The Portland Trail Blazers are starting to implode and that’s got worry ownership and management.
The Blazers have some moveable trade chips, the question is are the Blazers buyers or sellers?
Marcus Camby and his ending $12.8 million contract might return some nice pieces that have years on their contracts, however ownership loves Marcus so will he be allowed to be moved? Marcus is still playing well and a number of playoff teams would love to have Marcus even at his age.
Raymond Felton has fallen out of favor with just about everyone in Portland. He has been shopped around a little. He’d love to be traded, and the Lakers have expressed some level of interest. Raymond may not be the perfect answer for the Lakers’ woes, but if Portland decides to dump and the Lakers cannot find a better deal there could be a match.
Felton is an expiring contract worth $7.56 million, so he is not a long-term risk.
Gerald Wallace has a $9.5 million player option next year and sources say his camp has made it clear that if healthy he’ll opt for Free Agency if only to secure longer term money. That’s means Portland has to decide whether to trade him now or risk losing him to the open market.
As HOOPSWORLD reported yesterday, Jamal Crawford is on the block. In part at the Blazers request, but there is no doubting that the situation Jamal finds himself is not exactly what he signed up for as a free agent.
Sources close to Crawford say he has not asked for a trade, but wouldn’t be opposed to a deal either, especially if it landed him in a less chaotic situation.
There have be reports of unrest inside the Blazers’ locker room and with the team having lost seven of their last ten games and 12 of their last 20 games – major roster shake up seems likely in Portland especially with the team now being four games out of the Playoff picture.
Portland has six games remaining before the trade deadline, if the downward trend continues, look for a fire sale in Portland.
