One Trade to Rule them all.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 8:20 PM PDT

Here's a potential trade scenario that would seem to address many of our issues.

The salaries work. Would the teams go for it?

-----

New Jersey Nets trade

Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson

to Portland for

Jarret Jack, Martell Webster, Raef LaFrentz, 1st round pick(13), 2 second round picks (33, 34)

What Portland gets:

- Quality Veteran help at the 3. Jefferson is getting older, and he's expensive, but Portland can afford the hit. Moving to Portland could possibly revitalize Jefferson's game. Portland needs the veteran help more than another young draft pick.

- A great young player at the point. Harris is a great fit in Portland, and they have a much better chance to resign him than New Jersey does in 2009.

- Stabilizes the point guard position long-term. Gives Portland 2-3 years to find or develop a longer-term solution at the 3 (Jones?).

What New Jersey gets:

- Relief from Jefferson's long contract, as Raef's expires at year's end.

- Multiple draft picks to rebuild with, including one lottery pick.

- A chance to get something in exchange for Harris, who is unlikely to stay with the team past 2009.

- A young talent at the point in Jack to replace the departing Devin Harris.

- A good quality young three-pointer threat in Martell

Portland Line-up After the trade:

Devin Harris, PG
Brandon Roy, SG
Richard Jefferson, SF
LaMarus Aldridge, PF
Greg Oden, C

Bench:

Steve Blake, PG
Rudy Fernandez, SG
James Jones, SF
Travis Outlaw, PF
Joel Przybilla, C
Channing Frye, PF/C
Sergio Roderiguez, PG

New Jersey Lineup after the trade:

Marcus Williams, PG
Vince Carter, SG
Stromile Swift, SF
Sean Williams, PF
Nenad Krstic, C

Bench:

Jarret Jack, PG
Martell Webster, SF/SG
Trenton Hassell, SF
Raef LaFrentz, C
Josh Boone, PF/C
Lottery Pick (10) DeAndre Jordan?
Lottery Pick (13) Chase Budinger?

1 recs | Comment 54 comments

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Comments

i think someone already suggested this exact same trade

while I’m not completely against, I don’t think the blazers need a player like jefferson. I also don’t see why New Jersey would really do this trade

I used to play sports, then I realized you can buy trophies, now I'm good at everything, even checkers - Demetri Martin

by Zaron5551 on Apr 21, 2008 8:26 PM PDT 0 recs

Could be...

It’s one that works for salary, and addresses our needs. I would not be shocked it someone else had come up with this same deal.

Is a lottery pick and salary flexibility, enough to tempt New Jersey? That is the real question.

Harris would seem to be the sticking point here, as I have no doubt the Nets would love to be free of Jefferson (and his salary) at this point.

To us, Jefferson offers a veteran presence at a otherwise weak position, and James Jones is always there if he doesn’t work out, or if Jefferson gets injured. (Not to mention Roy or Travis could play the three also.)

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 9:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

why give up martell with so much potential at this point and just wait until 2009 if harris is no longer in new jersey and pursue him along with CP3 and D. Williams in 2009

by blackandwite323 on Apr 21, 2008 8:45 PM PDT 0 recs

Unlikely to stay with the team?

You realize Harris is signed to a long-term extension through 2013 right?

People make this mistake again and again. If you’re using HoopsHype.com for your info, know that they often don’t list into until it is made public. Notice that Steve Blake’s salary info is still not listed even though we know he’s signed.

So, the idea that NJ is going to trade away Harris for cap space, a mediocre starter, a back-up, and a has-been is a little hard to swallow.

by bfan on Apr 21, 2008 8:50 PM PDT 0 recs

Well...

...don’t forget cap relief, a lottery pick, and a pair of high second-rounders.

But yeah, Hoopshype is not always reliable. But it’s still the best single point source for this info.

Given New Jersey’s makeup, and the fact that they missed the playoffs (even in the Leastern Conference), I think Harris is more obtainable than some of the other names I’ve heard bantered around (Paul, Williams, esp).

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 9:12 PM PDT up 0 recs

Agreed that Harris is more attainable that those other guys ...

But more attainable doesn’t mean attainable ...

NJ is not over the luxury tax, so why would they need cap relief? And second rounders mean nothing unless a team really wants to draft foreign players and let them develop overseas. There is very little chance a team could find a productive player in the second round. I just don’t understand why they would trade away a talented young PG for no real sure thing. They’re better off trying to get something for Carter or Jefferson.

by bfan on Apr 22, 2008 10:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

What's wit' da Harris love?

I don’t get it.

