In my humble opinion we need a premier peremiter defender, someone we can put on the other teams best player…..our “kobe stopper” if you will. We have the big guy in the middle now we just need a Bruce Bowen type player. Someone who cans hoot threes and get in the other guys back pocket and stay there. when i think about guys around the league there are not alot of guys who fit this bill. We don’t need more scoring, we dont need another interior post presence and we dont need another 3 point shooter who can’t defend. Who would we be able to get to fit this bill, wait that batum guy we have kind fits that bill, shoots the three good perimiter D and not a me first guy. Wow we got alot of talent. My point in all this? “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” I would love to see a major name brought in but i just dont think we need it.

To let this team play out the season. Period.

The trade deadline is 73 days away, and KP is openly shopping RLF’s contract. At the same time, with Webster coming back, we now have two player who are going to be sitting on the third team that could be getting 2nd team minutes somewhere else, and these are either Frye or Outlaw at forward, and Bayless at guard. Right now, all have some value – but downstream – if they keep sitting on the bench, that value will decline.

These are the cards KP has to play today. However, keep in mind that if he does get another player at either the forward or PG positions that takes over the available minutes, then one more forward or guard will be pushed to the third team. As a result, to consolidate the roster and improve the team, we’d likely be looking at a 3 for 1 with the RLF contract. We could also pick up an insurance player or two as part of the deal, but the core would be as mentioned.

So, regardless of the position or the need, eventually, some or all of this will happen. The only way to stand pat, as a result, is to trade RLF for bankable draft picks that could then be used later. But that doesn’t solve the fact that either Outlaw or Frye (and it appears that it will be Frye) will end up sitting on the bench with Bayless for now. And from where I sit, RLF’s contract and Frye is too much for a backup PF, even if it’s an improvement. And then, of course, if that happened, Outlaw would be sitting on the third team bench – and he’d then likely be traded as well.

Every move has consequences. KP knows them all – and he and Mac have very likely been discussing this more often that we think.

As far as who or what, my take is that we’d like to upgrade the PG slot, if we can find one – and that’s not easy, and, we’d like to find a more consistent PF to play behind LMA.

He has the whole league sized up for talent and fit. The guys he wants are probably not available. His attitude is there is no need to force anything. The team is young and developing, and sits atop the division. So he is going to wait for the right deal to come to him.

He wants the next Chauncey.

I wish he had gotten the last one!

Trade deadline may be interesting this year. We’ll see if KP holds his cards when there’s some money on the table…

all have springs in their legs. Nene’s the best of the four. It will be hard to get any of them. Marion and Maxiell are also worth a look and please, please don’t talk to me about character and how they don’t fit with all our saints and angels.

It would be nice to have a little more speed at the PG to keep pace with Roy. Roy’s way faster than the leage believed even this year. I would give up a lot for the chance to sign Nash.

I read recently that Tyres Thomas was falling out of favor in Chicago. I know he is more of a rebounding hustle guy, What are the thoughts of blazer fans if they made a Frye + 2nd or 1rst round pick and some cash for Thomas? This would be a rebounding type mindset person coming in behind Aldridge… coaches just asking for defense and rebounding and really growing into a Brian Grant type player on the blazers.

subconsciously loves trade posts for the provocative albeit pointless banter. I subconsciously think I can do better than KP. No, wait, I really do believe it. By the way, Tyrus Thomas would be nice but his energy is up and down a lot which indicates a dietary or perhaps emotional problem. Maybe he’s worried about getting traded. We could fix him right up.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=453445275420153025&teams=2222191919&te=&cash=

that trade posts are so fun. Because if you come up with a really great idea, there’s actually a chance the GM will be having the same great idea.

Believe me. I’m a Mariner’s fan, too, and it’s pretty frustrating to feel pretty sure that the guys at USS Mariner could run the team better than the GMs.

On a separate note, here’s what I said we needed:
-A penetrating, dishing, defensive PG.
            Is this Bayless in 3 years? Penetrating, yes. Dishing and defensive? IDK.
-A muscley, Buck Willoams type.
           I don’t see this anywhere on the roster before Ike.
-A defensive specialist
          Batum in a few years? He shows exciting potential.

Which makes me think we should go for the Buck Williams type.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=4542015302519961015866&teams=242424222222&te=&cash=

i don’t know if SA would ever even consider this, but it would give them some money to bring Bosh back to Texas.

In answer to your first question, the Phoenix Republic picked up the Raef story from its own sources with the Suns. And certainly, there’s no secret to that one. As far as the rest, no, KP does not have to play his cards if he can’t get a suitable deal. That’s a given. I also don’t agree that a player who does not play retains the same value as one who does. It may not be a steep drop off given that we’re talking 2nd team players at this juncture, but benching a player is not exactly going to lead to a better offer downstream. Setting that aside, however, is the fact that whether or not KP pulls the trigger in the next 73 days, or in the summer, he’s still going to do something. Keep in mind he has to either sign or trade Frye and Diogu – or face significant cap holds. And the cost of keeping those two on the third team is higher than getting injury insurance as most teams do. Bayless and Sergio, in turn, aren’t going to break anyone’s bank, but you can never develop Bayless – not this year or next year – if you don’t eventually find him playing time. I would also assert that neither of these two are suited to sit permanently on a bench, and neither will be happy there. Now at some point, Bayless, who cost Jack and a draft pick – and who in his own mind at least feels he’s as good as a number of those rookies already playing – is going to put the pressure on. And Sergio, having already done so – is not going to give up minutes just to take care of Bayless. Solve it however you will, but we will eventually have to solve it. If you don’t like Bayless taking minutes at PG, and you have no minutes at SG, then trade him so he can play.

to sign any player in the league. Afterwards it may cost a lot of money to give our big three the raises they need but it won’t affect the salary cap space now or the cap limit later. Paul Allen isn’t going to waste a nce in a decade opportunity to sign a great player without paying the luxury tax. The only question really is can we convince a free agent to come to Portland.