1/22 Trade Drawer: Other teams wants

Teams A through Mish...  I actually don't watch very many games outside of the Blazers (not a true NBA junkie) and I'll be glad to edit this list if anyone smarter has something to say.  Roy, LMA, and, Oden are all untouchable and Pryzbilla is untradable/(confusing situation) to simplify things.

Atlanta:  Hmmm... What a great team to start off with.  Outside of Joe Johnson's impending FA this summer, nothing really needs to be done for this team that stands out.  Even though KP might call about Zaza Pachuila or Joe Smith, Atlanta needs them for the playoffs.  So outside of trying to rip the Blazers off, Atlanta will probably politely decline any trade offers from the Blazers.

Players wanted: N/A

Boston:  The Celtics are looking more at getting healthy than trading to get ready for their playoff run, but they still might have some interest in a trade.  According the Bill Simmons, Boston could use an upgrade in their guard rotation.  With the Celtic's current contact obligations and with the starting backcourt already set in stone, Andre Miller doesn't make sense.  While this may be a long shoot, KP probably wouldn't be surprised if they called about Blake.  A smart, steady vet like Blake could be what the Cs need to replace the Eddie House Russian Roulette and the often injured Marquis Daniels.  Blake for Scalabrine and a draft pick? 

Players wanted: Blake

Charlotte:  I'm not sure if anyone knows what Larry Brown wants to do next.  Tyson Chandler (1 more year for 12.6m) came over from the Horents for Emeka Okafor in a trade that managed to hurt both teams.  Don't forget Nazr Mohammed (1 year, 6.9m) and winner of Marc Cuban's mediocre big man trust fund, DeSagana Diop, with 3 more years.  So, if KP wants an overpaid place holder for center, one could probably had for salary relief, but its hard to make the numbers work on the trade machine. But kudos to the Bobcats for playing so well lately.

Players wanted:  Blake, Travis (for their ECs) and any name Larry Brown pulls out of a hat (Howard?).

Chicago:  Secretly, they have a good chance at LeBron James and Chris Bosh with all of their talent if they can unload one either Luol Deng or Krik Hinrich (at least thats what ESPN tells me).  John Paxon is probably trying like crazy to unload Hinrich for an EC, who is making things hard with a bad year.  If the free agency is their plan, outside of shedding salary, they probably feel set in the talent department and won't make a trade to add any unless it involves unloading Tyrus Thomas.

Players wanted: Blake and Travis (ECs)

Cleveland:  To help convince LeBron James to stay in town, Dan Ferry is very likely to pull of a trade for a veteran that can help them right away, that is something the Blazers are short on.  Lets just move on.

Dallas:  Another team looking to add ammunition for a playoff run. Unless they think Blake is a big enough upgrade from J.J. Barea for a backup guard, they probably look elsewhere.  

Players wanted: Blake?

Denver:  Division rival, KP probably stays away from helping them, and it helps that nothing on the Blazer's roster seems to fill a need for the Nuggets and vice a versa.

Detroit:  What a mess. Joe Dumars splurges on 2 tier talent in the free agency and losses.  Add the head scratching extension to Richard Hamilton and Dumars is looking to explode the team he built during the off-season. Out of Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons have 4 SGs and no real PGs, but who knows if Dumars would have any interest in Andre Miller as he might take away PT from that talented, and mostly young group of backcourt players.  The PIstons could really use some frontcourt help, too bad so do the Blazers this season.  Rumors are running that Prince and Hamilton would be available for salary relief to help Dumars retool the team.

Players wanted: Blake and Outlaw (ECs), Miller?

Golden State:  Ugh, do I have too?  Well, with Don Nelson running a front office of yes men, KP might feel he can sucker the Warriors into a lopsided trade.  Who would Golden State want?  Anyone who fits their uptempo style.

Players wanted: Miller, Outlaw, Rudy, Batum, and Blayless

Houston:  A totally opposite in the GM department compared to the Warriors, Daryl Morey is what KP might have been if he chose to give up basketball in college, and instead get a bachelor's degree from MIT.  Morey has put together a team of overachievers that may have both cap space and a healthy Yao Ming in the off-season.  This season however, they miss a playmaking wing with Trevor Ariza trying his hardest to do a Tracy McGrady impression.  But would the Rockets really send out a stud like Battier or Landry/Scola for Rudy Ferandez?

Players wanted:  Rudy Fernandez

Indiana:  This is a team looking to blow it up and build around Danny Granger (All-Star), Roy Hibbert (can be Pryz + some offensive skill), and... Tyler Hansbrough?  Well, not a great start but Granger has serious game and Hibbert could be as good as a center a team could realistically hope for in the NBA.  Rumor is Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster could be suiting up for different teams this season and Mike Dunleavy would be on his way out if a team wants to pay his contract.  Its hard to see any young player on the Blazers the Pacers wouldn't want, Batum, Bayless, Cunningham, Fernadez, Pendergraph, Webster and maybe even Outlaw for his skills rather than his contract.  Speaking of contracts, Pacers would like to dump the extra year on Foster, Murphy, Dunleavy, and Ford for an EC to help with the rebuilding.

