Chad Ford: "Blazers really working the phones."

by leeroyjenkins on Feb 15, 2008 12:53 PM PST

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=19285

Dan (Portland): Chad, will the Blazers make any moves by the deadline?

Chad Ford: They are really working the phones. They are trying to snag either an elite young point guard (they were trying to get in the mix for Devin Harris) or a nice young small forward (they've been canvassing the league with an eye for players like Danny Granger). They have a lot of young assets, but they don't have big contracts that allow them to take back a big salary. I think anyone other than Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden can be had for the right price.

Later in same chat (love the slams at the Hawks franchise):

matt (ATL): In response to the blazers question, do you think they could work something out for Marvin Williams? Perhaps, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster, and Channing Fry?

Chad Ford: That's the type of player they're looking for but everyone I speak with says that Atlanta is a mess and doesn't know what they're doing. Some of that is Billy Knight. Some of it is the ongoing ownership dispute which puts every transaction in question. I can't understand why David Stern hasn't gotten more involved here. You have a team basically in limbo now for 2 years.

0 recs | Comment 41 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Lottery

The Blazers should just rest the starters, tank this season for a hight draft pick, then draft that power forward or elite young point guard. There is no point in playing any more this season and risk injuries. The young guys have shown they know how to win, now they should learn how to relax. It is not about this season and it never was. This season is dead to me like Juanito.

"Darkness warshed over the Dude - darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom." The Stranger from The Big Lebowski (1999)

by tominhawaii on Feb 15, 2008 1:03 PM PST 0 recs

You funny, Tom...

They're gonna lose 20/30 if they TRY to win.
Even if they do exert supreme effort to drop 30/30, there will be teams below them in the West and especially the East -- they're not going to get first pick in the candy store no matter what.

But I'm sure you jest in any event.

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Feb 18, 2008 7:34 AM PST up 0 recs

future?

what does the future mean for our players if they are actively searching a young pg and a young sf. i can understand going after someone who is on the trading block who is a young pg...but actively searching one out suggests to me that non of our prospects as well as sergio or green look like they will be in the picture in the long run.

the small forward situation also puzzles me as i still see a lot of potential in martell.

by Philthyanimal on Feb 15, 2008 1:04 PM PST 0 recs

Whooo Danny Granger

And Whoooo Devin Harris and Whooo Marvin Williams. That kid is good too. I like all of dem NBA basketball players.

As long as we're targetting great young players like those, I don't mind trade talk all the live long day. I say we move Green, mcRib, Raef, and the rights to that goofy big Euro Nedzad-sumthin who got in a (hilarious) fight with Ha Seung-Jinn a few years ago for all three of those players. Like mentioned in previous threads, I'm even open to allowing protected 2nd round picks to be packaged as well.

KP just needs to remind GMs that players like Gilbert Arenas, Jerome Kersey, Michael Redd, and MORE were ALL 2nd round picks. In a way, those guys are worth more than a lot of 1st round picks, so our 2nd round picks are more valuable than another team's 1st round pick so they are valuable enough to get those 3 above players. Done and done. GMs are dumb if they don't see they can get a "STEAL OF A DEAL" (as the kids say) in the second round and they need to give us what we need for those picks.

I notice the wording Ford uses in the chat, where he says "they're going for a player like (player name)" and not those guys specifically.

I don't know why any of those three guys would be available (well, we know Harris is supposed to be on the move) but if we can get 'em we should get 'em.

There, so it has been declared and so it shall be.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Feb 15, 2008 1:05 PM PST 0 recs

Marvin Williams

... is from Bremerton. I say we try to form an All-Pacific Northwest Team. Roy, Webster, Williams...

jk.

by crhsrunner on Feb 15, 2008 2:14 PM PST up 0 recs

Then we ought to...

...try to get Corey Brewer, and trade with San Antonio for Ime and Damon.

