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Well it's been a long week, but most of the big moves appear to be over. On Wednesday, July 10th, teams can officially complete all the transactions they've negotiated with the players. As of now, the Portland Trail Blazers look somewhat like this:
C: Robin Lopez, Meyers Leonard
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, Thomas Robinson, Joel Freeland
SF: Nicolas Batum, Dorell Wright, Victor Claver
SG: Wesley Matthews, CJ McCollum, Allen Crabbe, Will Barton
PG: Damian Lillard, Earl Watson
Former Trail Blazers JJ Hickson (Nuggets), Jarrett Jack (Cavs), Jeff Pendergraph (Spurs), Josh McRoberts (Bobcats), Eric Maynor and Martell Webster (both Wizards) all have signed new contracts.
Chris Kaman not only didn't join the Blazers, but he signed with the Lakers, who amnestied the player formerly known as Ron Artest the same day. This doesn't technically involve the Blazers; it's just entertaining.
It's been an interesting week. Here are a few recent rumors to keep you busy:
- The Cleveland Cavaliers are ready to take a chance on Andrew Bynum. They've offered a two year, $24 million contract with lots of incentives and a team option for the second year. Dallas has been interested in him, and he's talking to Atlanta as well.
- The Milwaukee Bucks may sign-and-trade Brandon Jennings. Jeff Teague has been rumored to be the target. There have also been rumors they're interested in a sign and trade for Monta Ellis.
- Speaking of Monta, as the free agent options dwindle, more teams are interested in him. The Sacramento Kings are on the short list. That's an interesting way to court nearby Golden State Warriors fans. They're looking at dumping Jimmer Fredette and Chuck Hayes to make cap space to sign Ellis. After losing Andre Iguodala, the Nuggets are kicking Monta's tires too. But Ellis' valuation must be disappointing to his agent: After opting out of an $11 million dollar season, he's not expected to receive a double-digits-per-season offer.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves have offered Nikola Pekovic a contract worth $12 million per season. That's in line with most of our expectations for a very good but still imperfect center.
A quick thanks to everyone who's participated and kept us current in these threads, in particular Roy Wonder and Thank You For Blaze, who have done yeoman's duties all week long.
This week, our coverage of the Vegas Summer League will ramp up. We'll have coverage of the Blazers, Gameday Threads for all the games, all the stuff you've come to expect here. Expect to read more about this tomorrow. Orlando Summer League is already ongoing, you can discuss it in Roy Wonder's Fanpost. -- Tim