blazers sign Webster

4 years for 20 million….good deal for both sides I think

The more I"ve thought about it, the more I think Webster and Batum are our 2-headed small forward of the future. If we got him for a reasonable deal, I love this move, and it certainly helps with the cap situation next summer, not having to carry his QO on the books

and probably on his way out of here. I need to rock my Red – Outlaw – Blazer jersey as often as possible before Feb.

I know you were all worried

using Storyteller’s info, assuming first year is at $5 million:

commited contracts: $32,978,464 (9 players)
Petteri/Freeland holds: $824,200 each
Frye Cap Hold: 12,794,283
Ike Cap Hold: 11,840,625
Blake after July 1: 4,000,000
Outlaw after July 1: 3,600,000

So, we can clear close to $30 million by waiving Blake and Outlaw and releasing all holds
We can just let Frye and Ike walk, keep Outlaw and Steve and the unsigned rookies and still clear $20 million.

Some really good news to put things back into perspective. I am so happy for Martell!

I’m afraid I have to disagree with some of you on Channing. To start with, he and Pryz are your second team players. Pryz is the banger you need, let’s face it. And if you have Pryz, you need a second team PF who can score, which is Pryz’s weakness. Outlaw is not a real PF, however you may see him, either when it comes to rebounding or defending. Channing is better in both categories than Outlaw, and if he has improved his shot, as it appears he has, then he’ll get as many points as Outlaw. Further, Channing can fill in at Center – and give credible minutes. And he’s the only other player on the Blazers that can do that. Outlaw, Diogu and Randolph can’t cover that #3 center spot. And as you can see, we’re probably going to have 10 – 25 games a year where either Pryz or Oden are not playing. So just who do we use if we get rid of Frye?

The bottom line for me is that Frye is a better #3 center than almost any other team has, and that as long as we keep Pryz, we’re going to need a Frye at the #2 PF spot.

As far as Webster, the Blazers made a statement. I hate to tell some of you, but I don’t think the team has any intent of trading for another SF right now. Webster is only 22, and Batum is 20. KP, for now, is set.

Outlaw is another story. He has one singular weakness – and that is that he plays well as a second team SF, but he doesn’t seem to be the right fit for a first team SF. On any other team, if your #1 SF goes down, the #2 steps in. But here, we have the #3 SF stepping in.

So the debate on Outlaw – assuming Batum keeps progressing – is very relevant. He can’t compete with Channing for the #2 PF and #3 center spot, and he’s not a true fit at the #2 SF unless the #1 SF is playing. Batum, further, has demonstrated several times that he has some offensive ability. It needs to mature, but if he can eventually be counted on for 10 -12 ppg for 15-20 minutes, and if Channing also can put the same points up for similar time – where does that leave Outlaw?

My take is “Gone”. He’s too one-dimensional. Ironically, Websters injury and Batum’s presence has high-lighted this fact.

No-one “wants” to trade Outlaw. He’s a good kid and is likeable. However, when all that talk was going on – we didn’t have Batum. Let’s face it. Further, Jones had been injured the last 26 games or so of the the season, so Webster and Outlaw were all we had. We needed both and we needed to play both. Batum simply changes the equation – and creates a dilemma downstream. Ironic – is it not? And a little strange. Batum and Rudy are increasingly showing that they are “keepers”, and both came out of the bottom of the draft. Add in Bayless, and we suddenly have more players at SF and Guard that we thought we would – and now we’re trying to figure out how to “keep” them, and “play” them at the same time.