Portland trying to get PAUL MILLSAP!

[Shooter]

Anyways, we need a true Center to back up Oden, in case shit happens.

Isn't that the truth! I hate this talk of trading Pryz. He's a great shotblocker and rebounder, and we would miss him dearly.

 

[Draco]

Maybe we should just keep adding centers? We don't need anybody to run the offense. That's highly overrated.

Exactly! Never can have too many centers. You also never trade big for small, NEVER EVER!

 

[barfo]

Other then just saying that we need a back up center, why do you guys think Joel is more important then giving the team the ability to upgrade a starter at SF, PG or both?

What happens if Oden gets injured again?

barfo

 

[Minstrel]

I don't know why a team would ever want to break up a center duo like Oden and Przybilla. Makes no sense.

It makes sense if you can convert a backup like Pryzbilla (most likely as part of a package) into a solid or better starter.

Przybilla is hardly invaluable. He's valuable, so a trade of Przybilla would have to return something at least as valuable.

 

[B-Roy]

What happens if Oden gets injured again?

barfo

Patty Mills fills in as center.

After all, that Aussie can do anything!

 

[<-=*PdX*=->]

This "Toxic" contrat talk reminds me when the Viqueens signed steve hutchenson from the Seahawks and put wording in the contrat that if Hutch was not the highest paid lineman on his team at the signing of the contract that Seattle could not match the offer. It was dubbed the "poison pill" contract that a few came after that with the NFL banning them soon after. I bet with Tom Penn they have found some loophole to do such a thing to make it nearly impossible to match the offer. That would be awesome, giving the Jazz the business!

 

[Minstrel]

What happens if Oden gets injured again?

Aldridge shifts to center, Millsap starts at power forward.

An injury to someone as valuable as Oden always sucks. Even without Przybilla, Portland would be better able to handle it, with Millsap on the roster, than most teams would be able to handle such a significant loss. And when Oden isn't hurt, you have the benefit of the better starter that you got out of the Przybilla deal.

 

[RoyToy]

I just don't see how Millsap just automatically replaces everything Joel does. Joel was a better rebounder and shot blocker than Millsap last year unless there is some weird stat I don't know about it. You see him leading the defense a lot of times and telling people where to be, and he's really the tough guy that sort of sets the tone, sort of like Ben Wallace did in a way.

 

[BalancedMan]

Some teams in the league could use a good starting center...including Houston with Yao in limbo. But we'd have to get value. If we got a Milsap or even a David Lee I would be okay with sending Pryz away...unless you think he'll stick around and resign next year to become a career backup when he can probably start on several teams (geez, put him with the young core in OKC...fuck). But we may not have a choice. I personally think that PG is a much more important for us than SF with Batum developing, but I don't know what kind of PG we can get with Pryzbilla honestly.

 

[Boise Blazer]

How sure are we (or Blazers management for that matter) that Joel will opt out? I agree it seems logical based upon money and playing time but if he doesnt how much longer is his contract?

 

[RoyToy]

It makes sense if you can convert a backup like Pryzbilla (most likely as part of a package) into a solid or better starter.

Przybilla is hardly invaluable. He's valuable, so a trade of Przybilla would have to return something at least as valuable.

And Kirk Hinrich is that starter? I'm not a big Hinrich guy so that means almost nothing to me.

 

[Minstrel]

I just don't see how Millsap just automatically replaces everything Joel does.

He doesn't "automatically replace everything Joel does," whatever that means. He's a valuable big man who has his own strengths and weaknesses. Having him gives Portland a surplus of excellent big men to deal from to address positions that the team is weaker at.

 

[e_blazer]

Until Greg Oden shows that he can play extended minutes without fouling out, I just don't see the team being willing to trade Joel.

 

[alex42083]

It goes back to Dave's piece on Blazers Edge. Who do the Blazers feel are the absolute core of the team heading forward? Who does the team absolutely want to build around and expect to be here for a long time? And for most, that list would include Roy, Aldridge, Oden and possibly Nicolas.

I love Joel, everyone loves Joel, no one can say a bad thing about Joel, but that doesn't make him untouchable IF you can bring in a good piece to replace him.
And getting an up-and-coming 24-year-old big like Millsap is not a terrible thing to take the backup big minutes at PF and C, and have a three-man rotation of Greg/Millsap/LA is pretty good, plus taking down a division rival.

 

[RoyToy]

I can see Przybilla staying in Portland for less. I think that's exactly what he did when he signed his last contract with the Blazers, although I could be wrong.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

A team badly in need of vet experience is not going to trade Joel . . . especially when the so called back up center started last year and Oden has yet to prove he can stay in a game and contribute on a consistent basis.

 

[Minstrel]

And Kirk Hinrich is that starter? I'm not a big Hinrich guy so that means almost nothing to me.

I don't know if Hinrich, specifically, is that starter. But I think I'd probably do that. Hinrich is pretty close to the "point guard version" of Hinrich. A defense-first role-player who's either an amazing backup or an okay starter. obviously doesn't give you the rebounding Przybilla does, but gives you offense that Przybilla doesn't, including passing and shooting. And he solidifies Portland's weakest position.

 

[RoyToy]

I don't know if Hinrich, specifically, is that starter. But I think I'd probably do that. Hinrich is pretty close to the "point guard version" of Hinrich. A defense-first role-player who's either an amazing backup or an okay starter. obviously doesn't give you the rebounding Przybilla does, but gives you offense that Przybilla doesn't, including passing and shooting. And he solidifies Portland's weakest position.

Hinrich aint worth it to me, so agree to disagree there.

