What Can Make The Blazers Truly Special And Unique

[mojomarc]

JordanL is thinking the way I am--maybe we don't sign him outright, but if Cleveland decides that they're losing LBJ, Portland throws out some talent and cap space in 2009 to Cleveland for him and then Paul, KP, and Nike spend the rest of the season convincing LBJ that his first NBA championship tasted so good that he should stick around with Oden and Roy for a half dozen more.

[Voodoo]

Yep, I was just literally talking to my brother about the same exact thing. LeBron I think is very likely for Portland if he is true to his word, and really why wouldn't he be? The dude wants to be famous, like REALLY famous, wants to be the first billionaire in sports, and wants to win a ton of championships. Obviously Portland is not going to be the first place you think of for becoming famous or rich, but really he has to recognize that if he really does want to win Championships it would be a whole lot easier to be playing for us rather then against us in the Finals .

[Wizenheimer]

Just to be clear, Portland with one trade could easily be under the cap by enough to offer Lebron a $110+ million contract, which paired with rings is enough.

The trade would be something very much like the Steve Nash trades we've been looking at recently.

well it's not real 'clear' to me. Why don't you give an example of what you mean?

[Soulyss]

Guys, Lebron isn't comming to Portland... If he wanted to goto a place like Portland, he would just stay in Clevland, which is his home town... If the Knicks and get most of their players off contract by 09-10 offseason, and they can bring in an additional piece to play along side Bron, he's a Knick.

[LA12]

I can just see all the bandwagon jumpers if the Blazers were to ever acquire Lebron James.

[mojomarc]

Just to be clear, Portland with one trade could easily be under the cap by enough to offer Lebron a $110+ million contract, which paired with rings is enough.

The trade would be something very much like the Steve Nash trades we've been looking at recently.

well it's not real 'clear' to me. Why don't you give an example of what you mean?

It's not that complicated, Wiz. We've already discussed that the whole point of Raef is to be able to inflate our salary as much as possible following the 2009 free agency period so we have salary slots available to trade for superstar-type players if we want to. So we do one of two things; trade Raef at the deadline or sooner for a player that takes up his salary slot, or we let him go and sign a free agent for the max cap space we can. Then we resign all our own free agents to whatever contracts they are worth. Let's say that we end up then with a payroll base of $75m, which I think is the low end of what is possible.

With a $75m payroll base, we probably have to trade two expensive players (my guess--Aldridge and the free agent we sign with Raef's spot, or a combination of the free agent and Outlaw and Martell and filler. It doesn't matter at this point, I'm just using names as placeholders for salary slots) to match Lebron's salary and probably have to take back Hughes as well. But if LBJ makes it clear in midseason next year that he doesn't want to stay in Cleveland beyond the 2010 offseason, this makes our attractive, newly resigned assets extremely valuable. Renouncing free agents, though, does not.

[Zyme]

'Chips + Nike + Paul Allen = Why not. He would sure as hell make lots of money and be near a major corporate HQ with an owner willing to pay him whatever he wants.

If we have the 16 odd capspace needed for him I say why not, offer him a contract, what have we to lose.

[Fitz303]

So at the deadline, Cleveland trades off LeBron after they realize that theyre going to lose him. We make the following move, and play LeBron at PF (or we can play him at SF and move Outlaw to PF)

Aldridge
Rudy
Webster
Blake

For

LeBron James

HAHA that wouldnt even be fair. Could you imagine if that trade went down at the deadline and he resigned??? Roy, LeBron, and Oden??? That's just ridiculous. Game over

Sergio/ Bayless/ Koponen
Roy/ Bayless/ Who Cares
Batum/ Outlaw/ Who Cares
James/ Frye/ Diogu
Oden/ Przybilla/ Freeland

Of course thats a big gamble on whether he would resign. If not, we just took a huge hit

[Zyme]

So at the deadline, Cleveland trades off LeBron after they realize that theyre going to lose him. We make the following move, and play LeBron at PF (or we can play him at SF and move Outlaw to PF)

Aldridge
Rudy
Webster
Blake

For

LeBron James

HAHA that wouldnt even be fair. Could you imagine if that trade went down at the deadline and he resigned??? Roy, LeBron, and Oden??? That's just ridiculous. Game over

Sergio/ Bayless/ Koponen
Roy/ Bayless/ Who Cares
Batum/ Outlaw/ Who Cares
James/ Frye/ Diogu
Oden/ Przybilla/ Freeland

Of course thats a big gamble on whether he would resign. If not, we just took a huge hit

Damnit Fitz, Stop trying to break the NBA!