Ever since the rumors of a three-way deal that might have brought Harris to Portland, the reverence for him on this site seems to glow brighter with each passing day. It’s like you guys nearly got a date with the prom queen, only to have that near miss make her seem more & more beautiful in your memory as time goes on.

Devin Harris is a nice player, but he’s really not that special; a poor man’s Tony Parker, at best. A slasher with a mediocre jumper and somewhat common passing skills, he’s a shoot first point guard whose main talent lies in taking the ball to the hole. Kinda like Jarrett Jack, only with more speed and less upper body strength. Apostasy, I know, on this here site in which the veneration of Harris is as overblown as the villification of Jack.

I understand that many of you covet a new face at point guard. Fine. But I find myself frequently bemused as to why so many of you have come to worship at the temple of Jai Guru Devin, proclaiming him to be the Way, the Truth, and the Light. In the pantheon of pro point guards, Devin sits somewhere slightly north of average.

Using Hollinger’s PER as a rough guideline – in which 15.00 is used to designate an “average” player – Harris earned a rating of 17.17 over the past season. Not bad, for sure, but hardly worthy of the gallons of salivation that the mere mention of his name has evoked on this site. That 17.17 pits him squarely in the third tier of NBA PGs this season:

Tier 1:

Paul 28.67
Billups 23.88
Nash 21.37

Tier 2:

Calderon 20.74
TJ Ford 20.59
Parker 20.23
B. Davis 20.07

Tier 3:

Kidd 18.67
A Miller 18.67
Arenas 18.43
M Williams 17.20
Harris 17.17

A little further down the list, you’ll find Rajan Rondo at 15.79 or even the little known rookie Ramon Sessions at 16.43 who averaged 15 assists per game in the final week of the season.
Either of those two would seem to be better targets than Harris as well as the more highly rated Calderon – with whom Pritchard is reportedly besotted.

by knickfan on Apr 21, 2008 9:47 PM PDT 0 recs

Oops

Left out Deron Williams in Tier 2 at 20.82.

Still getting used to this new format…

by knickfan on Apr 21, 2008 9:58 PM PDT up 0 recs

Don't get me wrong...

Those other players are great and all, but are we really going to have a chance at Steve Nash, Chauncy Billups, or Chris Paul? No.

Calderon? Would be nice, but we’ve already been rebuffed asking about him, and he’s on a playoff team. Chances to get him? very slim.

TJ Ford? With his injury concerns, and only ONE good season to his credit, can we really bank of him any more than Harris? I don’t think so.

Tony Parker? Get serious.

Baron Davis? #1 Too old to fit with this team. #2 I just don’t see the chemistry working there. Ditto Arenas.

Andre Miller is overrated. Jason Kidd is too old.

Mo Williams? Yeah, he’d be a good fit, and also obtainable. I see some possibilities there, too.

It’s not really love for Devin Harris. It’s about the overall chemistry, the age, the salaries, and similar factors that mike him a good target for us this offseason.

Do we NEED to address the point position this offseason? Not necessarily. We can hold out for a better fit in free agency in ‘09. Maybe even land Paul or Williams if you’re a dreamer. But Harris would help us NOW, and the sooner we can nail down the roster going forward, the better our long-term chemistry is going to be.

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 10:11 PM PDT up 0 recs

I was not proposing

that Pritchard target one of the Tier 1 or Tier 2 PGs that I listed above. My intent was simply to provide a rough estimate of where Devin Harris currently ranks among his peers.

Seriously, the love that Harris gets on this site, you’d think the guy was a superstar in waiting. It’s certainly possible, of course, but I’m just not feeling it. I think he’ll spend most of his career in that third tier; a nice complementary piece and maybe even a credible second offensive option but just a cut below the Parker/Baron/Calderon level.

by knickfan on Apr 21, 2008 10:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

We don't need a superstar.

We’ve got Roy, Alrdridge and Oden.

We need solid starters at the 1 and 3. We don’t have those now.

Blake or Jack, take your pick, would be good backups on most teams in the NBA. They are not starter material, and never will be. (I’m not as down on Jack as some seem to be, but I like Blake better as a backup, and realistically, that’s where both of them rate.)

Calderon would be awesome, esp. given his Spanish connection with Rudy/Sergio. Ditto Juan Carlos Navarro. I just don’t see either of those guys being very obtainable.

We need an upgrade at point. Does that need to be a superstar like Chris Paul, or Steve Nash? Absolutely not. Just someone who’s a bona fide starter. Not a backup “playing starter” on a team that hasn’t got anyone better.

Again, Mo Williams would be a good fit, and also obtainable.

