Draft day, what do you see happening?

There has been a flurry of activity already and some of the upper tier teams have improved. Been many rumors linking Hinrich to the Blazers not just now but over the past couple years. Those rumors have picked up significant steam in recent days by Hinrich's own comments to his friends. Whats your take, will he be a Blazer by the end of the night or is this just a KP smoke screen? Also what do you see the Blazers doing tonight draft/trade wise if anything at all.
I think we make a trade with Chicago for Hinrich and the 16th and then ship out Outlaw, Blake to Chicago the 22nd and 33rd pick. With the 16th pick we draft Blair or Hansbrough. We might even try to trade the 16th with another 2nd rounder to move up a few more spots to ensure that we obtain one of the better back up PF. Then once free agency begins, we use our capspace and go hard after Hedo and if that doesn't work we try to swing a trade with the Bobcats for Wallace. Either way we would then have a vet presence at both the PG and SF positions. Call me crazy but I could also see the potential that Portland might call the Rockets about Battier since he is still under contract and the Rockets probably wouldn't want to pay big money to both Battier and Artest. What are everyone elses thoughts on what might go down tonight and in the near future?

 

KP is going to draft Omri Casspi and stash him. Then make all his moves in trades or FA/signings. I really feel like Portland isn't going to do much, if anything in this draft. But it will still be an exciting draft to see where other players end up.

 

I agree that this is a strong possibility but I'm torn. On one hand that would be the most logical thing to do since we don't need more rookies and we can go after vets in free agency, on the other hand KP said when interviewed about trading all his picks away, "what kind of fun would that be." Who knows, maybe we won't draft anyone, but we instead trade our picks with a player or 2 for a solid vet contributor. I think we do something (likely something that none of us expect as well).

 

I think they should trade out of the draft . . . but a thought like that probably kicks KP and his scouting dept right in the gut.

 

Yeah... I can't fathom all the traveling and scouting and all the games they watch around the country and in Europe, and then they end up trading out of the first round. That's a hell of a lot of work just to do that.

 

I think KP takes a lot of pride in his creativity on draft day. Lets face it, the media comments all the time about how many trades Portland has orchestrated over the past couple of seasons and how those trades have improved our team. Its great publicity for our team and I think KP thrives and feels most comfortably doing his deals on draft day. He has had time to plan (since our playoffs ended) and figure out who he wants to target and what exactly he wants to do. Once free agency starts there are no gurantees since you do not know what players will do.

 

Does it? I agree they should trade out, but the facts are you scout to pick up talent, AND to pass up bad talent. If Scouts identify players not worth our time, it is best we don't pick them up and waste salary on them.

 

We like our team.

We looked at several things, but decided in the end we like our roster.

We feel he can help us down the road.

We still have free agency to help us.

We added assets, we like to do that.

 

#22: Omir Casspi
#33: Rodrigue Beaubois
#38: Jeff Pendergraph - Taj Gibson would also be a good fit.
#55: Trade it to move up a couple spots to get Beaubois or trade it to get a future 2nd round pick.

 

This doesn't make sense to me. The immediate need is cap space, and stashing Casspi would involve a cap hold which reduces our cap space limiting our ability to sign a free agent.

This team could really use Blair, IMHO, so stashing doesn't make sense. Indeed, trading it for a future pick makes much more sense to me. No cap space would be used.

 

LOL. You don't seem to like what KP says to the media. I know its the generic stuff but its kinda what I expect most GM's to say. Do you not have faith in KP or do you think he is afraid to take a risk?

 

Programming complete. Must buy season tickets. *Grabs credit card and heads down to the Blazer ticket office*

 

Hinrich

 

Pretty much man!!

 

Given that most seasoned NBA observers think that the Blazers' best shot at improvement is to trade out of the draft and add veterans through free agency and trades, I think your suggested KP quotes would indicate a successful draft day.

 

I see us trading out of the 1st round. 1st round picks get guaranteed money and we need the money to sign an FA.

 

I think he is affraid to take a risk. He is a great evaluator of talent though. Anyone he picks I feel good about.

 

Then why make the trade with Dallas to move up two spots?

 

Those seasoned NBA observers think we should consolodate talent to do it though. That is what I don't think KP can do.

 

I just don't think it makes sense to draft another foreign guy in the first round to stash for a couple of years IF the plan is to try to address all our needs in free agency. It adds further cap hold. But if we do end up addressing at least one of our biggest needs (PG or vet SF) via trade, then we don't need to maximize our cap space.