Link:http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonia...85068175220.xml Speculation that Rasheed Wallace could be headed to Dallas adds to the unsettled mood after losing to the Clippers 01/14/04 JIM BESEDA LOS ANGELES -- Rasheed Wallace missed his third consecutive game Tuesday night, sitting out the Trail Blazers' 103-96 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center with an ankle injury. The question is: Will he play another game for Portland? As he watched from the bench dressed in team sweats, all indications were that trade talks were heating up between the Blazers and Dallas, with the complicated negotiations centering on Wallace and his $17 million salary. Blazers general manager John Nash wouldn't comment on the negotiations, or even confirm them, saying that the glut of trade speculation "is only going to get worse" as the Feb. 19 trading deadline approaches. The speculation before Tuesday's game not only was that the Mavericks were prepared to make a deal involving Antawn Jamison, Tony Delk and Edward Najera, but also that the deal is imminent and that the Blazers held Wallace out of Tuesday's game to help ensure that he passes his physical. Run all that by Nash, though, and he is not amused. "As we get closer to the trading deadline, I'm going to speak less of trades, because it really is unsettling to the players to continue to hear their names mentioned," Nash said. "We're trying to conduct business behind closed doors. When you have trade discussions, somehow or another they occasionally leak out, but we don't want to be the source of those leaks. "It's safe to say we've talked to every team in the league, and we'll continue to do so, if there is reason to talk. But to identify the teams, that's not fair, because it's easy enough to then pinpoint what players match up with what players." Mavericks owner Mark Cuban insists his team isn't looking to make any moves and told reporters before Monday's game in New York that the Blazers would have to make Dallas "a sweetheart deal that we couldn't say no to." Portland coach Maurice Cheeks, who insisted that Wallace would have played Tuesday if not for his sore left ankle, had a hard time finding words after the Blazers let a game that was firmly in their grasp slip away in the final minute of regulation. "How many games have we lost like that? How many?" Cheeks asked. Cheeks said the difference between winning and losing boiled down to one play. That was the Clippers' final possession of regulation, when Eddie House hit a three-pointer from in front of the Blazers' bench with 3.8 seconds remaining to force overtime. "We play a heck of a game, and then we don't follow through with what we were supposed to do," Cheeks said. "The guy got a wide-open three-pointer. It's hard to recover in overtime after you lose a lead like that." Corey Maggette scored four of his 32 points in overtime to complete the Clippers' comeback and spoiled a solid performance by Portland's Derek Anderson, Zach Randolph and Damon Stoudamire as the Blazers (16-20) closed out their four-game trip 1-3. Said Cheeks: "We'll win more games if we play like that, but we won't win if we can't follow instructions down the stretch of a game." Stoudamire overcame a miserable start, scoring 17 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter. His layup with 1:13 remaining in the fourth gave the Blazers a 90-86 lead, but that also turned out to be Portland's final basket during regulation. After Anderson made two free throws with 12 seconds left to make it 92-89, House got open in the left corner and hit his third basket of the game to that point. "The play was drawn up for me," House said. "A good screen . . . the perfect pass. The execution on that play was very good." The Clippers took the lead for good, 96-94, on Brand's three-point play with 2:03 remaining. Stoudamire then lost the ball to House, leading to a layup for Maggette that made it 98-94, and the Blazers never recovered in losing for the 15th time in 17 road games. Anderson, playing in his fourth game since coming off the injured list, was looking for the ball Tuesday. He hit his first five shots from the field, including two three-pointers, and finished with 22 points on 8 of 16 shooting. In Tuesday's marquee matchup, Randolph finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, playing to a standoff with Elton Brand (18 points, nine rebounds). Notes: Slavko Vranes' 10-day contract with Portland expires today, which means the Blazers have one more practice to evaluate the 7-foot-5 center, then must decide whether to sign him to a second 10-day contract before Thursday's game against Phoenix. . . . Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, on the injured list since Dec. 29 with a sprained left ankle, is expected to return to practice today, which could influence how the Blazers proceed with Vranes.
I love it! I had just copied this story and was about to paste it. Great work Nikebasketball. Never will I support any trade that involves both Rasheed Wallace and Najera. I realize that Najera is not the sole point of the projected trade, but I would rather not have him in a Blazer uniform. It's funny to me that they still want to trade Sheed. He is clearly bringing a lot to the team, because we haven't been successful in the games where he DNP'd. GM's need to take lessons from Jerry.
Najera for Sheed??? i think thats a bad deal for the blazers Najera wont bring wat sheed brings to his games.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting L.Sooch:</div><div class="quote_post">Najera for Sheed??? i think thats a bad deal for the blazers Najera wont bring wat sheed brings to his games.</div> weed? back to the topic in hand,This trade helps the Blazers on overall talent,they instantly become a better scoring team,the bad boy imagine is basically gone,adding 3 good guys to their roster is what Nash wanted when he took over the job at the start of the season.On the business point of view in terms of clearing cap space it hurts.Jamison has a very big contact which has put many teams off.While Rasheed's comes off the books at the end of the season.It has nothing to do with his overall talent.Last I checked Tony Delk has a decent contract as well.This trade is a good one in terms of basketball talent but for business? It's a bad one.
