10 Reasons To Keep LaFrentz's Contract

[ABM]

From: HoopsWorld

Whenever you hear a trade rumor involving the Portland Trail Blazers, there is always one player reportedly at the center of the speculation: Raef LaFrentz.

For a guy that has not played for Portland since appearing in 39 games last season, he sure is the man of the hour. Yet while LaFrentz's $12.7 million dollar expiring contract is an asset many clubs in this league would love to have on their side, it is far better for the Blazers to not move the contract at this time unpopular to most opinions.

Not buying it? Maybe you will.

HOOPSWORLD's own Wendell Maxey and Jason Fleming discuss "10 Reasons To Keep LaFrentz's Contract"..............

 

[Tortimer]

I don't agree with everything in the article but do with a lot of it though I do think rumors seem to think Rlec isn't worth that much IMO it is worth a lot in this economy. I'm still almost 50-50 we will make a trade before the deadline.

 

[B-Roy]

1. Thanks, But No Thanks – Apparently the offers General Manager Kevin Pritchard is receiving is more lunacy than legit when LaFrentz is included. The proposals simply aren't to Portland's liking or of equal benefit. The "Amar'e Stoudemire to Portland" rumor proves this easily. Let's get this right: the Blazers would be giving away their second best player in LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless – a guy whom some in the franchise believe is eventually the future point guard of the team - and LaFrentz's expiring contract. Are the Suns sure they don't want Brandon Roy in the deal while they are at it?

^ This part is interesting.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Their 10 reasons were really just 3 reasons, none of them being very good.

How is Raef's contract more valuable this offseason?

Adding Buck Williams did not hurt our chemistry, it vaulted us into the finals.
I have the same feeling about Gerald Wallace.

 

[Kaydow]

How is Raef's contract more valuable this offseason?

That's what I was wondering. The "value" must mean his contract coming off the books saves Portland $$$

Well, for most teams/owners that's great, really doesn't apply to Paul Allen.

I've been assuming that the whole Darius Miles saga IMPROVES the odds of RLEC being moved (b/c we won't have flexibility in the FA market) It never dawned on me that it is a reason to KEEP it (save money)

Man, if that's the way it goes down . . . I hate Darius Miles.

 

[ABM]

Man, if that's the way it goes down . . . I hate Darius Miles.

Why hate on Darius? He's had absolutely nothing to do with any of these medical-related decisions. All he wants to do is ball, party, and bonk his head. Not necessarily in that order.

 

[bigbailes]

it is effective in the offseason because we will still be under the cap, and can either sign a decent free agent or do a sign and trade without having to match salarys with 125%.

 

[MrJayremmie]

1. Thanks, But No Thanks – Apparently the offers General Manager Kevin Pritchard is receiving is more lunacy than legit when LaFrentz is included. The proposals simply aren't to Portland's liking or of equal benefit. The "Amar'e Stoudemire to Portland" rumor proves this easily. Let's get this right: the Blazers would be giving away their second best player in LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless – a guy whom some in the franchise believe is eventually the future point guard of the team - and LaFrentz's expiring contract. Are the Suns sure they don't want Brandon Roy in the deal while they are at it?

^ This part is interesting.

Totally agree w/ this.

 

[SodaPopinski]

4. Summer Time - Portland can get far more mileage out of LaFrentz's contract this coming offseason rather than an immediate return as the trade deadline nears. The writing is on the wall: the Blazers remain in the market for a scrappy defender to realistically back-up LaMarcus Aldridge, as well as an all-in-one point guard. Chances are it will be tough for Portland to acquire both this offseason, but certainly management will look to get the most bang for their buck come this summer.

How is Raef's contract worth more this offseason? If we trade him now, a team gets his contract off the books, plus the savings that come from the insurance payment since Raef missed a minimum of 41 games this year. Even if they are really stretching and saying that the money off the cap will be worth more, they are dead wrong. We'd only have about $6mil in cap flexibility rather than the ability to take back about $12mil if we trade him now. I totally don't understand the point they are making here.

5. Pritchard's Track Record - The NBA Draft and the offseason: those are the two times of year when Pritchard does his best work. Look at the way the Blazers have been built – via the draft and during offseason transactions. Aside from trading Taurean Green to Denver for Von Wafer at last year's trade deadline, Pritchard isn't partial to making in-season trades. For Pritchard, it boils down to putting his coach and team in a position where they can be successful. And by bringing in a player for the second half of the season, expecting him to effectively contribute while getting acclimated to a new system, isn't setting a coach or his players up for success. Obviously, it can be done and is done around the league. Portland – and least according to Pritchard's stance – isn't one of those clubs.

Stupid argument. Prior to this year during Pritchard's tenure, the Blazers weren't in the position to make a midseason trade. They were not positioning for a playoff run, nor were they holding an asset like a big expiring contract.

6. Team Work Makes The Dream Work - Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry. Former Portland General Manager Bob Whitsitt wasn't a chemistry major, but Pritchard must have gotten good grades his high school courses and at Kansas in that department. Not often has Pritchard steered Portland wrong with any of his moves, despite that fact some have raised eyebrows at the time. Calling it being too particular, but whoever comes in has to fit the culture – as Pritchard likes to say – and right now that relates to overall team chemistry.

This one really doesn't make any sense. This doesn't seem like a reason to NOT make the deal, this just seems like a reason to make sure you make the right deal. Not exactly a compelling reason to "keep LaFrentz's contract."

7. Still Talking – Will Portland make a move before the trade deadline? While those sharing this byline don't believe so, Pritchard isn't willing to stop listening to offers and having discussions just yet. But if for any reason Pritchard decides to go against his conventional thinking, it's possible a move would be made involving two or three players on the current active roster, not a veteran center on the mend somewhere in Iowa.

So how exactly is speculation that Raef might not be the one traded a compelling "reason" to keep LaFrentz's contract?

9. About The Playoffs - At 13 games over .500 and in 4th place in the Western Conference, just three games behind the Denver Nuggets in the Northwest Division, the Blazers are exceeding preseason prognostications for 2008-09. The goal was to get to the playoffs and barring major injury that's going to happen. The whole feel to the "must trade Raef's contract" cacophony seems to be Portland has to do something to win it all. It's a nice idea, but that's never what this season was about anyway. Yes, they won't win it all this season as currently comprised - but it's not about winning this season. It's about winning multiple seasons in the future.

Again, I agree with the premise, but I disagree that trading Raef's contact somehow means we have to bring back a "rental." Why couldn't we bring back someone who becomes one of our core for many years down the road? The whole "it's about the future" argument wears thin for me. Yeah - it is about the future. But if you have a chance now to make a move that will help that future, why not do it?

10. Are We There Yet? - Because sometimes all this trade deadline talk gets to be too overhyped.

Translation: "We couldn't think of a #10, and the Top 9 Reasons just didn't make for a good article."

-Pop