FanPost

Time for a Clean Slate?

I think we have plenty of examples that show us the only real way for a small market team to build any type of long-term success is through the draft. I love my home city of Portland but unfortunately NBA free agents just don't. The only thing that seems more difficult than attracting quality free agents out here is pulling off a trade for a legitimate superstar. When you put it all together I think it begs the question: Would we be better off starting over completely using this draft and our current assets as the jumping off point?

LaMarcus Aldridge is a legitimate NBA All-Star. So was Kevin Garnett during his time in Minnesota. While KG being traded to Boston didn't do the T-Wolves any huge immediate favors I believe their main mistake was waiting too long to trade him. LA's window is closing folks, and if we keep the #6 and #11 draft picks his window will be more than half shut before either of them will be ready to make a deep playoff run. Is there any plausible scenario out there where we could use him to acquire either the #2 pick from CHA or two additional lottery picks? Maybe by facilitating a Dwight Howard trade?

How about Nic Batum? His window isn't as far along as LA's but he is not getting any younger and, frankly, he's really not getting much better either. I think instead of locking up a bunch of cap space we might consider trying to work out a scenario where we use him in a sign and trade to get another lottery pick or two mid-to-late first rounders this season.

I feel the majority of the fans don't want to see a complete rebuild, rather a re-tooling. But I wonder if we are missing out on a serious opportunity to secure a much more competitive future for this franchise through this years incredibly deep draft? It would definitely be a step back, but with a new GM, a new coach, and a core group of guys on the same timeline we could become the next great small market franchise.

Trying to completely think outside of the box here but what do you think, Blazers faithful? Rebuild around LA?Batum and hope we can surround them with enough veteran talent to win a Championship over the next 4-5 years or start over with a stable of studs whose Bird rights would be undeniably ours, giving us the means to keep them together for the long term?