Dwyer on Portland

I’ve been getting into the opinion gathering business the last week regarding what Portland should do with the trade market. The last thing the team needs to do is make a panic trade — especially now that they’ve been granted a hardship exception — but the expiring deals of Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw represent the last opportunities to salvage some future assets out of all that cap space last summer. Here’s what I got from the always fantastic Kelly Dwyer in his chat over at Ball Don’t Lie.

Coup: I guess we’re all obliged to start talking trades now. Give me two or three great — non panic trade — targets for Portland. You think they would trade much youth for a near-30 yr old like Butler?

KDonhoops:I think just about any trade would be a panic trade. Honestly, I hate saying this, but, “Portland, your season’s screwed.”

No amount of Butler or Dampier — and I think either would be great deals for those younger expirings — would help enough to make that much difference. There are just too many people hurting. I don’t take much joy in writing that.

Butler would be great if he could be had for expiring deals, but I need to give more thought to what else I would give up to get him. Dampier has an expiring deal himself, which is interesting if Portland wants to grab a big man soon and then have another RLEC to float around at the deadline. Might be easier to move a deal like that before this summer than last.

If you have ideas or thoughts on potential trade targets, leave them in the comments below.