Chad Ford Trade Watch (Bigs)

[Nikolokolus]

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Raef LaFrentz, Blazers
LaFrentz has what NBA GMs are calling a "super-expiring contract." Not only does his $12.7 million salary come off the books this summer, but insurance is paying 80 percent of it. Add in that the Blazers have other young players like Sergio Rodriguez, Channing Frye and Travis Outlaw whom they could throw in a deal, and a team looking to clear some cap space and develop young talent would have to take a hard look at a deal with Portland.
The biggest question surrounding a Blazers deal at the moment: Does any GM in the league really want to do Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard any favors after his team threatened to sue all the owners in the league over the Darius Miles fiasco? More than one GM has told me no.
Chance of trade: 50 percent

Now I don't know if the GMs in question are blowing smoke and really would refuse to do a deal because of the threatening e-mail, but if that really did torpedo a deal I think we can officially declare the Miles situation as being the curse that keeps on giving.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

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Now I don't know if the GMs in question are blowing smoke and really would refuse to do a deal because of the threatening e-mail, but if that really did torpedo a deal I think we can officially declare the Miles situation as being the curse that keeps on giving.

Any GM that plays that kind of grudge against the Blazers as opposed to doing something that would improve their team should be shown the door by their owner.

 

[Ed O]

Any GM that plays that kind of grudge against the Blazers as opposed to doing something that would improve their team should be shown the door by their owner.

Agreed. It makes sense for GMs to act like they're offended, but if a deal comes along that will make their team better they shouldn't pass on it because of that email.

Ed O.

 

[Natebishop3]

Interesting... I wonder which teams he heard that from. Maybe we could cross a couple stars off our list right now

 

[alex42083]

Any GM that plays that kind of grudge against the Blazers as opposed to doing something that would improve their team should be shown the door by their owner.

Yeah, agreed especially if the deal includes the owner saving millions of dollars.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I agree that GMs will make moves to improve their team and not totally blackball the Blazers. But there is a lot of discretion involved in making that determination and I think most people are unconsciously biased in their negotiations and decisions by their feeling about the person they are negotiateing with.

The term pritchslapped is now out in the national media, KP has made several moves that have been lopsided towards the Blazers, the Blazer management has sent out a threatening email to the league over the Miles sitatuion, and the owner of the Blazers is the richest owner in sports and not afraid to use his legal team.

I could see a feeling among some GMs that they need to be hit square in the head with a good trade for their team to engage in any dealings with the Blazers.

 

[PapaG]

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Now I don't know if the GMs in question are blowing smoke and really would refuse to do a deal because of the threatening e-mail, but if that really did torpedo a deal I think we can officially declare the Miles situation as being the curse that keeps on giving.

The only reason a GM should be apprehensive about doing a deal with Pritchard is that he has come out ahead on some lopsided deals in recent years. The email is the most overblown bullcrap non-story I can remember, especially considering how consistently wrong the media (Chad Ford included) has been on the actual facts of the case. If a GM is truly so offended by this that they will let it affect their judgement, I question whether that GM has the business skills/sense to be in their posistion. That said, a salary dump of a veteran player for the RLEC is a money move, meaning the basketball implications should be secondary for the immediate future, so if some GM with a fragile psyche had his feelings hurt by Larry Miler's email, I suppose emotion could come into play. More likely is that good GMs don't want to let Portland significantly improve their already good and already young roster by sending them a veteran player for merely a contract and filler in return.

 

[drexlersdad]

i could see teams being apprehensive to the point that if it was a tossup, the email might be a deciding factor in not pulling the trigger.

 

[Pinwheel1]

"More than One GM has told me No"

So.........two out of 29? That leaves 27. Any excuse for Chad to bring up the subject. He is full of shit. If it benefits them they would dance with the devil.

 

[PapaG]

"More than One GM has told me No"

So.........two out of 29? That leaves 27. Any excuse for Chad to bring up the subject. He is full of shit. If it benefits them they would dance with the devil.

Chris Wallace and Danny Ainge. Two of the bigger loudmouth GMs in the league.

 

[Minstrel]

Assuming Ford is even telling the truth. With anonymous sources, he can make almost any claim he wants. If he, personally, disliked the move, there's nothing stopping him from pretending it materially hurt the Blazers. Columnists, especially sports columnists, love creating narratives where the heroes of their stories succeed and the villains of their stories fail.

No competent GM is going to let their personal feelings about an action like that e-mail stand in the way of doing their job to improve their team. Since trades only happen when both teams feel they're improving their situation, it's pretty obvious to me that either Ford is lying or there's more than one incompetent GM (who're willing to admit to Ford that they're incompetent...which seems unlikely).

 

[Ed O]

Well, if we're going to break down what he said, it is that other teams will do the Blazers no favors.

Which makes sense.

If it's a lateral move for a team, they might, in some cases, be willing to help out another team just to build good will. In the case of the Blazers, they might not be willing to.

"Doing favors" for another team is out the window if a team has a chance to improve itself...

Ed O.

 

[JE]

Any GM that plays that kind of grudge against the Blazers as opposed to doing something that would improve their team should be shown the door by their owner.

But a senseless, sore loser-esque grudge against Memphis for beating you fair and square is completely fine.

 

[Nikolokolus]

But a senseless, sore loser-esque grudge against Memphis for beating you fair and square is completely fine.

I just hate Memphis because of their stupid arse uniforms

 

[hasoos]

But a senseless, sore loser-esque grudge against Memphis for beating you fair and square is completely fine.

Well then the Blazers will just have to kick Memphis ass over and over again. That will make me feel much better. Maybe we will get lucky, and Oden will break Darius Miles arm over the rim when he dunks. That would be even better.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Well, if we're going to break down what he said, it is that other teams will do the Blazers no favors.

Which makes sense.

If it's a lateral move for a team, they might, in some cases, be willing to help out another team just to build good will. In the case of the Blazers, they might not be willing to.

"Doing favors" for another team is out the window if a team has a chance to improve itself...

Ed O.

I could see other GMs "feeling" only getting in the way in a trade that doesn't involve Raef. If $ troubles is what they have, Raef is the answer to their ills. As Henry Abott pointed out, other teams are laying off staff members. They don't want to do that either, but they can't let their feelings be a significant factor.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think business people often let their egos get in the way of their business decisions.

 

[barfo]

But a senseless, sore loser-esque grudge against Memphis for beating you fair and square is completely fine.

Among fans, sure. We can have all the grudges we want (and we want them all).
But if KP held a grudge against Memphis and didn't trade w/ them because of Miles, then I'd think he wasn't very mature.

barfo

 

[BengalDuck]

This is business not personal.

Strictly business.

Any businessman (basketball GM, CEO of Exxon, anywhere in between) who lets their feelings get away of strategic decisions is failing all of their bosses and subordinates.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Any businessman (basketball GM, CEO of Exxon, anywhere in between) who lets their feelings get away of strategic decisions is failing all of their bosses and subordinates.

True, but it happens . . . at all levels.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

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Now I don't know if the GMs in question are blowing smoke and really would refuse to do a deal because of the threatening e-mail, but if that really did torpedo a deal I think we can officially declare the Miles situation as being the curse that keeps on giving.

No favors? So we're not going to be offered a Gasol-for-garbage-type deal?