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On Tuesday afternoon, the Portland Trail Blazers were the latest team to enter the Carter fray.

Currently the Blazers and Rockets are both haggling over what the Nets will get in return for Carter.

Sources say the Blazers and Nets have discussed a deal that would send Carter to Portland for Raef LaFrentz and his expiring contract along with Travis Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez.

...

Meanwhile the Blazers have moved into the fray with perhaps a more enticing offer. LaFrentz's $12.7 million comes off the books this summer and Outlaw is an upgrade to the Nets situation at the three. As for the Blazers, adding Carter gives them a veteran small forward who has more playoff experience than most of the players on Portland's roster.

The Blazers also have been shopping Channing Frye, who also could be included in a Blazers-Nets trade if New Jersey added on one or two spare parts from the trio of Stromile Swift (expiring $6.2 million contract), Sean Williams (1.52M this season, 1.62M next season) and Hassell ($4.35 million player option for next season).

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3913836

This was the same story as the Rockets/Nets rumor, but Ford recently updated it with news that the Blazers are now interested.

This was my trade in the prediction thread on the Trades Board.

VC for Rudy/Sergio/LaFrentz

I got a feeling we are going to include someone else like Boone.

I'm willing to throw whatever within reason at Portland along with Vince as long as Rudy or Frenchy are coming out way. I like Outlaw and Sergio, but christ I think this deal looks more like we're doing Portland a favor taking 2 young guys who they really don't want anymore and giving them a guy who can take pressure off their young legit players in the playoffs.

Carter, Hassel, and Sean Williams for Rudy, Outlaw, Rodriguez, Frye, and LaFrentz. Get 'er done! Or sub out Rodriguez and Frye for a first. I prefer the first, but still, get 'er done.

Portland will simply not deal Rudy. He is a rookie, a marketing gem and KP personally spent a very long time convinving him to come over to PDX. I would be absolutley stunned if PDX dealt him.

I can see the Blazers, at their highest bid, offering RLEC, Outlaw, Rodriguez, Frye and either the LAC 2009 2nd rounder of the Blazers lotto-protected 1st (I feel at this point in the NBA, a top 5 2nd rounder has near equal value as a bottom 10 1st rounder and some GMs prefer them due to the non-guaranteed aspect and the fact you can 'stash' a Euro).

I'd still hold my ground if I was Thorn, because we don't HAVE TO move Vince.. They have Rudy, Webster, Batum, Roy, and Outlaw that, if needed can all play the 2 or 3 at points in a game. Webster is locked up long term while Rudy/Batum/Roy are all in their rookie contracts. Portland knows damn well they won't be able to keep all of them. If they're actually making offers to us, they're lowballing us with the guys they don't consider to be part of their plans in any way so they can hold out for a few years before getting to a "baby bulls" like situation where they can't extend them all and players start demanding their pay days and what have you. We're giving them a gift if we take Outlaw and Sergio off their hands because they're the lowest rated guys that have at the pg/sg/sf positions. Giving them Vince just clogs up the 2/3 position for them even more.

Bottom line, the Nets are not in a drastic position to take a teams lowball offer. I am just praying that Thorn is thinking the same damn thing. I'm not saying we'll rape them because Portland's front office guys are very smart, but they KNOW we don't need to make a move so the only way we chat with them is if Rudy or Batum's names start to pop up. If I HAD to take a lowball trade, Webster/Sergio/Raef is my package though, but I 95 times out of 100, I'd probably decline that too. We're not in that position so we will stand firm with Portland. I'd rather see where this team goes at least for the rest of the season than take a deal I didn't HAVE TO take.

Jersey Generals wrote:Carter, Hassel, and Sean Williams for Rudy, Outlaw, Rodriguez, Frye, and LaFrentz. Get 'er done! Or sub out Rodriguez and Frye for a first. I prefer the first, but still, get 'er done.

Again, we have 15 guys on the roster. We can't at anytime have more than 15 even if we're going to cut someone.

Personally, I'd be willing to offer up Batum ("Frenchy" as he was so eloquently called ) for Carter at this point. As Preludepunk27 pointed out, the Blazers have Martell under contract and a lot of Blazer fans still hold out high hopes for him, and he's still VERY young. Batum would likely just be shoved to the end of the bench for quite a few years if we keep Martell and Vince (and to a lesser extent, Outlaw). So why not throw Batum out there as bait and continue to have Martell as the future starting SF in a few years? In the meantime, he'll get to learn from a great player.

How's something like this sound?...

RLEC
Frye
Batum
Sergio
Blazers 2009 First Round Pick

for

Carter
Dooling
Ager
Williams (immediately cut by Portland)

Outlaw, Lafrentz and Bayless??

For

VC, CDR and Williams

^^I'd do this deal..

jeff1624 wrote:Outlaw, Lafrentz and Bayless??

For

VC, CDR and Williams

^^I'd do this deal..

Why in the world would you guys want Bayless? He'd never be anything more than a backup for Harris in NJ. I'd think you want a young player who'd actually potentially be a starter and could grow with the rest of the Nets young core.

Also, if the Blazers are giving up Outlaw in a VC deal, I think Boone needs to be coming back to Portland. Williams is a cancer and wouldn't set foot in the Blazers lockerroom and CDR wouldn't see a minute of PT behind Roy and Rudy.

The Blazers reportedly have a lot of options, so I don't think they do the deal you've laid out. They'd sooner look elsewhere, likely to RJ who they could probably get for substantially cheaper. At the very least, they wouldn't have to give up Bayless.