NOT!

by Majikj0n on Feb 15, 2008 5:55 PM PST up 0 recs

I'd take Ime back

by Section323 on Feb 16, 2008 12:52 AM PST up 0 recs

Devin Harris

To me...I don't really think that Harris was ever on the trading block. He was coined as their PG of the future, and his extension validates that. I think he was thrown into the mix, bc of the Kidd circumstances. I dont think Dallas will unload him at all costs.

I view Outlaw as the same way. He is good, and up n coming. As a Blazer I will probably put higher value on him than any incoming talent coming in, but I would be able to let go of him if the trade tipped the scales in our favor.

by Philthyanimal on Feb 15, 2008 1:14 PM PST 0 recs

The more I think about it

I would let Outlaw go if we got Harris. I love Travis, but Harris is a rare commodity in a defensive, speedy PG whose numbers progress steadily every year. I think that he would be more valuable to this team than Travis.

They are like a vampiric Kobayashi - Classic Dave on the Knicks, 2/1/08

by Rodendridge on Feb 15, 2008 1:40 PM PST up 0 recs

100% agree

Harris will be a championship level PG if he isn't already (and he would be if not for Mr. Wade getting 152,532,719 calls in that finals).

by jksnake99 on Feb 15, 2008 1:53 PM PST up 0 recs

agreed

If we were to get Harris...I could picture Blake being around for a few years and dumping Jack and perhaps keeping Sergio around.

Yet...if we were to get someone like Calderon, I wouldnt mind dumping Sergio at that point, yet it still leaves the problem of perimiter d.

by Philthyanimal on Feb 15, 2008 2:00 PM PST up 0 recs

NO, I tell you.

Travis is off limits! I got an authentic Outlaw jersey for Valentines Day. And besides, he makes me want to bounce him on my knee and chuck him under the chin to make him smile. Leave him out of these talks.

by annthefan on Feb 15, 2008 1:42 PM PST 0 recs

Haha!

alright, off limits it is. Nice picture you painted with the words there.

They are like a vampiric Kobayashi - Classic Dave on the Knicks, 2/1/08

by Rodendridge on Feb 15, 2008 1:50 PM PST up 0 recs

excellent

I'm very happy to hear that. Hope we can find a good trade.

by Bruno on Feb 15, 2008 1:50 PM PST 0 recs

In the same chat

Later in the chat:
"sam(boca raton): I know I should be happy with getting Marion but the Heat arent done are they?

Chad Ford: No ... it sounds like they are going to rebuild on the fly. They have two big expiring contracts in Ricky Davis and Jason Williams. Combined they account for about $15 million in expiring deals ... so they have a lot of options. I think their interest in Mike Miller is real. They need a shooter to put around Marion and Wade. If they could turn the other expiring contract into a young point guard or center ... they would be very formidable next year. I've even heard they'd be willing to let go of their lottery pick this year for the right deal. One option for Miami..." HOLD UP! What did he just say?

"I've even heard they'd be willing to let go of their lottery pick this year for the right deal."

Ok, KP call Miami, see what it takes. You know they are going to get the #1 pick. (yes yes I know it is no guarentee, but damn it is guarenteed to be top 4)

by usmcr3049 on Feb 15, 2008 2:35 PM PST 0 recs

Tempting

but I think KP uses this offseason to get older, not younger. We have enough youth and outside of Gordon or Rose, I don't see anyone who I think we need.

They are like a vampiric Kobayashi - Classic Dave on the Knicks, 2/1/08

by Rodendridge on Feb 15, 2008 3:17 PM PST up 0 recs

hmmm...

that could be real interesting... maybe include a switching of 1st round picks, so Miami still gets a lottery pick

by Blazermaniac77 on Feb 15, 2008 3:17 PM PST up 0 recs

We'd need to wait to see what pick it is

I'm sure it wouldn't come cheap. We couldn't get rid of our 2nd tier players and expect that pick.

I'm hip, I'm slick, and all the women want my phone number!

by silkybrown on Feb 15, 2008 3:19 PM PST up 0 recs

I want Rose

Do you think the Blazers could put any kind of deal together to swap #1 picks that does not involve the Blazers big 4?

by mrwonderfull on Feb 18, 2008 3:42 AM PST up 0 recs

Possibly

But it might be complicated. We'll have either a #18-20 pick (roughly, if we make the playoffs) or a #13-14 pick.

