Portland offseason moves.

[Donatello]

Obviously, as the worst team in the league this year, we need to make some changes.

Darius Miles won't play for this team again, he's made that perfectly clear. And Zach Randolph joined in, in fact they made a statement together about their strong desire to be traded, citing Coach McMillan's stern coaching style, bad management, among other things.

I've been thinking about this alot.

As much as I like Steve Blake- Sebastian Telfair is more important to the future of this team. Telfair has stated that he doesn't want to be part of a three guard rotation (with Blake and Jarett Jack).

Three possibilities here, in my mind.

1) They forget about Steve Blake, start Sebastian with Jack as the backup. I find this the most likely scenario.

2) They package Telfair as incentive for someone to take Miles or Randolph. This is, while I don't want to admit it, also likely, as he's a great prospect.

3) Trading Jarett Jack. I don't really see this happening. He's going to be pretty good, but I don't think other teams know that well enough to take him as leverage in a Miles or Randolph trade.



Anyway, enough of that. I'm going to be figuring up some trade ideas and running them through the trade checker to check salaries and such. Feel free to leave comments, or discuss anything.

First trade:

Darius Miles to Memphis for Mike Miller.
Mike Miller
6-8 SG from Florida
13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.7 apg in 30.6 minutes

Darius Miles
6-9 SF from East St. Louis (HS)
14.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.8 apg in 32.2 minutes
__________________________________________

Second trade:

Wishful thinking on my part, but should spark some discussion at least.

Darius Miles, Zach Randolph, Juan Dixon
to Philadelphia for Allen Iverson, Steven Hunter, Willie Green

Juan Dixon
6-3 PG from Maryland
12.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg in 25.3 minutes

Darius Miles
6-9 SF from East St. Louis (HS)
14.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.8 apg in 32.2 minutes

Zach Randolph
6-9 PF from Michigan State
18.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 apg in 34.4 minutes

Incoming

Allen Iverson
6-0 PG from Georgetown
33.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 7.4 apg in 43.0 minutes

Steven Hunter
7-0 C from DePaul
6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 19.1 minutes

Willie Green
6-4 SG from Detroit
7.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.5 apg in 15.3 minutes
___________________________________

[Matthew]

I cant see either trades happening. Darius Miles isn't worth an expiring contract, let alone a valuable role player like Mike Mille

The only player Philly would want in that iverson deal would be Dixon.

[Anthony15]

First maybe happening, maybe. If Miller would have some problems in Memphis, then and only then he might get traded, but no way they're gonna do anything if things are fine.

Second, lol definately no, AI is staying in Philly!

[Donatello]

First maybe happening, maybe. If Miller would have some problems in Memphis, then and only then he might get traded, but no way they're gonna do anything if things are fine.

Second, lol definately no, AI is staying in Philly!

How are things fine in Memphis? Not saying my trade would ever happen, but I'd hardly call things fine in Memphis.

And don't be so sure that AI is staying in Philly.

[Donatello]

This one seems a bit more realistic, if Isiah is still running the Knicks, as he covets Darius Miles.

Quentin Richardson
6-6 SG from DePaul
8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.6 apg in 26.2 minutes

Darius Miles
6-9 SF from East St. Louis (HS)
14.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.8 apg in 32.2 minutes
_______________



And here's another interesting one that probably wouldn't happen, but neat to look at anyway. Works with salaries.

Juan Dixon
6-3 PG from Maryland
12.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg in 25.3 minutes

Zach Randolph
6-9 PF from Michigan State
18.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 apg in 34.4 minutes

Theo Ratliff
6-10 C from Wyoming
4.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.5 apg in 23.7 minutes

Incoming

Jermaine O'Neal
6-11 PF from Eau Claire (HS)
20.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.6 apg in 35.3 minutes

Austin Croshere
6-10 PF from Providence
8.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.2 apg in 22.9 minutes

[AI_MVP]

bringin JO back to da blazers mite actually be a pretty good idea cuz randolph is a worthless pussy compared to him

[Blasphemy]

If sixers trade Iverson I will Kill. So fuck the Blazers. They chould get soemone from the Pistons.

[Axel]

If sixers trade Iverson I will Kill.

OMGRLY?






I don't see the AI trade working, for two reasons. Firstly AI wont want to go to an even worse team than Philly. Secondly, the Blazers need young talent, not old.

In fact, I don't see any big names at all for the Blazers. Maybe a veteran player or two to keep it from being complete chaos (a Sam Cassell type player maybe), but aside from that just cheap talent especially since Paul Allen is losing so much money on the team.[/b]

[Buckley]

are u kidding me? AI would never go to portland...these are the teams that he could be on next year.....

1. Minnesota
2. Memphis
3. Indiana
4. He stays in Philly (which I believe will happen )

Basically, AI would go to a team that needs another star to complement their star PF. Zach Randolph hasn't been showing much of anything this season, and the chance he goes to Portland is the chance of me getting 1 million dollars right now.

[Donatello]

I don't see the AI trade working, for two reasons. Firstly AI wont want to go to an even worse team than Philly. Secondly, the Blazers need young talent, not old.