Here's another offer I'd make...

RLEC
Outlaw
Frye
Batum
Sergio
Blazers 09 1st Round Pick

for

Carter
Boone
Dooling
Ager
Williams (cut immediately)

Ager could be swapped out for anyone you want. He's just filler to make the roster spots work.

If Rudy was the sticking point to the deal then I doubt it would happen. Both parties go there own ways no hurt feelings. Adding Batum to the trade I think is a reasonable addition.

Rich Rane wrote:

Jersey Generals wrote:Carter, Hassel, and Sean Williams for Rudy, Outlaw, Rodriguez, Frye, and LaFrentz. Get 'er done! Or sub out Rodriguez and Frye for a first. I prefer the first, but still, get 'er done.

Again, we have 15 guys on the roster. We can't at anytime have more than 15 even if we're going to cut someone.

Hence me correcting myself with the second trade. Give out three, take three players back, plus a pick.

Edit: reread what I wrote, I didn't realize how I worded it. I meant "Or rather sub out..." as in I made the mistake and was correcting it.

Williams has his problems but he's hardly a cancer.

lurkingobeiscity wrote:Williams has his problems but he's hardly a cancer.

LOL. Right. That's why the Nets have reportedly been trying to dump him and no one will take him.

Whatever, that doesn't really matter. He'd simply be roster/salary filler to make the deal work and he'd be cut the instant the trade is approved by the NBA.

Spykes wrote:Personally, I'd be willing to offer up Batum ("Frenchy" as he was so eloquently called ) for Carter at this point. As Preludepunk27 pointed out, the Blazers have Martell under contract and a lot of Blazer fans still hold out high hopes for him, and he's still VERY young. Batum would likely just be shoved to the end of the bench for quite a few years if we keep Martell and Vince (and to a lesser extent, Outlaw). So why not throw Batum out there as bait and continue to have Martell as the future starting SF in a few years? In the meantime, he'll get to learn from a great player.

How's something like this sound?...

RLEC
Frye
Batum
Sergio
Blazers 2009 First Round Pick

for

Carter
Dooling
Ager
Williams (immediately cut by Portland)

I actually have no problem with this deal. I like Batum (I just like calling him Frenchy), but my only concern here is Dooling actually because that'd still leave us with the problem of having 2 PG's on our roster. We'd either have to give you 4 guys and us take back 3 to open a roster spot for us to sign another PG or we'd have to take Dooling out and give you Najera or Hassel instead.

Preludepunk27 wrote:I actually have no problem with this deal. I like Batum (I just like calling him Frenchy), but my only concern here is Dooling actually because that'd still leave us with the problem of having 2 PG's on our roster. We'd either have to give you 4 guys and us take back 3 to open a roster spot for us to sign another PG or we'd have to take Dooling out and give you Najera or Hassel instead.

If Dooling can't be involved in the deal for whatever reason, then I think the Blazers and Nets should simplify the deal, maybe something along the lines of this...

RLEC
Outlaw
Batum

for

Carter
Najera
Ager

In fact, that might be more acceptable than a lot of the other ideas thrown out. Najera would make a nice defensive backup at the forward spots for Portland and the Nets save even more money by also shedding Najera's contract.

I actually like VC and Boone for Raef, Outlaw, Sergio, Frye, but I would want either Batum or their 1st rounder included. I would even throwin Dooling/Williams/Ager/Najara or any combination of the four to make it a 5 for 5 or a 4 for 5 to clear up a roster spot to add a D-League 3rd point guard.

Outlaw is the best young player in any of the deals metioned. Spurs, Rockets, or Mavs can not match that offer. Outlaw could be our starting SF for the future. Were not doing anything with VC this year so lets take what we can get and move on. VC's not getting any younger.

Spykes wrote:

Preludepunk27 wrote:I actually have no problem with this deal. I like Batum (I just like calling him Frenchy), but my only concern here is Dooling actually because that'd still leave us with the problem of having 2 PG's on our roster. We'd either have to give you 4 guys and us take back 3 to open a roster spot for us to sign another PG or we'd have to take Dooling out and give you Najera or Hassel instead.

If Dooling can't be involved in the deal for whatever reason, then I think the Blazers and Nets should simplify the deal, maybe something along the lines of this...

RLEC
Outlaw
Batum

for

Carter
Najera
Ager

In fact, that might be more acceptable than a lot of the other ideas thrown out. Najera would make a nice defensive backup at the forward spots for Portland and the Nets save even more money by also shedding Najera's contract.

Done deal.

Rockice_8 wrote:Outlaw is the best young player in any of the deals metioned. Spurs, Rockets, or Mavs can not match that offer. Outlaw could be our starting SF for the future. Were not doing anything with VC this year so lets take what we can get and move on. VC's not getting any younger.

I do agree Outlaw is the best young player mentioned in any trade rumor so far and he is a decent player, however, because we don't have an immediate need to trade Vince, Outlaw doesn't impress me enough to make the deal. I hate saying stuff like that because it gives me the stigma that a lot of other fans in the league have with Nets fans of "Look at the (Please Use More Appropriate Word) Nets fan thinking they can fist anyone in a trade" but I know that's how I sound at times probably. Outlaw looks like a solid young rotation guy, but if I'm moving Vince when we don't HAVE TO, I want a guy I see as an above average starter in this league in the future and Outlaw, though good, doesn't strike me as that guy.