To trade all the way up from one of those to a top 3 pick, we probably have to give up multiple players, and most teams probably don't want 2 or 3 of our players as well as our pick in exchange for a single pick.

So what we might see is something like KP packaging our #1 and a player (or a high 2nd round pick) to a team a few spots ahead of us, and then packaging that pick with another player to move up even more.

Or possibly we could see a 3 or even 4 team deal, which accomplishes the same.

I'm not persuaded this is the way we should go, though. I wouldn't mind seeing us trade up (if necessary) to take a quality PG, but I would rather see a guy with a little more college experience. Rose is so young. I guess Blake can hold the fort for a couple of years while Rose learns, though.

by jscot on Feb 18, 2008 6:40 AM PST up 0 recs

thanks makes sense, young may be only way

Good point on multiple trades. I should have thought of it since KP has done it before. I've been trying one trade scenarios.

I agree that Rose is young but no one with his reported skills/talent is ever going to stay in college. Because of bird rights you can't out bid for one even if you are below the salary cap and trading for one is going to create a big hole somewhere else on your team. So I think this is the only way to get an elite guard. Otherwise it's settle for mediocrity.

So who is most expendable for trading? Ie who has he most trade value, and can be most easily replaced?

If you are going to get an elite point guard then your own point guard is in a sense replaced by the guy you get. Blazers are hoping that Rudy can at least fill Jack's shoes. Oden could easily take all the minutes that Joel and Frye are getting this year.

So our best expendable value for trading up to a top three pick to spend on a guard is Blake, Jack and either Joel or Frye. The problem with replacing Joel or Frye is that, they are such different players. Losing one means you lose the option of playing two different kinds of players that fit different situations.

I'm still dreaming and hoping for this. But I'm also watching out for other slightly lower in the draft possibilities like that arziona sg/pg freshman that probably will declare for the draft.

by mrwonderfull on Feb 21, 2008 4:02 AM PST up 0 recs

What's Freeland doing?

I can't wait to see what KP does this offseason. I would not be dissapointed if we lost Sergio, Jack, Raef, and Frye and got a power forward like David Lee somehow. What's going on with Freeland? It's Freeland right?

by dbuscho on Feb 15, 2008 3:20 PM PST 0 recs

Who cares?

Freeland will never play NBA basketball. At least, not for the Blazers.

by rockingharder on Feb 15, 2008 3:46 PM PST up 0 recs

I bet...

he's in a Blazer one next year

by Blazermaniac77 on Feb 16, 2008 3:43 PM PST up 0 recs

Agree to disagree?

I find it difficult to believe there will be enough open roster spots for The Free-Man. Maybe he'll play summer league or D-League, but I can't imagine him being that much of an upgrade over McBob as the Human Victory Cigar.

Barring some major trade, we'll have Oden, Aldridge, Pryzbilla, Outlaw, LaFrentz and McBob as the big men next year.

That being said, who knows what KP will have cooked up for the draft and offseason? It's not impossible, but I seriously doubt we'll see him stateside for the regular season next year.

by rockingharder on Feb 16, 2008 5:15 PM PST up 0 recs

I dont think he'll be an impact player

at least next year, but he has played the last two summer leagues with the Blazers and I think they'll end up makeing a spot for him. I could be wrong.

by Blazermaniac77 on Feb 16, 2008 8:50 PM PST up 0 recs

maybe a ...

Channing Frye, Jarrett Jack, Darius Miles and 1st round pick for Jason Williams, Smush Parker and 1st round pick...Riley says he likes Jack, Frye would compete to start at PF and they still get a lottery pick and portland gets a top couple pick, and spots for overseas tallent

I dont know, may make sense...

by Blazermaniac77 on Feb 15, 2008 3:23 PM PST 0 recs

Why

do we want Jason Williams or Smush Parker? That's almost a step down from Jack.