Who else is there that’s an upgrade, and also obtainable? Rafer Alston? Jameer Nelson? Rajon Rondo? Do we really have any realistic chance at these guys?

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 10:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

Harris would be a great complementary player who can play some defense. A tier three player is an improvement and is the area in which we would want to be, another “tier 1 or 2 player” like Oden Aldridge and Roy will be. It was also not shown where jarrett jack and steve blake rank but i can assume that it is not at the same level as harris, his job would be to facilitate roy oden and aldridge not be the main star on a team, a player with potential to be a second scorer would just be another option in a future lineup with 5 players with potential to score 30 or more

Harris
Roy
Webster
Aldridge
Oden

BTW- i don’t think getting Jefferson in the deal is the way to go but someone with his skill set is where the blazers should look for the point guard

by blackandwite323 on Apr 21, 2008 10:52 PM PDT up 0 recs

How is Andre Miller considerd overrated?

Have you watched the Sixer’s at all this season? If anything, the guy is continueously overlooked. Arenas, Kidd, Baron Davis regularly get rated higher and talked about more. Even young guys like Harris, Rondo and Hinrich get more ink.

Miller is one of the very few guys I’d consider adding to this Blazer team (out of the pool of possibly available).

by timg56 on Apr 22, 2008 6:50 AM PDT up 0 recs

Ramon Sessions

the only reason he has those inflated statistics is because everyone they played didn’t care anymore. KP said it best, the last few weeks of the regular season are like summer league games for some teams. Take a grain or barrel of salt with them

Woof

by Charles Barkley McLovin on Apr 21, 2008 10:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

Maybe so

but he did have one game in which he dropped 24 dimes. No matter how meaningless you think the game may have been, most NBA point guards play an entire career without ever sniffing numbers like those. That this kid did it as an unheralded 2nd round rookie after spending most of his year on the bench is intriguing, to say the least.

Yeah, he could be a flash in the pan but he could also have a big upside – maybe higher than Harris’ (who I’m clearly not all that impressed with) I’m sure he could be acquired pretty cheaply at this point. There are worse gambles than rolling the dice on a relative unknown who managed to post 24 assists in a regular season NBA game.

by knickfan on Apr 21, 2008 10:45 PM PDT up 0 recs

I remember

I remember KP mentioning Sessions around last years draft…..I think he liked him then and thought about using one of our seconds on him. The kid can ball and given a shot, may turn into something.

by iDea on Apr 22, 2008 7:24 AM PDT up 0 recs

PERS

Do not take into account defense. Devin Harris is probably the best defensive PG in the league. Considering his defensive skills I would put him in the top ten in the league, maybe even top five.

by Winchester on Apr 21, 2008 11:11 PM PDT up 0 recs

Seconded about PER

And the numbers that Knickfan listed don’t occur in a vacuum, but rather within each specific team’s system and personnel. Perhaps that goes without saying but I think it’s a point worth remembering—maybe T.J. Ford’s PER is three full points better than that of Harris, sure. But from what I’ve read about and seen of Ford, he makes himself the focal point of the offense and needs to have the ball in his hands to be effective; and while he defends gamely, he lacks the size and strength to consistent stop perimeter penetration. What good is it to the Blazers to have a player like that at the one?

I don’t think anybody thinks Harris is going to be a superstar if he were to ever end up in the red and black. I think the reason why you see so much excitement swirling around the possibility of acquiring him is that he would perfectly fit the mold from what we need from the 1-spot going forward.

by BlazersOrBust on Apr 22, 2008 4:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

I like the Rondo idea

and have said so previously.

Unlike some other players, he might be gettable. What does Boston need? More depth and youth. What do we have? Lots of young talent. By trading them two young quality players, they fill out their roster a little more, and perhaps extend their time as a contender by a year or two.

Rondo is a good defender, and generally fits the profile of what I think we need in a PG.

I agree, though, with those that say Harris would be a great fit for us. His defense puts him easily within the top ten PGs. His age fits our timeline. If we could get him without selling the whole store, I would go for it in a heartbeat. But I doubt we can.

When I rule the world, Isiah Thomas will be coach and GM of the L*kers, who will be owned by someone who no one respects whose first initial is "J".

by jscot on Apr 22, 2008 12:24 AM PDT up 0 recs

Boston is too high on Rondo

I live in Boston right now, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that the fans and team management have fallen madly in love with Rondo. They will not trade him unless they’re making a serious upgrade at point guard because without Rondo, they’d be starting Sam Cassell or Gabe Pruitt. Yeah, that’s not happening. Plus, they’re not interested in young talent right now. They’ve sold their future for a title either this year or next year and aren’t interested in trying to put together a collection of young talent other than what they’ve already got.

by erastus25 on Apr 22, 2008 5:55 AM PDT up 0 recs

hmmmm Maybe considering defense is in order here...

