2011 Blazers Offseason Trade Thoughts #2 - Spanish Connection

by BlazersMakr on Jun 3, 2011 6:29 PM PDT

Assumptions:

Portland doesn’t waive Andre Miller before June 29, so his 2011-12 contract amount of $7.81 million becomes guaranteed.
2011-12 NBA season's CBA doesn't have wildly different trade rules

Trade Details:

Minnesota trades: Ricky Rubio/Martell Webster
* Salary total: 2 players @ 8.16 million

Portland trades: Nic Batum, Andre Miller, 1st round draft pick(2011), 1st round draft pick(2015), $3 million cash
* Salary total: 2 players @ 9.98 million, 2 first round draft picks, $3 million cash

**** Salary's within legal limits. Trade legal. ****

Portland's perspective:

Starting Lineup: Roy, Wes, Crash, LA, Camby
Moving Roy to the starting PG until Rubio is ready to go.

This is Portland taking a stab at the PG of the future. You pair up the Spanish young star with Rudy on the second unit.

Yes, it hurts to lose a piece in Nic, but to get a top 5 pick, it's probably going to take something like that.

Webster comes home to Portland, and we hope he reunites with his shooting stroke. Please God.

With the mid-level exception: Shane Battier
As much and as long as we can get him. Same deal as Milsap or Wes.

(If he's willing.)
Sign Joel Pryzbilla to a 2 year veterans minimum.

Extend the qualifying offer to Greg, and then match *.

So, the finished product:

PG:  Brandon Roy           Ricky Rubio               Patty Mills                Armon Johnson
SG:  Wes Matthews        Rudy Fernandez      Elliot Williams
SF:  Gerald Wallace       Shane Battier           Martell Webster
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge Chris Johnson      Luke Babbitt
C:    Marcus Camby           Greg Oden               Joel Pryzbilla

Minn's perspective:

Starting Lineup: Andre Miller, Wes Johnson, Nic Batum, Beasley, KLove
That's a really young, really good lineup.

They also have the #2 pick in this year's draft.

This converts the chip that is Ricky Rubio into Nic Batum and a quality PG.
Ricky Rubio doesn't want to play in Minn. Potentially could add a draft pick from Portland if needed.

They get rid of the contract enigma that is Webster.

That's a good young, quality team. Add a great player with the #2 pick.

Lastly, we would need to have Ricky Rubio want to play here. Do I know if he'd want to, with our small media market, I don't know. However, I think pairing him with Rudy would be enough to get him going. I think he'd welcome the thought of having Rudy in town.

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Blazers 2011-2012 Media Guide

Head Coach: Nate McMillan

Nate_mcmillian_medium

Starting Lineup:

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Alg_marcus_camby_01_medium

Spanish Connection:

Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez

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Rudy-fernandez-banado-en-agua-por-ricky-rubio-acb_medium

The rest of the Bench:

Shane_battier_photofile_medium

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Tweet Comment 16 comments | 1 recs |

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Comments

Not at all convinced that Rubio will succeed in the NBA

Yes, he has excellent skills. But the translation from Euroleague to NBA is not automatic and not always reliable. I am wary. Let’s just say that.

Nic, on the other hand, is a proven NBA player. Not yet an elite player, but elite status is a real possibility for him after watching him perform for a couple years with the big boys.

But frankly Rubio’s avatars haven’t shined very brightly. Sergio? blah. Rudy? blahFrankly I suspect that to be a superstart PG in the NBA you gotta be stronger than Rubio. His body is probably not cut out for elite staus in the NBA.

This is my signature. Do you like it?

by scaredcow on Jun 3, 2011 6:50 PM PDT reply actions

Convinced?

I don’t need to be convinced, I need to see us attempt to solve the problems. One of the most talked about issues here is the PG spot. Rubio has the potential to be the star of the future, and that’s enough for me. Just the possibility of him being the next pistol pete…

Batum doesn’t do me all that much, backing up Crash. Gerald is a stud, and thus makes Batum available. Rubio is a top 5 pick, which is what people were talking about offering for Batum last off season.

I think it would be really cool to see Rubio and Rudy in the same back court playing a Spanish flavor..

by BlazersMakr on Jun 3, 2011 7:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Interesting post… Can we do the trade and have a refund just in case?

by Chorebuddy on Jun 3, 2011 7:11 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

very creative

but you are putting the future of the franchise in the hands of a young spanard that is fleeing his poor performance in Europe and guy who’s knees will only allow him a good game every three games.

To do it, you are moving one of the only healthy pieces that has any real promise.

Risky

by ripcitymilehigh on Jun 3, 2011 7:48 PM PDT reply actions

Marketing in Europe.

I think it is a risky basketball move, but one that could be amazing. We’ve seen what Spain can do with them starting in the Euros.

However, business wise, seems like a no brainer. You win a huge market.

Remember, from what I’ve seen, the kid plays defense. He’s small, but he’s fast. Steals. I think he could actually fit into Nate’s ideology.

