Next season: Easy solution

[Butter]

Here is the Blazers current Roster:

PG: Blake, Sergio, Green
SG: Roy, Jack
SF: Webster, Outlaw, Jones, Miles
PF: LMA, Frye, McRoberts,
C: Pryzbilla, Oden, Lafrentz

15 Roster spots

Plus:

Rudy Fernandez
#1 draft pick
2nd Round draft picks

The the two major factors, in my mind,

1) Clearing two roster spots for Rudy Fernandez and the 2008 first round pick.
2) Potential cap space in 2009

All they have to do is cut Taureen Green and Josh McRoberts.

The main focus for trades could be in the 08-09. Lafrentz will be expiring, Miles will only have one season remaining, and the Blazers will have had a full season to evaluate all of their players with Greg Oden.

I'm not saying no deal will be made this year, but I don't think any deals have to be made. KP can just let this team continue to play together and continue to be patient.

[Billy]

It's certainly a nice option to have in the very least. Portland isn't dealing with guys at the end of the bench with big expensive contracts that HAVE to be moved in order to get Rudy and this years pick in. Portland also can opt for another overseas talent to bide some more time.

KP doesn't seem like the type to let a solid asset go for nothing though. I'm sure he'll make some moves.

[Wizenheimer]

I haven't had much doubt that Green and Mcrobertrs would be the 'sacrifices' if portland was in a roster crunch. That isn't a big issue.

And with Fernadez being very likely and a 1st round pick being likely, 2 roster spots will probably be needed.

The actual 'crunch' doesn't come in the roster, it comes in the rotation (theoretically).

If fernandez and the draft pick are both good enough to get rotation minutes, there will be a problem, especially considering Oden being added as well.

KP's history as a GM, while short, does indicate he can be very aggressive when he thinks it's important to make moves., and he loves the draft and wheeling and dealing on draft day. I still think he'll make some moves this summer, most likely around the draft. and that does make some sense considering portland's deficiencies and it's loaded roster to be.

[Spykes]

That's definitely the "easy" answer to Portland's roster space problem. But I do expect KP to be active this summer and for the "easy" way to be one of his last options if all else fails.

[Telfaire]

Yeah, we can keep all of our roster intact minus the 2nd rounders, but what would happen to Frye, Jack and Sergio's PT? Oden, LMA and Outlaw would log most of the minutes at PF/C, Rudy should get his burn, so Jack and Sergio would battle for some minutes at PG behind Blake and Roy.

[PDXKnight]

I doubt green makes the team next year, but McRoberts has a chance. The guy hasn't been spectacular in the D-leage but he may be worth keeping if the blazers do decide to trade away players for roster space.

[Mr Odd]

I have a feeling McJosh will be on the team
aslong as Oden is, I got nothing to back that
up, its just a feeling. I think Pritchard will
move Jack before McJosh to free up room.

This team still has some big holes even once
Oden & Rudy are on the team. Sooner or later
Pritchard will make a move, theres no doubt.. .

[BlackMamba]

well, players like martell, jack, jones and frye are on a limb and could go either way if the right trade comes along. specially one involving miles, because as much as i would like it to happen, i think that miles won't be in the long run for the blazers.

it's too bad for players like green and mcroberts, but looking it from the blazers' point of view it's a good thing to have "cheap" players to cut loose.

for next season, there are 10 players that could have a spot locked for the rotation:
blake
roy
martell
aldridge
oden
joel
frye
outlaw
rudy
jones

that's a pretty solid rotation. the other 5 players could be raef, sergio and the picks.

[HuuHaa]

Dont forget my man Petteri Koponen, he will suprise a lot of you guys when he comes back to summer league for 2008.

http://www.blazersedge.com/story/2008/2/5/12443/86069

I havent noticed this yet in the board.

[Village Idiot]

Here's my easy solution:

Cleveland trades:

Drew Gooden
Salary: $6,453,416 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 11.3 REB: 8.5 AST: 1.0 PER: 12.95

Ira Newble
Salary: $3,441,900 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 3.9 REB: 2.5 AST: 0.3 PER: 10.49

Eric Snow
Salary: $6,703,125 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 0.8 REB: 0.9 AST: 1.7 PER: 4.15

Shannon Brown
Salary: $1,044,120 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 6.9 REB: 1.1 AST: 1.2 PER: 8.52


Portland trades:

Channing Frye
Salary: $2,487,240 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 6.5 REB: 4.5 AST: 0.8 PER: 13.24

Jarrett Jack
Salary: $1,217,400 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 9.4 REB: 2.8 AST: 3.7 PER: 12.58

James Jones
Salary: $2,900,000 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 9.1 REB: 2.8 AST: 0.7 PER: 15.77

Darius Miles
Salary: $8,250,000 Years Remaining: 3


Cleveland trades one useful player and three stiffs for three useful players and one stiff. They also save themselves $2.8 million in salaries and the same amount in luxury tax. James Jones is a 3pt specialist who plays solid D. He's a wonderful complementary player. Channing Frye is an ideal high-post player to have run the pick-and-roll with LeBron since he can both shoot really well from there and put the ball on the floor. Jarrett Jack is a solid all around player who, while he isn't a pure PG, would be a nice fit in Cleveland's back-court. Darius Miles is on is way back from a bad knee injury and has a great attitude now after years of being a dork.

