With Shaq apparently traded to Cleveland for a $5.5M savings for Phoenix and with Phoenix needing further relief (They still have $73M on the books) and not likely to be a contender in Nash's remaining years the Blazers are primed to get the championship point guard they need and offer $11M $7.5M more in  cap relief (plus luxury tax savings to Phoenix) while offering a young point guard in replacement:

 

The offer of our cap space ($7M) plus Steve Blake and Sergio gives them the opportunity to cut Steve, keep Sergio and move Nash's salary and save about $11.5M $7.5M putting them below the luxury tax (and able to draw their share of others' luxury tax) for a much bigger win than moving Shaq to Cleveland. We might need to move out of the 1st round to get the $7M space so the pick is traded for a next year's first?

 

I know these have been debated before but with extra 2nd round picks in play as well we might find tomorrow to be a golden opportunity. Is there any possibility? Would you want this to happen?

 

Portland sends:                     2008-2009                   2009-2010   Sergio Rodriguez 874,000 1,576,696   Steve Blake 4,250,000                            4,000,000   Cap Space     7,000,000                            7,000,000 Phoenix sends:   Steve Nash  12,250,000 13,125,000     Net Savings                            7,548,304     Net Savings 11,548,304     These numbers are from Storyteller's excellent spreadsheet. Any errors are clearly mine in transcribing them!