Maybe not an aging vet, but how about a player like Devin Harris? I don't know if NJ would even consider, but if you have two potential star players that play the same position, do you trade one for a solid starter at another position?
Except there, the Blazers took the lesser talent (even based on knowledge at the time) based on not wanting to create a logjam. The draft is different...your slot is your slot, and if you take a worse talent at that slot, there's no recouping that lost talent. In trades, you can structure it to preserve talent. If you're trading the better player, you can have the other side add an extra player/pick/cash, whatever. Trading to alleviate a logjam is perfectly reasonable. Devin Harris is the better proven talent and Fernandez is not likely to be superior (though it's within the realm of possibility). Trading a talented player for one who is equally talented or moreso and plays a position of more need is exactly what you want to do in trades.
Trading Fernandez for Devin Harris at this point and time seems to me like it would be stupid. With all the love Portland fans seem to have for Rudy, and the excitement he brings, why even discuss moving him when theres about a 1% chance moving Rudy would actually happen? KP and the other guys spent a lot of time talking Rudy into coming over, they wouldn't just ship him out so soon. I also think Rudy has a great chance of becoming as good of a player as Devin Harris is.
Well, the reason you would consider moving him is if you think you can an equal or better player at another position. I think Devin Harris is a superior talent, especially when one considers defense. He's also a highly talented prototypical point guard...something the team doesn't have. If you don't think Harris is a better talent, then clearly we're not going to agree on the wisdom of moving Fernandez.
I thing I see Nets fans complain about dealing with Harris is his inefficiency in setting people up. I agree based on what I have seen RIGHT NOW, Harris is a better player. But in the future, I don't see any reasons why Rudy can't be a better player than Harris.
With Rudy and Roy's passing ability, and the strong possibility that they may be capable of co-existing in the backcourt together I'd much rather see how that chemistry develops over the course of the coming year, and if Blake comes along to the point where he's more than just the sort of vanilla "Mr. Reliable" that he was last year then I'm not so sure there's much point in going out and addressing the point guard position. Expecting all-star or sub all-star players at every position is not only expensive it's completely unrealistic -- too many chiefs not enough indians. We've got Oden, LMA, Roy and perhaps Fernandez, the main glaring weaknesses I see is the amount of untested youth on this team, not a talent deficiency. It sure would be nice to actually get into the regular season and see how our existing roster plays together before people start bombarding the board with "who should we trade for" threads.
I agree about the PG position and if we were going to trade for a player with LaFrenz contract plus some players I would rather get a SF. I'm not even sure we even need that for sure with Batum and when Webster comes back.
I agree, I like where we are at PG, lets see how the young guys pan out at PG. I would like for us to go and get proven SF. But I am not even sure I want to do that because I believe Webster is very close to being the perfect fit for us at SF. I know I will get bashed for this but I would like Marion in Portland, if we can lowball the Heat (just RL and not much else)
I agree about Marion. If it doesn't seem like Webster is going to be our SF and Batum is a few years from being our starting SF I wouldn't mind going for Marion at the trade deadline. I know it might not work and he might not want to sign back anyway. We could trade LaFrenz and 1 or 2 players to make the salaries match. It is a no lose situation for the Blazers if he didn't work out he is a UFA next year and we can get the cap money for next year to sign someone else. I do think he can help the Blazers get in the playoffs with his defense, rebounding and scoring at the end of the season. I think there might be a chance if we did good Marion would put himself into the veteran leader on the team and maybe sign back with us. I know a lot of people don't like Marion but it sems like a possible perfect trade for us at the deadline IMO.
I don't think Marion would be our leader, Roy is that, but Oden, LA and Marion is the best defensive front court in the League. Wow it is rare that someone agrees that Marion is a good fit on the Blazers, most people would not want him on the team.
Anyone know the status of Juan Carlos Navarro? Or if we could cut a deal and buy out his euro contract?
I didn't mean Marion would be our leader. I know Roy and maybe in the future Oden will be our leaders. I was just saying Marion might consider being the veteran leader that some people think we might need to win a championship. If we do well after trading for Marion and make the playoffs and do pretty good in the playoffs Marion will feel like he is the veteran that help us get over the hump and would possibly want to re-sign.
I'll concede that defensively, Harris is one of the better point guards in the game. And defense is a pretty big deal. But what else about Harris really excites you? His 6 assists/game? His career .322 3pt%? That he shot .438/15ppg when he was made the focal point of the offense in New Jersey? That he led Dallas to so many titles, and constantly forced that team to over achieve? That he was so valuable that Dallas gave him away for a broken down Jason Kidd? Don't get me wrong. I like Harris, and he would have been a nice fit here. But we're not talking about a guy who is anywhere close to a Chris Paul-level talent. He's a good up-and-coming PG, in the same way Damon Stoudamire or Nick Van Exel or Andre Miller once was. He may make a few All Star appearances, but I don't think anybody will ever mistake him for a franchise superstar. The things I've seen Rudy do, though, in the Olympics against the US team, leading his Spanish team, and the passing he's displayed in preseason--man, I don't know if there is a better passing shooting guard in this league. And it's a given that he's a better perimeter shooter entering the NBA than Harris is after 4 seasons. Is Fernandez better than Harris right now? Debatable. I have a hard time imagining Harris doing so well against the US Olympic team, but I also can't imagine Fernandez is nearly the defender Harris is. But Fernandez has superstar-level shooting, passing and swagger about him that I just don't see in Harris. Either guy looks like he'll be making a few All Star appearances in his career, but only one of them has Ginobili-level (or better) upside. I'd be all for trading Fernandez for a similarly talented/similar upside PG. But Harris just doesn't seem to be it.
nope. everyone on that list is either not realistically available, not worth the $ and players it would take to get them, a shoot first ball dominator who would not be compatable with roy, or not a significant upgrade over what we have (and i would include conley in the last group). anyway, i'm guessing roy and rudy will end up playing G together a lot and splitting PG duties, particularly when the game is on the line. don't see the point of bringing in a big name just to have one.
