Blazers Acting GM Chad Buchanan Responds To Report Of Joel Freeland Extension Agreement

by Ben Golliver on Feb 14, 2012 1:05 PM PST in News

Earlier Tuesday, Spanish publication La Opinion De Malaga reported that international Portland Trail Blazers big man Joel Freeland was close to signing a contract extension with Unicaja Malaga of Spain's ACB league. The deal would reportedly include a lofty buyout figure, among other enticements aimed at keeping Freeland, one of Europe's premier big man, with Malaga and away from the NBA.

Meanwhile, Blazers Acting GM Chad Buchanan has maintained since January that the Blazers will work to bring Freeland to the NBA for the 2012-2013 season.

On Tuesday, Buchanan cautioned against believing the details of the report and said that Freeland has not yet reached an agreement with Malaga.

"We talk frequently with his representatives," Buchanan said. "We're very well aware where things are at with his extensions talks with Malaga... I know there are discussions but there's nothing finalized with Joel and Malaga... Just be hesitant on believing everything you read out there... the buyout number is not always reported accurately as well."

If and when an extension with Malaga is reached, Buchanan said that, regardless of the terms, it would not change Portland's desire to bring Freeland to Portland.

"[An extension] provides him some insurance moving forward. We're trying to look out for our best interests and he's trying to look out for his. His contract situation or extension will affect some of our discussions. At the end of the day we're going to do whatever we can to get him over here. We still want Joel Freeland in Portland next year. That hasn't changed."

Portland can sign Freeland, a British national, using either cap space or an exception this summer (depending on their payroll situation relative to the salary cap), given the amount of time that has passed since he was a first round pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. The Blazers can contribute up to $500,000 to help Freeland pay his buyout.

"We want Joel over here next year and we're going to try to make that happen," Buchanan said.

Freeland, 25, has been a standout for Unicaja Malaga this season, winning ACB player of the month honors.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

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This is good to hear...

One of the bright spots about next year is the fact that we will be able to actually bring over one of our prospects and a BIG at that. I have read good things about him, hope they are true.

We need to keep Batum around.

by Ptblazerfan on Feb 14, 2012 1:19 PM PST reply actions

I hope to see Freeland in a Blazers uniform next season.

Good thing the Blazers feel the same way. Hopefully Freeland does not sign an extension under the condition that Blazers give him rotation minutes next season. He would be an excellent backup PF/C and could potentially play along side Aldridge in some matchups. Blazers are desperate for big bodies who can play both sides of the ball down low and Freeland fits that role.

That being said you can see why Freeland would stay in Europe, because he can get more money initially there. The rookie contacts in the NBA are often far less money than Freeland can get in Europe. However after a rookie contract in the NBA is expired he would probably make more in the long run. Freeland may sign an extension in order to get more money through a buyout, and then come to NBA. It is an unfortunate situation that the NBA does not let teams pay a “professional” player in another league more than “rookies” from college. This was one area that I was hoping the CBA would attempt to fix.

My solution is for teams that draft foreign players to be able to match their current expiring contract, and be able to committ up to 1 million dollars to a buyout.

by tyeforshee on Feb 14, 2012 1:23 PM PST reply actions

Granted now the Blazers can pay him more than the rookie contract, but it would be nice if they could have brought him over right away

by tyeforshee on Feb 14, 2012 1:25 PM PST up reply actions

I think they can even contribute more than 500k to a buyout now

At least that was in the last proposal I’d seen discussed. The buyout amount would have increased by $25,000 each season a team waited on a player.

by Norsktroll on Feb 14, 2012 1:26 PM PST reply actions

The question is if that applies from this point forward or applies to previous draft picks as well

by tyeforshee on Feb 14, 2012 1:47 PM PST up reply actions

I have no doubt we will get him over... I mean how could we not when we have a full time GM working on this right???

by Kazper on Feb 14, 2012 1:31 PM PST reply actions

Ba-Zing-A!

BBS

by BringBackSabonis on Feb 14, 2012 2:17 PM PST up reply actions

You mean our GM Chad Buchnanan? Our ACTUAL GM. Who sits in the GM chair all day?

Welcome to corporate America, where all execs are on employment contracts, and calling somebody an “interim” anything is actually meaningless because any of these guys can get fired tomorrow and “interim” execs can outlast the so-called permanent ones.

The main purpose of complaining about the so-called-and-not-actually-true “leadership gap” in the FO is mainly because you can’t blame Chadmuch for the roster we have now. It’s basically KPs roster still, with a bit of Rich Cho thrown in. Apparently because Chad hasn’t remade things in his personal image yet, he doesn’t get any credit for being a GM. Nevermind that this year’s roster is basically the last gasp of “win now” before the contracts run out on a huge chunk of our payroll at the end of the season.

The time for the job search for a “permanent” GM is right after the midseason deadline. Get somebody in and give them time to develop a rebuilding/retooling plan in time for the next draft and FA season. From there, Paul Allen and Larry Miller are on the clock until sometime in the playoffs. Probably no later than the beginning of the finals. If we don’t have a new GM named by then, it’s going to be on Chad to have a strategy to carry us into the future. If he doesn’t have one because he’s the “interim” GM, then let the hailstorm of angst begin.

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice they're not.

by conspirator5 on Feb 14, 2012 2:23 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

its not just that, if i remember right isn't chad still doing his old duties as well as GM duties?

Thats what they said, that they would all pool together to help with the GM duties, both chad and larry.

by Kazper on Feb 14, 2012 5:04 PM PST up reply actions

been stashed since 2006 with no option to play anywhere in the NBA

Modern day lockout slavery is alive and kickin’ in the US.

by blazerblaze on Feb 14, 2012 2:06 PM PST reply actions

"slavery" is an awfully big word to use their chief.

I realize you weren’t trying to equate the life of a well-paid European celebrity with the harsh existence of a human trafficking victim. But just to make the point…

1. Freeland signed up for the draft understanding the implications.
2. Freeland is making buckets of money in Europe.
3. Freeland would have been welcome here this year had he wanted to make the leap.

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice they're not.

by conspirator5 on Feb 14, 2012 2:34 PM PST up reply actions