Players wanted: Batum, Bayless, Fernadez, Webster, Outlaw, Blake (EC) and even Pendy and Cunningham for their athletic Ying to Hibbert and Hansbrough banger Yang.

LA Clipper:  The Clippers are another team that could have ample cap room in 2010, too bad their owner is one of the worst in the NBA, and kind of racist.  On top of that, Mike Dunleavy is kind of a crazy GM, so even with some really young talent (Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, draft pick?) its hard to see them bring in LeBron and Bosh.  However, it is LA, and LeBron enchanted by the big city could raise the Clippers to a Laker level in LA, and bring in the money for Donald Sterling.  Chris Kaman is playing at an All-Star snub level and may be available due to his contract and injury history, but do the Blazers really want a center with a history of injuries?  Also, Rasual Butler is manning the SF spot valiantly, but how long will that last?

Players wanted: Webster, Batum, Outlaw and Blake (EC)

LA Lakers:  The Lakers seem ready to make another run at the finals, though they could use some depth at guard.  Rudy would be a nice upgrade from Machine, otherwise, Miller's inability to shoot and Bayless or Blake not being a clear upgrade will thankfully force LA to look elsewhere.  A side note: I really like Bynum for Bosh for the Lakers, good thing it probably won't happen.

Players wanted: Rudy Fernandez

Memphis:  Woo boy, this team is playing good ball and ZEBO is leading the way like the Blazers always hoped he would.  There are some questions about the front office, like, will they actually match a Rudy Gay offer in the off season.  Basically, how much money are the Grizzlies willing to spend to keep a winning team together with also Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo looking to get pay raises in a couple years.  On the floor, is Mayo a PG or SG?  Is Mike Conley a starting PG in the NBA?  With so many questions, who outside of the organization can say what they want for sure?  Does GM Chris Wallace even know?

Players wanted:  ???

Miami:  The Heat are full of expiring contracts, including Wade if he doesn't exercise his player option.  With great weather and no state income tax, Miami is probably very excited to see who they could sign in 2010.  Young cheap talent helps lure free agents too, but without much to give up, its hard to see them pry Bayless or Rudy from KP.  Miami owns a 4.2 million trade exception that could help the Blazers drop under the cap if KP and Penn wanted too as part of a bigger trade.  Actually, if Portland offered Pendergraph for Miama's 2010 first, does Pat Reily bite?

Players wanted: Bayless, Rudy, Cunningham, and Pendergraph 

Milwaukee:  Scott Skiles is working his hustle magic and Brandon Jennings came out of no where to enter himself in the ROY race.  Sophomore Ersan Ilyasova is a personal favorite, he is rebounding at a higher rate than Kevin Garnett this year and has been deadly from 3 point range.  Add Andrew Bogut, and defensive ace Mbah a Moute, and the future is bright in Milwaukee.  Too bad Michael Redd tore up his knee again and will now for sure exercise his 18m player option for next season.  The glaring need seems to be an explosive wing to play off of Jennings, Rudy or even Outlaw seems to fit, but if they had their eye on Rudy, they don't have the assets to get him until the Bucks know where they are picking in the draft.  

Players wanted: Rudy and Outlaw

Bonus team Philadelphia:  Philly is in a position like the Wizards, they are paying their team like it has a darkhorse's chance at a championship, but have an uphill battle just to make it to the playoffs in the weak east.  However, unlike a team like the Wizards, they are getting their wins in large part to young players (Speights and Young) and the players they actually used up their cap to help them win are just not getting it done (Brand, Iguodala, Dalembert, and Kapono).  So, unlike the Wizards, they just can 't trade away their big contracts to a contender to get salary relief (outside of Iguodala and Dalembert).  Their future draft picks may have some serious value and they might be willing to part with Jrue Holiday or Thaddeous Young, but I would guess that their best young talent, Marreese Speights, is untouchable.  The Sixers could really use some outside shooting, and they might call about Rudy and Martell.  More likely, they might make a push for expiring contracts (they are on the books for a whopping 66 million next year) or Andre Miller as they are in dire need of a true point guard that can run the fast break.  Dalembert might tempt the Blazers, as he only has 2 years left, and could help shore up the big rotation and give KP an almost 13 million expiring contract to play with next year.

Miller and Travis for Dalembert works.

Players wanted: Blake, Travis (ECs), Miller, Rudy, and Martell