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Blazers Sign Blake to Offer Sheet

Authored by Billy Ray - September 20, 2005 - 12:36 am

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Despite the fact that the Trail Blazers desperately needed a power forward, the team opted to sign Washington Wizards point guard Steve Blake.

Blake a 6'3” 172 pound point guard out of Maryland was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th pick in the 2003 NBA draft. Before teaming with former Wizard and current Trail Blazer guard Juan Dixon, Blake played point guard for the 2002 NCAA champion Maryland Terrapins.

Blake's signing comes as a bit of a surprise. The Blazers were considered set at the point guard position with 2004 lottery pick Sebastian Telfair and newly acquired 2005 draft pick Jarrett Jack. Jack offers many of the same size characteristics as Blake—6'3”, 202 pounds—but Blake offers the Blazers an option if Telfair or Jack succumb to injury during the season.

Another reason that the trade comes as a surprise is that the Heat were widely considered to have Blake acquired via trade with the Wizards. But Monday afternoon Blake's agent Joel Bell told the Washington Post that his client intends to sign with the Trail Blazers.

It is assumed that the Heat will now turn to Gary Payton as their backup point guard.

It is hard telling whether Blake will be penciled in as the primary backup to Telfair or the third point guard for the Trail Blazers. In an interview with the Blazers weekly radio show—Courtside Monday Night—Blake indicated that he came to Portland because he felt that he would have an opportunity to play and that he felt that he would not get that in Washington.

The Washington Wizards will have 7 days to match the Trail Blazers offer. Blake indicated in the same interview that he did not expect the Wizards to match.