There’s no way we are paying Matthews $9.2M this year and $33M over 5 years for him to play less than 26-28 minutes a game. Therefore, we either trade Batum and start Matthews, or Matthews gets virtually all of the minutes behind Roy (10-11 minutes) and Batum (16-18 minutes).

1. If we trade Batum and start Wes – then we’re getting CP3 or something unexpectedly amazing in return. Not likely.

2. If Wes backs up Batum and Roy – then Bayless gets maybe 16 minutes a game at PG behind Miller. But Bayless is more of a SG than a PG (I think most of us agree on that now?). Plus I can’t see Bayless being happy about only getting 16 minutes or so in his 3rd year, and the Blazers obviously don’t think Bayless is their PG of the Future else they wouldn’t have tried to get CP3 (twice) this summer, Devin Harris on draft day, and apparently Tony Parker prior to the draft (Batum said Parker called him to ask about living/playing in Portland).

My guess is that Bayless is getting traded and the backup PG spot will go to Armon Johnson, Mills, or someone acquired in the trade.

The big question to me is whether the Blazers can land a PG of the Future for Miller+Bayless+Rudy+anybody but Batum/Roy/LMA/Oden? (Batum can go if it's CP3, else he stays.)

I think the most likely target would be Parker (if he would sign an extension before/with a trade) because of Batum’s conversation with him, and because I don’t think CP3 is really on the market. But it could be Harris and I’d take Aaron Brooks.