Blazers Sign Steve Blake

[The Legend]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Portland Trail Blazers could shop for a small forward or point guard among other free agents. Players such as Golden State Warriors forward Matt Barnes and Denver Nuggets guard Steve Blake could fill needs for the team.</div>

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[bbwSwish]

Steve Blake has agreed to a three year deal.

 

[NTC]

Blazers have a crazy sick team now. I will very surprised if they fail to make the playoffs next season.

C - Greg Oden | Joel Pryzbilla | Jamaal Magloire | Raef LaFrentz
PF - LaMarcus Aldridge | Channing Frye | Josh McRoberts
SF - Darius Miles | Travis Outlaw | Ime Udoka | James Jones
SG - Brandon Roy | Martell Webster | Sergio Rodriguez | Rudy Fernandez
PG - Jarret Jack | Steve Blake | Petteri Kopenen | Taurean Green

Amazing young depth.

 

[P.A.P.]

^ Kopenen and Fernandez are staying overseas, Magloire isn't returning, Udoka is getting interest from the Spurs and Green might not make the squad with this signing. Still a very deep and talented team though.

I'm going to guess that Jack will get minutes at the backup SG in order to give some playing time to Rodriguez at the point (who's better).

-C - Greg Oden | Joel Pryzbilla | Raef LaFrentz
PF - LaMarcus Aldridge | Channing Frye | Josh McRoberts
SF - Travis Outlaw | Martell Webster | Darius Miles |
SG - Brandon Roy | Martell Webster | Jarrett Jack / James Jones
PG - Steve Blake | Jarrett Jack | Sergio Rodriguez

 

[AKIRA]

this team may not make the playoffs, we have to see if they work well enough together, im sure after a couple of seasons together they could become a top 3 team in the west.

 

[Voodoo Child]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. -- Former Trail Blazer Steve Blake is coming back to Portland, even though in one sense he never left.

The free agent point guard who played for the Denver Nuggets last season signed a reported two-year deal with an option. The Blazers, who confirmed his return late Friday, did not disclose terms.

Blake, a four-year veteran, averaged 8.3 points and 6.6 assists in 49 games with Denver last season.

It is Blake's second stint with the Blazers. He played for the team in 2005-06, averaging 8.2 points and 4.5 assists. He still has an offseason home in the area.

Blake told the Rocky Mountain News that he decided to return to Portland because the Nuggets appeared on the verge of finalizing a contract with guard Chucky Atkins.

"That's OK, if that's the direction they want to go," Blake told the newspaper. "I just decided to go back to Portland."

Calls placed to Blake's agent Friday were not immediately returned.

Blake made $1.33 million last season and was seeking a starting salary close to the NBA's $5.35 million midlevel exception.

Blake lives with his family in West Linn, Ore., near Portland, during the offseason, and just bought a new home.

Other teams reportedly interested in Blake included the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Blake, 27, played for the University of Maryland. For his career, he has averaged 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 22.5 minutes with the Washington Wizards, Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and Nuggets.</div>

Source: ESPN

So apparently he left to Portland because Denver signed Atkins. What a move by Denver...

 

[rafy]

Wow, this is amazing.

Brilliant signing all in all; I'm just a little worried about our log jam at the point. I was really hoping that Rodriguez would emerge with some more PT this year. But it's really hard to complain when you get a guy at the caliber of Blake. What's really going to be interesting though is to see who will start. My initial thought is that Blake will, but Jack did an excellent job for us last season.

While I absolutely love this signing, I'm just not sure if it will turn out to be the right move. Maybe it would have been more prudent to have a little more leeway at the point in order to let our Jack/Rodriguez situation play itself out.

 

[amador08]

Hey competition within the ball club only helps the blazers out!! Whoever works harder will play more!

 

[Apollo]

Another good move by Portland, but when are they gonna get rid of Darius Miles lazy ass?

 

[Moo2K4]

I'll say this team is making all the right moves, but I won't call them a playoff team yet. They're far too young and have no veteran leadership. It's not really a necessity, but it does help. So, while I feel this team has all the pieces to be great, they're just not ready. Props to management for doing most everything right over the past couple seasons though (trading Randolph, drafting Oden, Roy, Aldridge, etc). This team is young and should definitely be exciting to watch next season.

 

[AKIRA]

yeah, whats up with Darius Miles? is he still injured or is he healthy again? i think they need to trade him, he's been nothing but an injury that gets paid 5 mil a year.

 

[Master Shake]

^ A lot of people consider Miles a "Attitude Cancer" but I consider him, a good consistent SF. He can contribute when healthy, but he will get traded, because the Blazers are getting younger, and Miles is getting older.

 

[Bobcats]

Lol, first of all he is a attitude cancer. Second, he's far from consistent, and third, they are getting rid of him because he's lazy and has a horrible contract, not because he is getting older (he's only like what, 24 or 25?).