[Yangsing]

Why wait? Trade for Lebron now

LaMarcus Aldridge + Raef Lafrentz for Lebron

haha just kidding

[Wizenheimer]

It's not that complicated, Wiz. We've already discussed that the whole point of Raef is to be able to inflate our salary as much as possible following the 2009 free agency period so we have salary slots available to trade for superstar-type players if we want to. So we do one of two things; trade Raef at the deadline or sooner for a player that takes up his salary slot, or we let him go and sign a free agent for the max cap space we can. Then we resign all our own free agents to whatever contracts they are worth. Let's say that we end up then with a payroll base of $75m, which I think is the low end of what is possible.

With a $75m payroll base, we probably have to trade two expensive players (my guess--Aldridge and the free agent we sign with Raef's spot, or a combination of the free agent and Outlaw and Martell and filler. It doesn't matter at this point, I'm just using names as placeholders for salary slots) to match Lebron's salary and probably have to take back Hughes as well. But if LBJ makes it clear in midseason next year that he doesn't want to stay in Cleveland beyond the 2010 offseason, this makes our attractive, newly resigned assets extremely valuable. Renouncing free agents, though, does not.

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing.

I responded to this post:

Just to be clear, Portland with one trade could easily be under the cap by enough to offer Lebron a $110+ million contract, which paired with rings is enough.

The trade would be something very much like the Steve Nash trades we've been looking at recently.

that sure appears to me like he's talking about clearing cap-space to offer Lebron a contract in 2010. That's what I did not find 'clear'

On the other hand, you're talking about developing a roster of attractive enough assets to be able to approach the Cavs FO sometime next season in the event they know lebron was going leave and tempt them into making a deal.

Two different things it would seem.

[JordanL]

Just to be clear, Portland with one trade could easily be under the cap by enough to offer Lebron a $110+ million contract, which paired with rings is enough.

The trade would be something very much like the Steve Nash trades we've been looking at recently.

well it's not real 'clear' to me. Why don't you give an example of what you mean?

If LeBron was set on getting paid and gettign rings, and thought Portland was the place to get rings, Portland could get about $13 million in capspace assuming no trades. They could also trade for Nash who expires in 2010 to get more under, but $13 million would be enough. ($15 million if you figure a cap of $62 million for 2010.)

Using max raises he signs a three year contract with Portland, worth about $55 million, then in his third year of the contract signs a new full bird rights $160 million contract.

By that time he should already have more than one ring.

EDIT:

Although this is unlikely to happen for one reason: it's a HUGE gamble for Pritchard. Not that he is screwed if it doesn't work out, (we still keep our important players).

It's difficult to say how LeBron reacts to a situation like this. Is he concerned about injuring himself and then only being guaranteed $55 million? Or is he thinking its a perfect storm?

No way for Pritchard to predict that very easily.

Although we have lots of other guys we could target that year too.

Two different things it would seem.

Both of which Portland could pull off.

You guys also forget that ANY team in the league can offer him a max contract because of sign&trade. Do you really think Portland wouldn't trade the necessary salary to get LeBron in a S&T? Because of the way "incumbent" teams work anyways, that'd probably be how he signs with anyone.

[Mr Odd]

Its fun to wish & hope.. .but then
the truth of reality comes crashing
down on you and smashes it all.. .

I just dont see a superduper star
signing as a Blazer. It would have
to be thru trade. But we can hope.

