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http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/ ... mba-walker

According to a league source, Portland would like to get into the top seven to be in position to take Connecticut point guard Kemba Walker. That might mean packaging veteran point guard Andre Miller and the No. 21 pick for another team’s player along with a top-seven pick.

Portland has some pieces that we could be interested in, such as Batum, Oden, and Miller's contract. Any possible deals in mind?

Edit, 3:00 pm: http://blogs.trailblazers.com/Broadcast ... um=twitter

First off, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that whoever this "league source" is, he isn't working for the Portland Trail Blazers (I asked a decision-maker in our front office this morning about the rumor that we're looking to move up. His reply: "We are?").

Here's my hunch. Eggers sets the top seven as the range in which a team would need to be in order to have an opportunity to acquire Walker. The Kings hold the seventh pick. Eggers is close (at least in journalistic terms) with Geoff Petrie, who played for the Trail Blazers and also served as the team's vice president of basketball operations. And what does Petrie do now? Sacramento Kings' president of basketball operations!

Holdahl sounds a little bit hurt in and around the butt about this, but the first quote is notable.

Anything with Portland has to include Batum.

I seriously doubt they let him go though. With their current roster and injury situations they're probably looking to build around Aldridge/Batum.

Unless they give us Oden, then probably not.

I'd personal do a Oden for our pick in a heartbeat. Yes I know he has a season ending injury whenever he tries to swat a fly but still, if he comes back healthy that would be a gamble I'd do in a second.

Don't want their injured players, and neither a #21 pick, where we gonna overpay someone for few years, unless they take our bad contracts.

Lawnmower Man wrote:Unless they give us Oden, then probably not.

We can get Oden without making trades.

Would definitely do a sign and trade where we land Oden. Definitely worth the risk at this point.

Off topic, how does Portland Trailblazers = PDX? Been wondering this for a long time. Always confuses me with Phoenix.

Jimmy The Greek wrote:I'd personal do a Oden for our pick in a heartbeat. Yes I know he has a season ending injury whenever he tries to swat a fly but still, if he comes back healthy that would be a gamble I'd do in a second.

If you'd do that in a heartbeat, you need a pacemaker.

First of all, he's a sign and trade and that can't be done until July, assuming there is no lockout. To come to Toronto in such a sign and trade, you would have to be high bidder, and guarantee him a long-term contract. Third, he's supposedly not even going to be ready to play in October, and is 50/50 for January.

To all others in this thread - Batum won't be traded to anyone unless Portland gets a star back. The 5th pick or a collection of lesser assets won't cut it. Just forget it.

PDX is the airport code for Portland.

do not want andre miller. greg oden is not worth a top five pick either. i don't see how portland can get kemba walker unless they give up one of their better assets.

Since when is Portland PDX?

LittleOzzy wrote:Since when is Portland PDX?

PDX is Portland's airport code.

Indiana Jones wrote:do not want andre miller. greg oden is not worth a top five pick either. i don't see how portland can get kemba walker unless they give up one of their better assets.

I don't agree with you often, but that's right. And since they aren't trading Batum or Aldridge for that pick, it won't happen. Rudy Fernandez won't cut it.

DO NOT WANT


Why is this such exciting news to the OP?

dagger wrote:

LittleOzzy wrote:Since when is Portland PDX?

PDX is Portland's airport code.

Thank you.

They don't have anyone that I really want that they will be willing to give up for a 5th overall pick.

JamesNaismith wrote:DO NOT WANT


Why is this such exciting news to the OP?

It isn't terribly exciting, but it is news that applies to the team.

Maybe Rip + Bynum + 8th for Oden + Miller.

Some Portland fans were amenable to a Batum+#21 for #5 deal. The only reason that would be doable is because of Gerald Wallace being their clear cut starter now. We get a long, defensive-minded SF that can knock down 3's and has shown he can be a very efficient scorer. And he's just 22.

With #21 we can select a project big like Nogueira/Tyler, or perhaps Selby/Jackson

bboyskinnylegs wrote:Some Portland fans were amenable to a Batum+#21 for #5 deal. The only reason that would be doable is because of Gerald Wallace being their clear cut starter now. We get a long, defensive-minded SF that can knock down 3's and has shown he can be a very efficient scorer. And he's just 22.

With #21 we can select a project big like Nogueira/Tyler, or perhaps Selby/Jackson/CoJo.

Personally I'd allow them to keep the pick. Batum into our TPE for the 5th pick straight up.

itbobby007 wrote:

bboyskinnylegs wrote:Some Portland fans were amenable to a Batum+#21 for #5 deal. The only reason that would be doable is because of Gerald Wallace being their clear cut starter now. We get a long, defensive-minded SF that can knock down 3's and has shown he can be a very efficient scorer. And he's just 22.

With #21 we can select a project big like Nogueira/Tyler, or perhaps Selby/Jackson/CoJo.

Personally I'd allow them to keep the pick. Batum into our TPE for the 5th pick straight up.

I'd probably do that too. I don't think Batum will ever be a star (there's a slim chance that maybe whoever we could get at #5 would be), but I think he's a very solid all-around player that certainly improves our perimeter D, can rebound fairly well, knock down 3's, and score very efficiently. A good young player that still has a lot of room for improvement and complements DeMar's game rather well.

It would be a lot easier to stomach moving the #5 pick if we got #21 as well, but I don't think it's absolutely essential to get it done. I certainly like Batum better than Leonard, and he still hasn't really 'broken out', so there's a possibility of re-signing him on a very reasonable deal after next season and really having him blow up. At the very least, he'll hold his value pretty well given his physical tools and decent production.