James Jones for the block

by RecordTOs on Feb 15, 2008 3:44 PM PST up 0 recs

We don't.

The trade is for Miami's pick, which is sure to be top 4.

But Riley ain't that stupid.

by EngineerScotty on Feb 15, 2008 3:47 PM PST up 0 recs

expiring contracts

by Philthyanimal on Feb 15, 2008 3:48 PM PST up 0 recs

Gotcha

My bad. I was predicting, soon, a trade for Ricky Davis. Too many mediocre names in one sentence for me.

James Jones for the block

by RecordTOs on Feb 16, 2008 1:41 PM PST up 0 recs

"elite young PGs..."

Chad Ford used the phrase "elite young PGs"

Other than the utterly unattainable CPaul and DWilliams, the only other players who might qualify as an elite young PG are Calderon and Harris (Mo Williams and TJ Ford miss the cut for different reasons in my opinion). But Calderon is Toronto's favorite or second-favorite player, and they need size/strength/rebounding which Portland cannot offer. And Dallas is only trading Harris if they get Kidd, which seems more unlikely all the time with the Stackhouse mess. Portland's most glaring need is rebounding and interior defense - any significant trade now should be to address these issues.

by Morchella on Feb 15, 2008 3:25 PM PST 0 recs

Patience

I'd go after the lottery pick. A young PG through the draft wouldn't help in the short term, but I think the Blazers are in the position to be patient.

by PoliSam on Feb 15, 2008 4:15 PM PST 0 recs

I agree...

......... It's not like there's any serious competition in the West after all. And we've been out of the playoffs for 6 years, what's another 6 between friends?

Maybe we can draft a young guy with 1 year of college, keep him around for 4 or 5 years, and then trade him for somebody's first round pick then... It was a great strategy using a pick for Telfair, after all -- same principle.

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Feb 18, 2008 7:42 AM PST up 0 recs

why?

Memphis has been hinting that they have an extra point guard following the Gasol trade.

He doesn't seem like much of a step up at this point for the Blazers but point guards especially get better with experience and wold eventually make the Blazers better. I'm just not convinced he is going to be an all-star or mentioned as an all star candidate. Are you?

What are you willing to give up for him?

by mrwonderfull on Feb 18, 2008 3:50 AM PST 0 recs

everyone is looking for an elite point guard.

Like Chris Paul or Mr. Jazz Williams. If anything the Blazers already had was that then the dude would already be starting. That said Koponen could be a player in the NBA. Scotty Pippen (who played in Europe for a brief stint and extra cash) said of Koponen "I don't think much of his defense but he does put the ball up".

by mrwonderfull on Feb 18, 2008 3:55 AM PST 0 recs

Chris Paul...

.......... costs you Brandon Roy.

Are you ready to make that deal?

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Feb 18, 2008 7:43 AM PST up 0 recs

obviously

NOT!
Let them have Paul.

by Bruno on Feb 18, 2008 8:26 AM PST up 0 recs

YES. IN A SECOND.

not that this is something that KP could get away with (the community would vilify him), but I think that any NBA exec in the league would make that trade.

Chris Paul is better than Brandon at every single facet of the game besides rebounding (and possibly clutch play?).

His vision and passing is much better, his 3's are better, his defense is better (although they do guard a different position mostly).

Anyone who says "no" to this is literally raising their hand and saying "I'm just a blind homer who either doesn't know the game or isn't telling telling the truth".

by trader205 on Feb 18, 2008 8:27 AM PST up 0 recs

I disagree

There are many factors that have to be considered.

If we don't have Brandon, who plays the 2 for us?

If we don't trade for Paul, we have a decent role player in Blake to play the point.

You can't just look at the trade being discussed, you have to look at the holes you are left with, and what you can do to fill them.

If you are comparing Paul + Jack to Brandon + Blake, I prefer Brandon plus Blake. If you do this trade, you absolutely have to do another one, which means you have to be sure that you are going to be able to pull off another trade on decent terms.

by jscot on Feb 18, 2008 9:02 AM PST up 0 recs