Pick swap with Utah?

[d-train]

Blazers are more likely to trade out of the draft than down. Trading down is the least likely scenario.

[DusterBuster]

I would imagine any deal like this wouldn't be agreed to until draft day when the teams have a slightly better idea of how the draft will play out. I still would sincerely hope that if Portland does any slide back, they dump Freeland. Unfortunately, I think this forums desire to see Freeland dumped is a lot stronger than managements desire for it.

I think the deal would at least be agreed upon in principle and finalized around the time that Detroit and Minnesota drafts. However, it sounded like the trade offer is on the table now.

BTW: I had to look up who this Freeland character is. Not a productive player, but his contract can't be that awful as a #30 pick.

As it's good to always point out around this time of the year, you really can't trust anything any GM says right now. Maybe he has a deal on the table, maybe he's saying that to generate trade talk, maybe he's trying to get fans excited, etc. It could be a lot of different things, but to just assume it's the truth is probably a little naive.

As for Freeland, no, he wasn't productive last year, but he wasn't really given much of an opportunity to be productive or get into any groove either. I'd say there's still some potential there to be a decent backup if a team is willing to give him some minutes to develop that Portland didn't. As for his contract, he was picked back in 2006 and signed in Portland as a FA last summer. As such, he wasn't subject to the normal rookie scale contract. He signed a 3 year 9 mil deal. So he's got 2 years and 6 mil left on it. While a bigger deal than what a 30th pick guy would have got, it's far from the boat anchor of a deal that many Blazer fans make it out to be. Most Blazer fans just want his deal off the books because it's the difference between the Blazers have 11.85 mil in cap space to spend and max contract money (for a guy coming off his rookie deal).

I dont know why everyone make Freeland sound untradeable anyway.

I think Portland and LA Lakers would both agree to Blake, Sacre, future 2nd like 2016 for Freeland, Pavlovic and #45

Saves LA I small amount of cash this year. Portland gets a combo guard who is gonna be an expiring. Sacre may end up being serviceable, who knows.

I can't imagine the Blazers would touch that deal. They aren't going to add salary to the books for this summer for Blake, a scrub in Sacre, and a way in the future 2nd round pick. I do agree with you that Freeland isn't the untradeable albatross he's usually characterized as around here, but that's not a good deal for Portland.

[Norm2953]

I would be very surprised if Portland traded down for their workout preparations seem
to be about finding who to pick in the second round. Trading down would almost
certainly lose them the players who will be there at 10 and force them to pick
someone who they did not workout.

[Goldbum]

I've been championing this type of deal for over a month now. I think the Jazz want McCullum and don't want to spent their FA cash this year. They also need a 3rd big. So maybe #10, #45 and Freeland for #14 and #21? We could take both KCP and Gobert. Take Jaiteh and Livio Jean-Charles in round 2.

[DusterBuster]

I've been championing this type of deal for over a month now. I think the Jazz want McCullum and don't want to spent their FA cash this year. They also need a 3rd big. So maybe #10, #45 and Freeland for #14 and #21? We could take both KCP and Gobert. Take Jaiteh and Livio Jean-Charles in round 2.

I'd be pretty stoked if that was the structure of the deal. Hell, they could have all of Portland's 2nd rounders for all I care.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I've been championing this type of deal for over a month now. I think the Jazz want McCullum and don't want to spent their FA cash this year. They also need a 3rd big. So maybe #10, #45 and Freeland for #14 and #21? We could take both KCP and Gobert. Take Jaiteh and Livio Jean-Charles in round 2.

Half of Portland would be speaking French.

[RoyalWun]

I've been championing this type of deal for over a month now. I think the Jazz want McCullum and don't want to spent their FA cash this year. They also need a 3rd big. So maybe #10, #45 and Freeland for #14 and #21? We could take both KCP and Gobert. Take Jaiteh and Livio Jean-Charles in round 2.

#14 AND #21? I think that's a bit much when also taking on Freeland.

#10 + Freeland for #14 is fair enough.

[Butter]

The last time the Blazers traded down with Utah, they ended up with Deron Williams and the Blazers got Martell Webster. I say don't over think it.

[Vega]

Most mocks seem to have roughly the same 13 top players in various orders, then from 14 on it becomes a total crap-shoot.

There definitely seems to be a drop off from 13 to 14.

[DusterBuster]

The last time the Blazers traded down with Utah, they ended up with Deron Williams and the Blazers got Martell Webster. I say don't over think it.

Again though, we're talking about dropping from 3 to 6 in a deep draft compared to 10 to 14 in a weak draft.

[Billy]

I don't personally see a reason to trade down unless 1 of 2 possible conditions exist:

1. Portland has both a set free agent target(s), and needs a certain amount of money that trading down could provide.

2. Portland likes 2 or more players and feel fairly certain that they would be available late.

When it comes to case one, trading down doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. If Portland was wanting to dump Freeland I think they'd look to do it outright, otherwise the net gain is almost to small to matter. If Portland saves 500k on the cap but loses out on a player they want--is it really worth it?

[Mr Odd]

This one leaves me going "uhh what". I
can see moving Freeland but im not sure
this is the best way to do this.. .I rather
try to improve the team, taking a step
forward, using the 10th in a trade then
using the 10th in taking a step sideways.