Portland does this to trim the roster and get cap-space in 2009. Drew Gooden will give the Blazers much needed rebounding off the bench. Brown and Newble will be cut while Snow will become something of a player/coach and a mentor to Sergio Rodriguez.

2008/09 Roster

PG: Blake, Rodriguez, Snow
SG: Roy, Fernandez
SF: Webster, Outlaw
PF: Aldridge, Gooden
C: Oden, Przybilla, LaFrentz

With two available roster spots for our 1st and another player. Between Gooden, Blake, Snow and LaFrentz we'd have over $31 million in expiring contracts!

[mojomarc]

Here's my easy solution:

Cleveland trades:

Drew Gooden
Salary: $6,453,416 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 11.3 REB: 8.5 AST: 1.0 PER: 12.95

Ira Newble
Salary: $3,441,900 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 3.9 REB: 2.5 AST: 0.3 PER: 10.49

Eric Snow
Salary: $6,703,125 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 0.8 REB: 0.9 AST: 1.7 PER: 4.15

Shannon Brown
Salary: $1,044,120 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 6.9 REB: 1.1 AST: 1.2 PER: 8.52


Portland trades:

Channing Frye
Salary: $2,487,240 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 6.5 REB: 4.5 AST: 0.8 PER: 13.24

Jarrett Jack
Salary: $1,217,400 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 9.4 REB: 2.8 AST: 3.7 PER: 12.58

James Jones
Salary: $2,900,000 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 9.1 REB: 2.8 AST: 0.7 PER: 15.77

Darius Miles
Salary: $8,250,000 Years Remaining: 3


Cleveland trades one useful player and three stiffs for three useful players and one stiff. They also save themselves $2.8 million in salaries and the same amount in luxury tax. James Jones is a 3pt specialist who plays solid D. He's a wonderful complementary player. Channing Frye is an ideal high-post player to have run the pick-and-roll with LeBron since he can both shoot really well from there and put the ball on the floor. Jarrett Jack is a solid all around player who, while he isn't a pure PG, would be a nice fit in Cleveland's back-court. Darius Miles is on is way back from a bad knee injury and has a great attitude now after years of being a dork.

Portland does this to trim the roster and get cap-space in 2009. Drew Gooden will give the Blazers much needed rebounding off the bench. Brown and Newble will be cut while Snow will become something of a player/coach and a mentor to Sergio Rodriguez.

2008/09 Roster

PG: Blake, Rodriguez, Snow
SG: Roy, Fernandez
SF: Webster, Outlaw
PF: Aldridge, Gooden
C: Oden, Przybilla, LaFrentz

With two available roster spots for our 1st and another player. Between Gooden, Blake, Snow and LaFrentz we'd have over $31 million in expiring contracts!

There are so many reasons why this would be horrible for us that I don't have time to go into all of them, but here's the big one: we trade all the talent out and only get back Gooden, a player that would be, at best, a 20mpg player for us going forward. Check out the PER--Frye is at least as good a backup as Gooden would be for us, and he's cheaper and there's no chemistry risk involved in telling a starter that he'll have to sit on the bench for the next two years.

Pass. And run away screaming....

[Spykes]

There are so many reasons why this would be horrible for us that I don't have time to go into all of them, but here's the big one: we trade all the talent out and only get back Gooden, a player that would be, at best, a 20mpg player for us going forward. Check out the PER--Frye is at least as good a backup as Gooden would be for us, and he's cheaper and there's no chemistry risk involved in telling a starter that he'll have to sit on the bench for the next two years.

Pass. And run away screaming....

QFT.

[Norm2953]

I wouldn't worry about roster spots for it's virtually certain we
will pick Euros with our second round picks and may pick a
Euro in the first round if KP does not think the players available
are no better than the guys we have now.

I think we will end up not re-signing Green but could draft a
backup PF to replace McRoberts. What if Love were available
when we picked?

[Wizenheimer]

I wouldn't worry about roster spots for it's virtually certain we
will pick Euros with our second round picks and may pick a
Euro in the first round if KP does not think the players available
are no better than the guys we have now.

I think we will end up not re-signing Green but could draft a
backup PF to replace McRoberts. What if Love were available
when we picked?

if he was BPA, I suppose...but I don't understand why portland would draft a PF/C type unless they make a significant roster change.

If you calculate that Oden and Pryzbilla will average 45 minutes a game between them, and then add 35 minutes for Aldridge, that would only leave 15-16 minutes a game for backup PF. And that's assuming that portland would never go "small ball" to counter other teams.

