| Who's On The BLOCK In Blazerland? Authored by Billy Ray - February 22, 2005 - 6:10 pm
The Trail Blazers look to be mired in yet another uneventful season full of lost potential and missed opportunities. But will John Nash choose to shake things up? Here is a look at all 14 players on the Blazers Roster, as well as Sergei Monia who is currently residing overseas, and where they most likely stand on the trade front.
The “practically” untradables:
Darius Miles: His BYC status along with his latest blow up with Cheeks makes him attractive to teams, but not with teams willing to trade equal value. The BYC part makes him nearly untradable in a straight up deal. The Blazers would probably move him for the right price, but it’s doubtful that price will be met.
Derek Anderson: Despite the squeaky clean off court resume, Anderson’s downfall has come on the court where he is having his worst season as a pro. Anderson has been unable to keep healthy for the past year and a half, and his contract is not attractive. Houston is reportedly showing interest. If Portland can find a legitimate shooting guard before the deadline Anderson could be dealt—just to be rid of him.
It would need to blow your socks off:
Zach Randolph: Even though Randolph is not finding as much success as he did last season, he is still a 23 year old who is on the cusp of becoming an all-star. Randolph has found a comfort zone as of late coming off the bench, and is finally adopting more of a “team first” concept. Add in the fact that he’s a BYC player and Randolph’s roster spot looks safe for the foreseeable future.
Sebastian Telfair: The 19 year old guard from New York has shown as much poise as his veteran counter parts Damon Stoudamire and Nick Van Exel. The paltry Rose Garden crowd has grown to love Telfair and his electrifying play. Not only has Telfair brought the crowd to their feet, but he has also lead the Blazers to solid wins playing the 4th quarter. He set a career high with 23 points in 23 minutes against the Bobcats. Despite Telfair garnering the most interest, he won’t be traded for anything outside of a superstar, and even then, Telfair is still Nash’s pet project.
Joel Przybilla: Many would argue that Przybilla does not deserve to be on the same list as franchise cornerstones Randolph and Telfair. But over the past 20 games Przybilla has become a vital cog in the Blazers offense and defense setting strong screens on offense and hitting the boards on defense. There seems to be no reason to move Przybilla as he virtually has become a threat to post a double-double every night, while also raking in one of the smallest salaries on the Blazers. That low salary will attract many teams hoping to squeeze a little extra out of a deal, but don’t expect the Blazers to bite.
Possible Sweeteners:
Travis Outlaw: Outlaw is in a tough spot with the Trail Blazers. On one hand he is the most improved player on the team, but on the other he is playing in the position that is the most loaded with talent. Darius Miles already has a contract and Khryapa is showing major promise. But the team has worked vigilantly with Outlaw. If push comes to shove he most likely will not be a deal breaker, but don’t look for him to be included in a deal that does not significantly improve the Blazers.
Seung-Jin Ha: The second round pick who has spent half a season with the Blazers has shown some major improvements and has the franchise hoping that they might have found a gem in the second round. He has not received much game time, but the practice time he has received has been invaluable to his development. Ha is sure to generate some interest from teams looking to snatch a young center who could go either way in terms of development, but Nash most likely will hang onto him.
Richie Frahm: Frahm has not produced much in the limited time that he has received as a Blazer, but shooters are always nice to have. Frahm can be thrown into just about any deal as a sweetener, although he is most likely not attractive enough of a sweetner to be anything besides a throw in to make salary’s more even.
Viktor Khryapa: Khryapa came back much earlier than expected from a devastating foot injury that initially was viewed as potentially career threatening. He has been a fearless player who has provided a ton of energy on both ends. He is a rookie and is still a bit of an unknown. He has drawn comparisons to Andrei Kirilenko of Utah. Teams most likely will not know enough about him to request him in a trade, but Portland would most likely not hesitate in moving Khryapa in the right deal.
Welcome to our trade block party:
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: Abdur-Rahim had a well publicized falling out of sorts with the Trail Blazers, demanding a trade to any team that would take him. But when management ensured him that he would receive a starting spot and then delivered that spot, Abdur-Rahim almost seemed content with his place on the team. But Abdur-Rahim still remains Portland’s most attractive asset both for teams looking to make a push and for teams looking to shed cap. If Portland makes a deal before the deadline, look for Abdur-Rahim to be sent out.
Theo Ratliff: Ratliff was a fan favorite last season, but a series of injuries in conjunction with a top dollar contract has made Ratliff a bit of a scapegoat for the team. Ratliff is close to untradable, but for a team such as Phoenix who could use with a shot blocking presence in the middle that does not require shots, Ratliff would be a good option. The most likely scenario involving Ratliff would most likely involve Portland receiving cap relief to regain the financial flexibility.
Damon Stoudamire: Stoudamire has had his best season as a Blazer and one of his best as a pro. After starting the season shooting in the low 20’s from three, Stoudamire has elevated his three-point shooting percentage to the around 40 percent. His strength is in his shooting—especially from three and from the free throw line--but he can still run the point for a veteran team for short spells. His expiring contract is very attractive to a team looking to make a push and dump salary at the end of the season, or for a team looking to shed 14 million off the cap.
Nick Van Exel: The second half of the two headed point guard. Van Exel has been great for the Trail Blazers providing solid play most nights and a great presence in the locker room. But Van Exel has a team option for next season, essentially giving the team that holds his rights the ability to pick up the option and keep him, or decline the option and save around 13 million. Van Exel has proven he’s a clutch player for a contender and is sure to generate calls from other teams.
Not currently on the Roster, but:
Sergei Monia: Monia will be eligible to come to the NBA in time for next season. Currently Monia can be dealt but since he is not under contract with the Blazers his worth in dollars in any trade is zero. He can be thrown into a trade as sweetener and not cost the receiving team any money this season. If Portland can acquire a shooting guard that would make Monia’s presence redundant, there is a good chance he would be traded.
Possible Targets:
Michael Redd: Redd is an ideal candidate to come to Portland as he is both available, and a premier spot up shooter. Randolph and Redd would team up to become a deadly force on offense. The Blazers are not blind to this and will see where discussions with the Bucks can go.
Tyson Chandler: Chandler has always interested Nash, but with the Bulls recent success is Chandler even available? Conventional wisdom says that power forward is the weakest link of the Bulls starting lineup, so a Abdur-Rahim for Chandler and Antonio Davis swap could be in the cards.
Zydrunas Illgauskas: Illgauskas is up for a big pay day, but the Cavalier’s don’t know if they want to be the team to pay it. If the Blazers talk to the Cavs there is a good chance Illgauskas’ name will come up.
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