In fact, I don't see any big names at all for the Blazers. Maybe a veteran player or two to keep it from being complete chaos (a Sam Cassell type player maybe), but aside from that just cheap talent especially since Paul Allen is losing so much money on the team.[/b]

I agree. And that's kind of the problem with Randolph and Miles's shitty contracts. Miles has 100% demanded to be traded, and Randolph is close behind him. So most likely neither are going to produce in Portland anymore, and need to be moved.

One scenario I thought of might be Zach Randolph to Boston for Raef Lafrentz. While Lafrentz hasn't exactly been kicking ass lately, he's an equally bad contract with the same number of years left, and isn't happy where he is. <shrug>

[The_Flying_Tomato]

as they say on PTI, zero percent chance AI gets moved!

[Its_asdf]

The first thing they need to do is get rid of that poor excuse for a basketball player named Zach Randolph. That guys a fat, lazy, overpaid piece of scum. I can't stand him, and I wonder why on earth Jugs can even like such a player.

I seriously want Miles to succeed, but his attitude is absolute pathetic also. He was playing well in his first few months this season, but I doubt anyone will bite on the potential he was flashing when he was still in LA or Cleveland.

I also wonder why the hell they signed a dick like Juan Dixon. He's an undersized selfish two guard. Why did they shell out cash for Steve Blake too? He's a decent backup, but they already have Telfair and they drafted Jack also.

This sounds like a stretch, but I hope that they build their team around Travis Outlaw. He's Darius Miles with a perimeter game and work ethic, plus he's still fairly young. I know Martell Webster will be a fine player, but I don't the potential that most people see in him.

[Donatello]

The first thing they need to do is get rid of that poor excuse for a basketball player named Zach Randolph. That guys a fat, lazy, overpaid piece of scum. I can't stand him, and I wonder why on earth Jugs can even like such a player.

Agreed... mostly. His game isn't really what bothers me, it's his attitude. Though I understand his frustration after five years of this kind of management, he needs to realize two things.

1) That management gave you your fat contract, you asshat.

2) You're getting paid an insane amount of money to play a GAME. Play it, have fun, try to help your team win, no matter if you'd rather be playing for another team. OF COURSE your team can't win with attitudes like yours.

I seriously want Miles to succeed, but his attitude is absolute pathetic also. He was playing well in his first few months this season, but I doubt anyone will bite on the potential he was flashing when he was still in LA or Cleveland.

Agreed- when I moved to Portland he was one of the players I was really excited to see play. But his poor attitude, inconsistent play, and selfishness completely turned me off. I mean.... they started Viktor Khryapa over him most of the time. Christ.

I also wonder why the hell they signed a dick like Juan Dixon. He's an undersized selfish two guard.

Gonna disagree with you here. I admittedly never saw him play before he was in Portland, but what I saw of him here was great. He was a bright spot. I agree with him being undersized, but selfish? He seemed to be quite the team player to me. Ties into this:

Why did they shell out cash for Steve Blake too? He's a decent backup, but they already have Telfair and they drafted Jack also.

Dixon and Blake have been together for a long time. Played together at Maryland (college), then Blake was drafted one year after Dixon to Washington, then they both came to Portland. They know eachother very well, flow together on the floor, and are fairly positive members of the community. On the pure basketball side of things, I kind of agree and kind of disagree.

Blake was brought in as security in case Jack (or, less likely, Telfair) flopped. Looking at how the season went, you could look at it two different ways.

1) Thank god they got Blake, because while Jack and Telfair did fine- Blake was probably this team's MVP in the second half of the season.

2) While Blake was very important to the team, they still were the league's worst, so Telfair and Jack might as well have gotten more minutes.

<shrug> Debatable either way. I like Steve (alot). Even though Jack isn't the best, I think either Blake or Telfair has to go. Keep Jack and one other. But Telfair won't be part of a 3-guard rotation, he's said that, and I don't want Blake third-stringing. He's better than that. Telfair is bait for someone to take Randolph or Miles, and it just might be worth it.

This sounds like a stretch, but I hope that they build their team around Travis Outlaw. He's Darius Miles with a perimeter game and work ethic, plus he's still fairly young. I know Martell Webster will be a fine player, but I don't the potential that most people see in him.

Agreed on the Outlaw part. He's a fantastic player. You hit the nail right on the head. But I don't know about building the team "around him". I think they need to build the team around the team.

On Martell.... I don't think you'd see it unless you've seen his personality and watched the way he plays (alot), and his passion for the game. The kid simply wants to play, and to get better.

Before the last game of the season, he (this was his idea) came out and told the crowd that he (and his team) are going to work hard this summer to get a winning record next year, etc. His presence in the community is amazing (and voluntary)- you can tell that he really enjoys what he's doing. I think, even if his game doesn't develop to where I think it will (maybe a Desmond Mason-level player), his attitude is priceless.

[Its_asdf]

Come to think of it, I really like some of the young players in Portland. I might consider making a dynasty next season if 07 doesn't turn into crap like 06 did.