So 15-16 minutes at backup PF and portland has Outlaw and Frye. There is not enough playing time for both of those guys, let alone adding another PF.

And Outlaw will have to slide over to SF for 10 minutes a game (squeezing Jones and Webster) just to equal the minutes he's playing next season.

Adding another frontline player just doesn't make sense. Frye won't get much playing time at all if he's still on the roster.

Outlaw is the real wild card in all this. He may very well have the highest ceiling of the youth movement other then the big 3. And his ability to create his own shot has been essential for the blazers this year. On the other hand, if KP decides he needs to make moves this summer, Outlaw will easily have the highest trade value of the players possibly moved.

And there is little doubt...at least in my mind...that portland needs backcourt help. That's the most likely use for the draft pick, even considering the addition of Fernandez.

[Butter]

I think a smart move would be to move up in the draft. If the Blazers used a package of Jack, and/or (Outlaw or Webster), their draft pick, they should be able to move up pretty high. If the could add a veteran with an expiring contract, and one of the premier combo guards, I think they'd be doing pretty good.

[Village Idiot]

I think a smart move would be to move up in the draft. If the Blazers used a package of Jack, and/or (Outlaw or Webster), their draft pick, they should be able to move up pretty high. If the could add a veteran with an expiring contract, and one of the premier combo guards, I think they'd be doing pretty good.

With Phoenix taking on all that salary, $20 million additional in 10/11, I don't see them keeping the Atlanta pick which will probably be around #16.

I can something like this going down:

Portland trades:

2 2008 2nd rounders, the two highest of New York, Memphis and Indiana's and a 2011 1st-lottery protected.

Phoenix trades:

2008 from Atlanta via Phoenix


Let's say Atlanta makes the playoffs and we don't and get the 14th and 17th picks. Let's say Memphis gets the fourth pick.

Channing Frye, #13 and #17 for the #4 and Brian Cardinal. With the #4 we will be able to draft one of Rose, Gordon, Bayless or Mayo.

Outlaw and McRoberts should be easily be able to back-up PF next season.

[Butter]

I think a smart move would be to move up in the draft. If the Blazers used a package of Jack, and/or (Outlaw or Webster), their draft pick, they should be able to move up pretty high. If the could add a veteran with an expiring contract, and one of the premier combo guards, I think they'd be doing pretty good.

With Phoenix taking on all that salary, $20 million additional in 10/11, I don't see them keeping the Atlanta pick which will probably be around #16.

I can something like this going down:

Portland trades:

2 2008 2nd rounders, the two highest of New York, Memphis and Indiana's and a 2011 1st-lottery protected.

Phoenix trades:

2008 from Atlanta via Phoenix


Let's say Atlanta makes the playoffs and we don't and get the 14th and 17th picks. Let's say Memphis gets the fourth pick.

Channing Frye, #13 and #17 for the #4 and Brian Cardinal. With the #4 we will be able to draft one of Rose, Gordon, Bayless or Mayo.

Outlaw and McRoberts should be easily be able to back-up PF next season.

Thats the type of outcome that I was shooting for. I think sooner or later, Phoenix is going to realize that they need to use their picks to add to their bench/future talent. But if the Blazers could accomplish something like that, I'd be excited.

[Wizenheimer]

I think a smart move would be to move up in the draft. If the Blazers used a package of Jack, and/or (Outlaw or Webster), their draft pick, they should be able to move up pretty high. If the could add a veteran with an expiring contract, and one of the premier combo guards, I think they'd be doing pretty good.

With Phoenix taking on all that salary, $20 million additional in 10/11, I don't see them keeping the Atlanta pick which will probably be around #16.

I can something like this going down:

Portland trades:

2 2008 2nd rounders, the two highest of New York, Memphis and Indiana's and a 2011 1st-lottery protected.

Phoenix trades:

2008 from Atlanta via Phoenix


Let's say Atlanta makes the playoffs and we don't and get the 14th and 17th picks. Let's say Memphis gets the fourth pick.

Channing Frye, #13 and #17 for the #4 and Brian Cardinal. With the #4 we will be able to draft one of Rose, Gordon, Bayless or Mayo.

Outlaw and McRoberts should be easily be able to back-up PF next season.

I don't know that Phoenix will really be willing to part with a mid-round pick this year. The scale salary for that pick isn't that big and phoenix's fans might pitch a fit if the Suns sent portland yet another 1st round pick.

But assuming they did, your 2nd assumption is not realistic. For one thing, cardinal's salary is 5.8 million so portland would need to send out over 4.6 million in salary to meet CBA requirements. That would be not only frye, but jack, sergio, and mcroberts/green. Or martell and frye.

And even then, the 4th pick would almost certainly not be moved for that package. Portland wouldn't trade away the 4th pick to move that far down in the order...why would Memphis?

The 13th and 17th pick might yield the 9th or 10th, but I doubt it would yield much more.

[Village Idiot]

Sorry. I meant to write Jones and Frye for Cardinal.