Euro-Blazers

[Rastapopoulos]

All three of our Euros (four, if you include Nedzad) have now been bounced from their respective playoffs. Anyone hear anything about whether or not they're likely to visit Portland? Remember last year, when Claver made a super-secret visit to Portland around draft time? And then, in what can only be seen as a no-confidence vote, we drafted Luke Babbitt? Well, this year Claver has been improved in general but seems to have been crappy in his team's playoffs. His dad just died of cancer, so I don't know how much that might have affected him.

Of the three, Freeland is almost certain not to come: there's a rumor that Barcelona will buy him out from his contract with Unicaja, and if I were him, I'd give that a shot before I committed to a soon-to-be locked out league. Claver's also pretty unlikely to come. Koponen is the most likely but the least valuable-looking. Apart from one massive scoring output (I think he had the highest-scoring game of the year by any player) he didn't even make the all-star game in Italy, and has said that he might be sold to a team in Spain, possibly Unicaja (which currently has ex-Blazer Omar Cook, who was, I think, assists leader in Spain, which suggests that he would be playing SG). I'd still like to have him come over and scrimmage this Summer if at all possible. He's still 6'5" with probably PG skills equivalent to or better than Elliott Williams and Armon, and he plays defense and hits threes...

Anyway, anyone hear anything?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Are any of these guys as good as Babbitt or Johnson? Look at the numbers those guys put up in the D league

 

[3RA1N1AC]

i hear nothing

id love to bring freeland over though, and claver would be better than babbitt, and koponen would be better than armon most likely, bring em' all!

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Are any of these guys as good as Babbitt or Johnson? Look at the numbers those guys put up in the D league

I'm not even a fan of European leagues or players but I think it's fair to say the competition over there is better than the D-League.

 

[Blaze01]

Apparently POR is trying to sign Freeland before the lockout?

 

[Blazinaway]

Apparently POR is trying to sign Freeland before the lockout?

I'd like that to be the case but where did you see/hear that? I heard one of the other Euro teams was after him?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Apparently POR is trying to sign Freeland before the lockout?

Link?

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

This is the only thing i have found on Freeland in the last week on the internet

http://unicaja.diariosur.es/noticias/2011-06-01/freeland-quiere-tranquilidad-20110601.html

Translated:

Freeland want tranquility

The English moved their desire to continue in Malaga, and in the NBA your rights may change hands

Joel Freeland comes this week to Malaga outside all the rumors that put it out of Unicaja next season. The player will start with the work of the playoffs with some of his colleagues in the Sports Palace after spending a week and a half in the United States.
The pivot English this summer in the European part of Lithuania with your selection, has attracted interest from major European basketball after a spectacular season in the ranks of Unicaja. Freeland has a season left on his contract with two optional with a progressive increase in its form and with an exit clause for more than a million and a half euros for any European club and a million for the NBA. His name has been linked to Barcelona or to the very same European champions Panathinaikos, two teams financially able to meet that amount.

This has not been nervous the player, who has sent his inner circle to continue their interest in Manchester and do not think the American League until next year. The player has adapted perfectly to the city and has achieved a good understanding with Chus Mateo, from the outset that he did act in the position of four. His agent, Rafael Calvo, insisted yesterday that it has maintained contact with another club and the player thinks only of further improving their game in Unicaja. Moreover, in recent weeks has been speculated that the Blazers, owners of their rights in the NBA, include in any transfer, which is not like the player.

Clause

The club raised over the season's potential to improve the contract and even increase its clause, but those negotiations have not begun, which does not mean not to start shortly and the season is not over yet . In any case, Unicaja has hedged its bets in case the Barcelona or any other Spanish club are set to at Freeland. If no agreement by the pivot, the club will always have the option of right of first refusal, so that could match any offer.

This scenario does not provide for foreign teams, as the score does not. But if Freeland does not, for now, the option of leaving Malaga for the NBA or another national team, the option of leaving Spain, seems much more complicated.