Marcus in Portland,OR:
I saw your tweet about Warkentien to Portland being about a 75% chance. Can you get into that any further? That would obviously slam the door shut on Pritchard's career in Portland.
Travis Heath:
Talked to a player personnel guy currently employed by a NBA team and he told me that Paul Allen is still a fan of Warkentien. This personnel guy had talked to some people in Portland and was told that there is "a 75 percent chance" Warkentien lands back with the Blazers. The person I spoke with had no dog in the hunt, so it's not like he had any kind of agenda.
That said, this is a fluid situation. Things can change quickly. Obviously, Pritchard is still employed by the Blazers and Warkentien's contract with the Nuggets doesn't expire until August. Good organizations are always thinking a step or two ahead, though.
I have talked to multiple sources in Denver and know there are some people who are pushing for Wark's return. The thing about the Blazers is that Paul Allen is always willing to spend. If he comes with the right kind of coin, it's hard to see Denver matching it. The other variable worth noting is that Mark's wife still lives in the Portland area, so it would be an easy transition from a personal standpoint.
This is by no means a done deal, but it certainly appears Warkentien is still well liked by people with the necessary juice in Portland to get a deal done based on the conversations I had earlier today.
The tweet in question:
Just got off the phone with NBA personnel guy. Told me there's a 75% chance #Nuggets Mark Warkentien lands with #Blazers
http://twitter.com/theathhoops
Thoughts?
