FanPost

Where I think things are going on the Zach-to-CHI topic

It's becoming more and more evident that, if Zach gets traded to Chicago,
it's going to involve Da Bulls trading away a free agent (probably Nocioni, maybe PJ),
maybe directly to us, maybe to a third team (I still think Atlanta could use PJ).

In this direction, I don't believe in the scenario of handshake-now dealing,
where everything is agreed on now and we dot the t's and cross the i's after July 12,
when any signings of free agents can happen (July 1 is just the date to TALK to FA's).

Rather, it's going to be more on a level of suggest-now, deal-later,
wherein we make openly known to Chicago what sort of needs we have,
including who we'd like to draft at #9, should they be available;
this includes ongoing PDX-CHI contact on draft day leading up to the #9 pick,
so as to follow who goes off the board, and give our on-the-spot call
when Chicago is on the clock as to who WE'D like.

Then, they would simply be taking our needs into account as they see fit.
No pre-deal, just advice from us and their discretion
to pick whomever, for whatever reason, for whichever team's concerns.
They pick who they do, under no obligation from Portland to cater to us.
Then, between July 1 and the beginning of training camp,
a deal gets hammered out with no pre-promises--or it doesn't.

That's where I see this whole thing going.
Blazer fan, don't get all on the edge of your seat
looking for a deal to be done before or during the draft,
like all that wonderfull stuff last year with LaMardridge, Roy, Sergio, and Freeland.
Take a deep breath, count to ten, enjoy the Oden pick in a week and a half,
then get on with your life and wait for late July to roll around.
Neither drive yourselves nuts with anticipation of imminent action,
nor hypothesize about what sort of secret agreements
have already been entered into behind closed doors in shadowy rooms,
wherein Zach's been branded with Bull's horns on his big fat butt,
Nocioni has Joe Smith'd his way into a pre-agreed sign-and-trade to Portland,
and whoever gets picked at #9 is a Blazer, regardless of the lid on his dome.

Also, any other pre-July-12, non-free-agent deals that could happen
(re-signing Ime and/or Trout or re-obtaining Blake being post-July 12 options)
would be severely affected by whether or not a Zach-to-Chicago deal happens,
and if so, who's included in the return package, especially who's the #9 pick;
therefore, any OTHER possible big moves would have to wait
until Free Agent season begins in mid-July.

Portland advises, Chicago picks, and we'll see what deals can be done in the aftermath,
with no guarantee that there WILL be deals, much less what the deals will be.

And that's the forecast from QualityPieLand!