[Voodoo]

Well in this case reality ain't to bad Odd, I think we can live with our current team and fair rather well even without a superstar =).

[a_sensei]

Lebron wants to play in a major market. He has that right. The odds of him playing for the Blazers are very low.

I love what the writer ways our starting lineup was that year- Blake, Telfair, Webster, Khryapa, and Ratliff. It wouldn't have taken that much research to figure out the opening day starters were Telfair, Charles Smith, Miles, Z-Bo, and Ratliff and the most common lineup was Blake, Dixon, Khryapa, Z-Bo, and Przy. The writers starting lineup started a total of zero games. I mean, it's not a big deal in terms of what the story is about but if you are going to make a point of breaking the roster into starters and reserves, and you are being payed to be a writer, get it right!!!

he was talking about the last game of the season... the phoenix loss, in which the line up was

Telfair
Blake
Webster
Khryapa
Ratliff

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/gamecente ... 19_PHO@POR

I stand corrected. That's a crazy lineup to throw out there.

[realfung]

Portland has the pieces to land LBJ.
But the price is not going to be like Rudy + Roy.
It's more like Oden + Roy + Alridge + Segio.

[SabasRevenge!]

I think some of you are really on the right track here.

Cap space is great if you want good FA's, but those superstars aren't going to want to sign outright with a bad club at a new starting max salary. Players like Bosh, Wade, and James will be moved via S&T because they stand to make a huge amount of money by taking the maximum raises that their current team can give them and immediately being moved elsewhere.

Of course, the FA and team have to agree to the S&T, but IMO the best assets a team can have if they're looking to add a superduperstar are big expiring contracts, players on rookie contracts, and excellent young players. We have all of them. In 2010 we may not have the huge expirings, but we'll have enough to put together a package of around 15M to match salaries with someone.

Furthermore, we stand to be under the cap by that time, so we don't have to send out matching salaries. Instead, have room under the cap to send out players and a nice trade exception if the salaries don't match.

Lebron will be looking to WIN, not be stuck on some horrid team that gutted their roster in a S&T. We can send out excellent talent have plenty left.

Quite frankly, if we could trade Roy and Aldridge for Lebron James, I'd do it. Screw market size, Lebron and Oden would be a marketing dream come true and Nike is just down the road.

We're in a great position to be able to pull off a trade like that and I'm sure Pritchard, Allen, and Penn have several long term scenarios along those lines.

Think about it: Lebron James will be 25 in 2010 and Greg Oden will be 22. If you had a shot to put Oscar and Wilt, Kareem and Dr. J, MJ and Hakeem, or *gulp* prime Kobe and prime Shaq on the same team, three years apart, you do that deal.

[Wizenheimer]

......

Furthermore, we stand to be under the cap by that time, so we don't have to send out matching salaries. Instead, have room under the cap to send out players and a nice trade exception if the salaries don't match.

........
.

I would be interested if you'd support that with some numbers. I don't think portland will be under the cap at all by that time. They may have a slew of tradable assets, but it's quite unlikely that one of the assets will be cap space.

[SabasRevenge!]

......

Furthermore, we stand to be under the cap by that time, so we don't have to send out matching salaries. Instead, have room under the cap to send out players and a nice trade exception if the salaries don't match.

........
.

I would be interested if you'd support that with some numbers. I don't think portland will be under the cap at all by that time. They may have a slew of tradable assets, but it's quite unlikely that one of the assets will be cap space.

We'd be under the cap next summer for a S&T, or we'd surely be over the cap including Aldrdige and Roy extensions for 2010. You wanna take a stab at it for me?

Roy, Aldridge, and Outlaw for a resigned Lebron.

[Wizenheimer]

We'd be under the cap next summer for a S&T, or we'd surely be over the cap including Aldrdige and Roy extensions for 2010. You wanna take a stab at it for me?

Roy, Aldridge, and Outlaw for a resigned Lebron.

I am taking a stab at it in another thread here.

as far as your trade idea, I suppose, althoug the thought of giving up Roy, even as part of a package for Lebron does trouble me a bit.