<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">An Eastern Conference NBA general manager tells me the Blazers are NOT actively shopping Zach Randolph right now. Whisper is the the Nuggets, who love Z-Bo and have flirted with a deal, would do a Kenyon Martin for Randolph today if Portland wanted to get it done. Martin is down to make $11.8 million next season, and in subsequent seasons... $13m, $14.2m, $15.4m, and a $16.5m player option in 2010-11. Randolph's salaries go $12m next season, then $13.3m, $14.7m, $16m and $17.3m in 2010-11. This matches under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, so really it comes down to whether or not the Blazers think they can do better. Personally, I wouldn't do this deal. Not just yet. I think the Blazers could do a little better with some active shopping. </div> Source I don't like the deal for KMart either. The Blazers need to develop Aldridge right away and give him the majority of minutes at PF. Z-Bo's trade value is rock bottom at this point. KMart's health issues and massive contract would hold back the Blazers from rebuilding around their new core of young talent. The best deal would be trading ZBo for an expiring contract and either a young cheap player or a conditional draft pick.
I think the Blazers need to find a way to get some expiring contracts for him at this point. The KMart deal would be stupid for them to do. They need to shop him for someone that isn't going to kill Aldridges minutes. In my opinion, I have to agree with Shape. Give Aldridge the majority of the minutes. He's one of the cornerstones of this organization, so you might as well break him in as soon as you can, preferrably for them (or at least him), it would be this year. He's the future, bring him in now, and find a taker for Randolph, cause with Aldridge there, he's much more expendable.
While Thomas has had an iffy history of trades and signings, he'd be an absolute fool to trade for him. The only way that happens is if they can manage to get rid of one of the numerous bad contracts, and I don't think the Blazers would want any of them, cause it's likely that the Knicks would want them to take Q. Plus, they've got plenty of good, young talent in the frontcourt with Lee, Curry, and Frye, and also have some useless parts in Mo Taylor, Malik Rose, and Jerome James. They don't need another big, and no matter how dumb he is, I think Isiah might actually realize this.
I can't see any team giving expiring contracts or picks to take him and his max deal over the next 5 years. If he is traded it'll be for someone elses vastly overpriced garbage (i.e. KMart), the Blazers would be best to keep him for another year or two when his deal shorter and try to get something decent that way.
If you keep him for another year or two, what happens with him then? Do you play him and hamper the development of Aldridge? Do you bench him and have an $80mil investment doing nothing? Keeping him is a lose/lose situation. If he doesn't play, he'll be a waste of money and probably complain, leading to chemistry issues in the locker room. If he does play, the development of Aldridge gets hurt. I think getting rid of him is the only smart thing to do at this stage, as long as it's not for someone like KMart, cause he's just going to come in and eat the minutes of Aldridge as well.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">If you keep him for another year or two, what happens with him then? Do you play him and hamper the development of Aldridge? Do you bench him and have an $80mil investment doing nothing? Keeping him is a lose/lose situation. If he doesn't play, he'll be a waste of money and probably complain, leading to chemistry issues in the locker room. If he does play, the development of Aldridge gets hurt. I think getting rid of him is the only smart thing to do at this stage, as long as it's not for someone like KMart, cause he's just going to come in and eat the minutes of Aldridge as well.</div> Keeping him won't necessarily delay Aldridge's development. I'd say they should keep him and play him with Aldridge as his backup and getting some minutes at the 5 as well. If Randolph can continue to get 20/10 and clean up his act for a year they can move him but if they bench him they won't get anything for him. Obviously if they can dump him now for something decent they should but there is nothing available and no one wants him.
It's more than just the development of Aldridge for reasons they need to get rid of him. He brings a bad image to the team, something they're trying to get away from. His attitude isn't the greatest in the world either. Beyond that, his contract is enormous, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind having cap relief here in a year or so, instead of being bound to his terrible contract.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">It's more than just the development of Aldridge for reasons they need to get rid of him. He brings a bad image to the team, something they're trying to get away from. His attitude isn't the greatest in the world either. Beyond that, his contract is enormous, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind having cap relief here in a year or so, instead of being bound to his terrible contract.</div> But they are bound to his terrible contract, no one will take him other than Denver and the Blazers would be worse off with K-Mart. There's nothing they can do because no one will give expiring contracts for him let alone servicable players or picks. At this point they would have to add valuable pieces in addition to Randolph just to move him for cap relief and even then I can't think of any teams who would give cap space to take his max contract.
trade him for,like, 3 veteren role players that are sparks off bench yet dont have too much value.that would be good for the rooks and youngens cause they would have somebody to guide them in their careers.