The future of my franchise is still the hard-nose Nate core of Wes-Crash-LA. This just gives us an amazing second punch.

A lil flair.

by BlazersMakr on Jun 3, 2011 7:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Aint gonna happen.

Khan has been selling Rubio to Minnesota fans like he was the next Jesus.

More likely Rudy could go to Minn to play with Rubio. This is the last year of his contract before he becomes a FA and Minn can promise him playing time.

Any team with Ricky and Rudy playing together will provide a lot of fun to its fans. They were already a highlight show when they were 16 and 22 years old respectively. Also LA, Crash and Oden would have a great time playing with these two.

Any team with Ricky and Rudy playing together will become my second team automatically.

by amlmart1 on Jun 3, 2011 11:52 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Interesting idea

1) I fixed this for you, since it’s impossible to ‘pick up’ what doesn’t exist:
Assumptions:

Portland ~~picks up the Team Option on Andre Miller for next year (1y-7.27million)~~ doesn’t waive Andre Miller before June 29, so his 2011-12 contract amount of $7.81 million becomes guaranteed.

2) You realize, don’t you that Portland can’t actually have 16 players on the roster? Actually 17, as you’ve forgotten to include Babbitt. Maybe 18 if you include the guaranteed contract of the player taken at #21….

3) I do agree with amlmart that Minnesota would never make this deal, but as I said, it’s an interesting idea.

by Storyteller on Jun 4, 2011 12:25 AM PDT reply actions

Fair enough

Add the first rounder and Babbitt to the trade. And $3 million from Paul Allen.

You don’t think that Minnesota would do Rubio/Webster for NicBatum/Andre/1st rounder(#21)/Babbitt/$3 million. If Rubio isn’t going to play in Minnesota, I think Kahn is getting a good deal in return for that investment.

That’s a heck of a starting lineup for Minn, anchored by the veteran leadership of Andre Miller:

PG: Andre Miller
SG: Wes Johnson
SF: Nic Batum
PF: Michael Beasley
C: Kevin Love

Young nucleus. Add the #2 pick. Our #21. MLE.

Or do we believe that Kahn regards him as untouchable.

by BlazersMakr on Jun 4, 2011 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions

I do believe that Kahn regards him as untouchable.

That lineup is really hodgepodge. You’ve got two small forwards and two power forwards to go with a great, yet not elite point guard. Kevin Love and Michael Beasley are porous defensively and not even Nic Batum’s perimeter defense wouldn’t be enough to help them out. Nobody can handle the ball except for Dre. If I were a Minnesota fan I would hate this trade, I don’t really like it as it is anyway.

I think it’s much more likely that we trade Rudy to Minnesota to go play alongside Rubio there. We should try to get Anthony Randolph.

The smarter you are, the more likely you are to be tripping balls at any given moment.
Draft Nikola Vucevic

by gtbassett on Jun 4, 2011 1:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Minn.

It’s not like Minn is exactly in a commanding position. They’re going to go with Kevin Love and Beasley for the future, in all likelyhood at the PF/C spots. Adding Nic Batum to that, and making that trio your front court of the future. You’d have to get buy in, and extensions signed. But, that trio is young and exciting. That’s something you can sell to your fans.

The current stories about Minn. are about for how they need veteran leadership. Turning Rubio into a veteran PG, Batum, a first rounder, dumping Websters contract seems like a decent deal. Add the 2015 Blazers first rounder to the trade if you still think Minn wont trade.

Rubio = Batum + 2 first rounders + Andre + (losing Websters contract) + 3 million

Kahn would be made president of Minn. ;-)

by BlazersMakr on Jun 4, 2011 1:59 AM PDT up reply actions

babbitt should change his number

hes tryin to fill some pretty big shoes

by $keetles on Jun 4, 2011 1:44 AM PDT reply actions

HoF what?

Serious. Plus, it’d allow the Blazers to retire the number properly.

by BlazersMakr on Jun 4, 2011 2:02 AM PDT up reply actions

roy starting PG? uuuuuhhhh...no

by extraneous solutions on Jun 4, 2011 3:14 PM PDT reply actions

Can we please stay away from Spanish guards

for about the next 20 years?

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jun 4, 2011 6:46 PM PDT reply actions

Pendergraft said on "Talking Ball"

A few months ago, that all things being equal, he wants to go home to Phoenix. I’d say that’s probably where he ends up.

by parkinglotj on Jun 5, 2011 12:16 AM PDT reply actions

Overall, a pretty good trade.

Two issues: Nate said that Wesley, Rudy and Roy can’t co-exist on this team next year because they are all SG’s. I don’t think that the management team thinks Roy can run the point. #2: That’s a lot of cash to pay a third string SF. I’d say let Webster back up Wallace and get a bruising PF like Reggie Evans with some of the mid-level.

by parkinglotj on Jun 5, 2011 12:31 AM PDT up reply actions