 

[barfo]

If nothing else, I guess this does explain why we had no interest in McDyess.

barfo

 

[Idog1976]

How would you feel about a straight swap of Joel for Battier? then maybe moving Blake and Trav for a guy like Hinrich? (not at all sure the Bulls would go for that).

Hinrich/Bayless/Mills
Roy/Rudy
Battier/Batum/Martell (if he's ever able to play again)
LMA/Milsap/Cunningham
Oden/Pendergraph/<some-other-fill-in-the-blank-warm-body>

You're reading my mind! (Or my post #159 in this thread ) I think that is a brilliant couple of moves.

That lineup is in my mind ready to challenge for WCF. I think it would vault us ahead of anyone in the West not named LA.

 

[B-Roy]

I can see Przybilla staying in Portland for less. I think that's exactly what he did when he signed his last contract with the Blazers, although I could be wrong.

You are wrong. He signed in Portland for the MOST MONEY. That was the main reason he stayed.

 

[number 10]

I think that's exactly what he did when he signed his last contract with the Blazers, although I could be wrong.

you are wrong, Portland offered Prz more money than Detroit or SA, even if it wasn't that much more.

 

[RoyToy]

you are wrong, Portland offered Prz more money than Detroit or SA, even if it wasn't that much more.

For some reason I feel like I remembered Przy taking less money, but I think it was he chose to stay with Portland instead of go to a winner because he wanted to help Portland win or something. Could be bs on his part, but I think that's what I remember.

 

[Blaze01]

Apparently POR can offer a signing bonus of up to 17.5%...that is part of the "toxic" talk...

A contract starting at $7.7 or $8.9 costs UTA TWICE that amount, it could be up to costing UTA as much as $20 million next year....

taken from Blazer Edge posts:

If the Portland Trail Blazers want to screw with the Utah Jazz, then Tom Penn should create a deal for ... Paul Millsap that includes a signing bonus worth up to 17.5% of the contract — which’d be paid upfront, but charged to the cap proportionally throughout the entirety of it — so as to all but ensure that those who head Larry H. Miller’s estate will balk at matching the offer sheet.

All in all, the Trail Blazers should renounce its draft rights to Joel Freeland and Petteri Koponen — which’d clear some more money from the books — and, in turn, tender Millsap the following five-year, $50,000,000 offer sheet:

Signing Bonus: $8,750,000
2009-2010: $7,150,000 (Cap Hit: $8,900,000)
2010-2011: $7,700,000 (Cap Hit: $9,450,000)
2011-2012: $8,250,000 (Cap Hit: $10,000,000)
2012-2013: $8,800,000 (Cap Hit: $10,550,000)
2013-2014: $9,350,000 (Cap Hit: $11,100,000)

Well, that’s that.

the first year can actually have a maximum cap hit of $9 million even. Portland can go up to $100,000 over the cap to sign a FA using cap space.

So the absolute maximum we could offer, then, would be five years, 52.8 million, with a signing bonus of 9.24 million.

http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/7/8/942803/and-just-like-that-a-storm#comments

$9 million + $1.848? I think and you are looking at UTA having to fork out $21.696 mil just to retain Millsap next year.....

 

[Crimson the Cat]

Losing Przy for Millsap? Eh.

Losing Przy is not a good thing.

We'd lose Prz for Milsap and another starter.

 

[PapaG]

Whaaat? Millsap is a great low-post player and an awesome rebounder. He takes 67% of his shots inside, like a real PF should....Outlaw is a wing, and takes only 19% of his shots inside.

Also, 61% of Outlaws inside shots were assisted, compared to 67% for Millsap, so there is not that much of a difference. We don't really need him to play multiple positions anyway, we already have good players at those other positions.

A guy can only play one position at a time, what really matters is how well he plays it. I think Paul Millsap a much better player than Outlaw.

Huh? How many of Millsap's outside shots did he create on his own versus Outlay? I think Travis Outlaw at his current contract is a much better player for the Blazers than wasting precious cap space on Paul Millsap.

 

[Mediocre Man]

How would you feel about a straight swap of Joel for Battier? then maybe moving Blake and Trav for a guy like Hinrich? (not at all sure the Bulls would go for that).

Hinrich/Bayless/Mills
Roy/Rudy
Battier/Batum/Martell (if he's ever able to play again)
LMA/Milsap/Cunningham
Oden/Pendergraph/<some-other-fill-in-the-blank-warm-body>

I'd love it. Houston probaby wouldn't, but maybe.

 

[Pinwheel1]

The oregonian blog was picked up by all the slc TV stations tonight. Tomorrow morning talk shows should be fun. My jazz friends have already texted me saying the Jazz will match. So i Hope Penn does get creative.

 

[RR7]

Does anyone know the rules for setting up front loaded contracts? Are they set up with similar guidelines, where they can only decline by that 6.9% or whatever?

 

[Boise Blazer]

Apparently POR can offer a signing bonus of up to 17.5%...that is part of the "toxic" talk...

A contract starting at $7.7 or $8.9 costs UTA TWICE that amount, it could be up to costing UTA as much as $20 million next year....

taken from Blazer Edge posts:







http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/7/8/942803/and-just-like-that-a-storm#comments

$9 million + $1.848? I think and you are looking at UTA having to fork out $21.696 mil just to retain Millsap next year.....

If this is what they have planned then all I have to say is that is fucking cold ... and I love it. Whether or not Millsap is the right choice a plan like this is absolutely brilliant if capable. Especially towards a division rival. It almost has a dirty "Memphis" feel to it.