part. I think if you could get a guy like Asik or, even better for this team IMO, Hawes, to buy in to what we're doing and come off the bench, this team would have no limits to where it could go. We need another quality big that offers some above-average talents in a few facets of the game. Prince deepens an area I feel we've got pretty well covered and takes away a decent deep threat and weakens our bench at the 4/5 (I don't care what MM says about Meyers, he does contribute).
This was the first thing I thought of as well. Sure Drazen was better than Leonard and Wright, but the goal was to get a seasoned vet to come off the bench. And we basically wasted a good trade asset on the wrong vet.
