Rumor Blazers now pursuing Jermaine O'neal

I don't think it does, nor do I think he has a very close bond with anyone but Freeland and Meyers. But when you have this tight knit a group you should exercise caution before showing too many people the door in one season, especially when the team is successful.

Don't get me wrong I'd take O'Neal in a heartbeat if the FO knows they can clear room without causing separation.

Edit: I see you added Barton and Wright. From what I've seen you cannot move Wright unless you want to piss the players off. D Wright seems to be one of the guys that keeps the group together. I'd venture a guess that Aldridge, Lillard, Lopez, and Matthews would all be very upset if Wright were to be moved. I'd put Batums name in there but at the end of the day I think batums is ctc.

Barton has way too much upside still. If he can learn to play under control then we would be gifting him to whoever claims him off of waivers. He's got all the things you can't teach, athleticism, work ethic, drive. All he needs to learn to do is slow the game down and play under control.

 

Was hoping we'd sign him a year ago. Was on the RoLo tip a year before it came to fruition and we know how that turned out so we gotta make this happen. I remember when he was on top of his game, gonna be a FA like 8-10 years ago and he said he was interested then in coming back. Make this shit happen!!!

 

Here's what oneal said about Portland in 2013. I'd say we got a real shot at him if the report of interest is true:

“Portland is a team I have to look at this summer. That city has always been in my heart because one: Mr. [Paul] Allen gave me my opportunity, and two: that city took me in as their second child,” he explained. “I didn't play for two or three years but you couldn't tell. The organization and the fans really allowed me to grow at my own pace. It's a special place to me. I met my wife in Portland. At this point for me, it's all about competing and winning and the Blazers are doing those things.”

 

Pull the trigger

 

Holy shit it's going to happen.

 

These guys are professionals. They're not children. They know the greater picture. Mo Williams was one of the leaders of the team last year, and the team hasn't missed a beat without him.

 

I think you are under estimating just how important loyalty is to Damian Lillard. Yeah it's a business, and there are 29 other teams taking part in it.

 

I can tell you right now no player on the blazers would be pissed they added jermaine oneal.

 

What are you even talking about? What does loyalty have to do with this? Jesus Christ I feel like I'm talking to teenagers.

 

Again it's not so much about who they add, as it is about who they subtract.

 

Cutting Claver isn't going to cause any loss of sleep amongst blazer players. Especially when it's to make room for someone like oneal.

 

It's extremely simple if you put you put your fandom aside and step outside of the fan cave to see things the way they really are. This team has worked TOGETHER to achieve a 27-8 record. You ask anyone on this team who the fans should thank for that 27-8 record and every damn one of them will tell you that it is a team effort and no one player is solely responsible. Then you go and pull out someone who is well liked by the players, and insert some one who has not been through the storm with the group...do I really need to keep going, because I'm starting to feel rather redundant.

 

lol. Lillard is still fresh to this NBA scene. He should realize now that its a business. Do you think Lillard will stomp into Neil's office and ask for a trade if we let loose of a guy like Claver???

 

Good grief.

 

Hilarious. Above all these guys are competitors. If anyone on the team thinks they're better off with claver than O'neal, I'd send them packing along with Victor.

 

No, which is why I stated that earlier, lol.

 

He wouldn't do it if it was dorell or Barton either

 

I've been told several times there is an old fling he wouldn't mind rekindling. It wouldn't suprise me if he wanted to come back. But who do drop? I'm not sure you drop anyone. Unless you're doing a two or three for one to bolster the bench in a trade.

 

I don't know about Barton but I would not trade Wright.

It all boils down to the fact that we have to choose whether or not to trust the teams management to make smart decisions that improve the team now, without sacrificing it later. Personally I think that Olshey and Stotts have a much better read on who is and who is not crucial for long term success both on and off the court. If you see them trade Wright it's because it was the proper move, if you are clammering for them to trade Meyers and they trade Barton instead then you have to ask yourself if you were making judgements based on something related to your passion for the team. Either that or choose to believe the team is being managed improperly.

 

Package dorell with someone for a wing and sign jermaine. Oh yahh