You know who was happiest about the Kidd trade? Tony Parker. He came out and flat out said that he was glad Harris was gone because he was a royal pain in the spurs butt. You better believe he was absolutely crucial to Dallas getting to the finals in 06. You think Dallas misses him after watching CP3 drop 35 and 10? I sure do. We dont need some flashy 15 assists per game point guard. We need a defensive stopper that can push the ball, find the right guys, and provide a little bit of offense to boot. Harris is that and more.

Look at the western conference right now and count the elite point guards… Nash, Williams, Paul, Parker, Davis, Iverson, and Kidd. Do we need a guy to try and match these players offensively, or a guy that specializes in slowing them down? Harris and Roy could grow to be one of the best defensive backcourts in the league. LMA and Oden could easily become the best defensive front court in the league. Throw in a small forward with good D(lookin at you Webster) and let Nate work his defensive magic, and pooof! We could have the best defense in the league after some development, and I like our chance at winning multiple rings if that happens.

Remember, offense comes and goes, but defense is always there…

RUDY > MJ

by myemic23 on Apr 22, 2008 10:15 AM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah

With a really good defensive PG, we could be looking at holding a whole lot of opponents under 90 points. If you do that, you’re in the game even if the shots aren’t falling for you that night.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Apr 23, 2008 1:18 AM PDT up 0 recs

The trade talk is entertaining

and it’s a long time till October, so we will see a lot of it. The Blazers are the youngest team in the league. They will be bringing two new players into the rotation next year. I’d pretty much like to see them stand pat, unless they can acquire a lock down wing defender. That’s really the only thing that would tempt me.

Everyone seems to expect that Sergio will continue to develop, and LaMarcus, and Martell and Travis, but no one thinks that Jack will or can. it’s too soon to pull the plug on good chemistry.

by raoulduke on Apr 21, 2008 10:13 PM PDT 0 recs

Get used to it.

It’s going to be another long summer for a team that has a rabid fanbase.

Thankfully, this should be the last “long summer” for a long, long, LONG, time.

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 10:47 PM PDT up 0 recs

It will seem even longer

for you guys if the Lakers come out of the West.

And it will seem like an eternity for me if the hated Celtics come out of the East.

Here’s hoping we’re not subjected to replay of all those horrific ‘80s finals.

by knickfan on Apr 21, 2008 10:52 PM PDT up 0 recs

Heh.

Talk to me in five years, we’ll see how the Lakers are doing in comparison, then.

In the meantime, they’ve got a tough road to hoe this year. There’s four or five teams, just in the west, that could still take them down. And then either Boston/Detroit in the Finals. They’re in for a tough one, and the Kobe “cheat codes” can only take them so far.

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 10:58 PM PDT up 0 recs

And in the darkness bind them.

I have no good points for or against this trade. But it makes my gut say, “mistake.” (Plus I wanted to finish the LOTR quote)

My ignorance is my greatest weapon

by shenanigans on Apr 21, 2008 11:05 PM PDT 0 recs

Could be. It may be a mistake to do this deal.

That’s why I’m glad I’m not the ring-bearer.

I have confidence that KP will make the right call. Just as Gandalf chose the unlikeliest of creatures to carry his burden to the promised land. Even the wisest among us cannot see all ends.

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 11:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

If KP=Gandalf

does that mean Isiah is (was) Saruman? Or was he just another Orc?

But I’m thinking that Greg Oden is the clear choice for Treebeard.

by knickfan on Apr 21, 2008 11:15 PM PDT up 0 recs

Isiah...

...was more like the Sackville-Bagginses. An annoyance, for certain, but nothing to be too concerned about.

Greg makes a perfect Treebeard.

Roy=Aragorn, and LaMarcus=Legolas?

I hate to think where that would leave Travis, Channing, Martell, Przybilla, et al if we were to extend the analogy any further. ;-)

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 21, 2008 11:26 PM PDT up 0 recs

LMA is no elf.

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

by timbo on Apr 21, 2008 11:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

Joel = Tom Bombadil

by pualo on Apr 22, 2008 10:42 AM PDT up 0 recs

Channing = Sam

Tell me more about Channing, Daddy, I like the way he talks.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Apr 23, 2008 1:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

Isiah = Gollum

A slimy, sneaky little thing that means well, but inevidably makes all the wrong decisions…

RUDY > MJ

by myemic23 on Apr 22, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

We all seem to forget

that New Jersey already has two 1st round picks this draft and I don’t think that a third will do them much good. Plus I think that if we approached Jersey with this trade, they would insist on us taking Carter and not Jefferson.
By the way, Harris would be a much better fit for us than Rondo. If we start Roy, LMA, Oden then we NEED our PG and SF to able to shoot the 3pt shot. Rondo can’t , but Harris can.

by VinnyB on Apr 22, 2008 6:00 AM PDT 0 recs

When you're rebuilding...

...you simply can’t have too many first-round picks.

And I’d take Carter in place of Jefferson here. Money works about the same. We might have to throw in something else (McBob? A re-signed Von Wafer?) to match salaries within the league rules.

But why is New Jersey more likely to want to part with Carter than Jefferson?

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 22, 2008 8:02 AM PDT up 0 recs

Carter's contract has about $7 million more on it.

Plus Jefferson is the younger player and supposedly more popular with the fans.

As I’ve posted before, even though I’m no Vince Carter fan, I would not be totally opposed to seeing him come over in a deal for Harris. He would make a good primary scoring option on the 2nd unit.

Still, I’d just as soon stand pat.

by timg56 on Apr 22, 2008 12:16 PM PDT up 0 recs

No Carter!!!

I really don’t think he would fit the culture and not because he is a bad guy so much as a quitter. What he did in Toronto is unforgivable.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on Apr 22, 2008 5:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

HARRIS

Harris has already been extended for about 10 million per.

by usmcr3049 on Apr 22, 2008 8:31 AM PDT 0 recs

True that

But we just dropped 9 mil from our cap(thank you Darius!) We could trade for Harris and still have the same amount of cap space that we would have had before Darius retired…

RUDY > MJ

by myemic23 on Apr 22, 2008 10:22 AM PDT up 0 recs

Simply

I think NJ is pretty high on Devin Harris. I don’t see them making this trade.

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Apr 22, 2008 10:39 AM PDT 0 recs

So we get two starters

and they get two bench players? Yeah, I don’t know, I’d hate to be the one proposing that trade to them.

by begottenson on Apr 22, 2008 11:01 AM PDT 0 recs

A Better Trade

In 2 years (maybe) Tim Duncan is going to say goodbye. When it happens so will Popovich, Ginobili and all the older players. San Antonio will be in complete rebuilding mode. We can sen send any combination of players, saleries and picks to the Spurs in exchange for Tony Parker who will also want to leave. Spurs would get a large number of 1st and 2nd round picks (at least 3) , several good young players (at least 3), salary cap space and the chance to rebuild. We would get Tony Parker for the five peak years of his career. Parker would get a chance to go down in history as the winningest point guard since Jerry West or Bob Cousey and the Blazers would win 2-3 chamionships.

by noreliefinsight on Apr 22, 2008 12:06 PM PDT 0 recs

And we'd get to watch

Eva Longoria on our giant HD screen!!!!! How about bikini nights at the Rose Garden? OK, maybe it’s just for player’s wives.

I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich

by hobobob on Apr 22, 2008 12:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

This

is my least favorite comment of the year.

by Winchester on Apr 22, 2008 12:34 PM PDT up 1 recs

LOL

Is it possible to recommend AGAINST a comment?

Yes, it is. Recommend the comment which objects to it. I’ll do that.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Apr 23, 2008 1:22 AM PDT up 0 recs

I have been a huge R.J. fan for a long time.

He would be a great locker room guy, can shoot, drive, rebound, steal, and get to the line. It would be (almost) like having two Brandons.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Apr 22, 2008 12:09 PM PDT 0 recs

New Jersey would never do this deal

I’d prefer sending Outlaw over Webster but I’d do it anyway.
Harris is still the best fit to play with Roy.

by Falcao on Apr 22, 2008 2:21 PM PDT 0 recs

New Jersey doesn't make this deal

Ditto to all who have said this so far.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on Apr 22, 2008 5:16 PM PDT 0 recs

If We Trade for LeBron

Then we won’t need a new point guard.

"We need a live rooster to take the curse off Jose's glove and nobody seems to know what to get Millie or Jimmy for their wedding present."

by tominhawaii on Apr 22, 2008 6:02 PM PDT 0 recs

Very True.

We won’t need a center, power forward, shooting guard, coach, arena, franchise, or city, either, since Hell will have frozen over, and civilization as we know it will have ended.

Wherever you go, there you are.

by Majikj0n on Apr 22, 2008 6:48 PM PDT up 0 recs