Archive for February, 2010

Kevin Pritchard and the Blazers finally made a trade deadline deal, sending Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw along with a wad of cash to the Los Angeles Clippers for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby. On the surface, there’s not much to analyze about the move. Both Blake and Outlaw had expiring contracts and had very little chance of re-signing in the offseason given the money they would want and the minutes the Blazers would offer. That left the Blazers with a single asset that was their combined contracts, the same sort of asset they had last February [...]

Via Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter: Sources tell Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports that the Blazers deal with the Clips for Marcus Camby has been completed. Blazers send Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and $3 million to Clippers for Marcus Camby. We’ll have some full analysis up later, but there is literally no downside to this deal barring an epic fit thrown by Camby, though it sounds as though he is more upset with the Clippers than anything. No risk-medium reward here.

And the hits just keep coming with this story. One second Camby is coming to the Blazers, the next he might not be and now he’s not even happy about it. Seriously, this is unraveling quicker than Snooki after a few shots. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports is reporting that Marcus Camby is upset about the trade to the Blazers. No joke…this is crazy. I almost feel guilty but here are the words from the man himself: In town in advance of their Tuesday game against the Trail Blazers, the Clippers were having a team dinner at Portland’s Ringside [...]

(UPDATE: Well as soon as I hit post, sure enough Chad Ford tweeted the following) Sounds like Camby to Blazers deal isn’t done yet per Bucher. Maybe Kevin Pritchard didn’t do it again … yet.http://tinyurl.com/y98s2sp So hold your horses ladies and gentlemen… It was rumored all day but ESPN.com reports that is officially a done deal. (EDIT: Well kind of. It might happen.) The Blazers have traded Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw for Marcus Camby. Chad Ford has tweeted that this is a home run for the Blazers. My instant thoughts? Still trying to wrap my little brain around these events. [...]

Via Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski: This time, Blake has been offered with Travis Outlaw(notes) to the Los Angeles Clippers for center Marcus Camby(notes), a league source told Yahoo! Sports. It’s also believed that the Blazers will add cash to the bid. All three players have expiring contracts, so it would likely take an additional ingredient – cash and or a second-round draft pick – to convince the Clippers to give up Camby for this package. Of the two rumors today, I prefer the Tyrus Thomas one because he offers a higher chance of adding something in the long term, as [...]

Via Chad Ford on ESPN Insider: Here’s one potential solution: The word out of the All-Star Game late Sunday had the Lakers recruiting the Portland Trail Blazers as a third team in trade talks with the Bulls. According to one source familiar with the discussions, the Lakers would get Hinrich, the Bulls would get Adam Morrison, Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and Juwan Howard, and the Blazers would land Tyrus Thomas and Sasha Vujacic. Such a deal would lessen the amount of money the Lakers would be adding to their payroll next season. Here’s what SJ had to say about the [...]

As rumored yesterday, the Wizards have agreed to send Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, two players the Blazers have been rumored to have interest in, to Dallas for Josh Howard and Drew Gooden, with other pieces involved on both sides. Marc Stein (via Twitter): Mavs and Wizards have completed their trade call with the league office. Deal will be announced later tonight. Seven-player swap in the end DAL gets Butler, Haywood and Stevenson as was always the case once teams agreed Friday. WASH gets Josh Howard, Gooden, Q. Ross and Singleton Marc Spears (via Twitter): Washington trade of Butler, Haywood [...]

In case you missed this yesterday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that there are lot of teams inquiring about Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas. And as you all know by now it wouldn’t be a trade deadline article without mentioning the Blazers. Here’s Wojo’s word: “Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard made an offer they’ll have to improve upon to be taken seriously – one of his expiring contracts (Steve Blake or Travis Outlaw) and two future second-round draft picks” Brian T. Smith of The Columbian added some info today, with an article on the subject and multiple tweets. [...]

Is it a coincidence that the Blazers end their lengthy losing streak in Phoenix less than a week after the Lakers did the same thing in Portland? Nay. ‘Tis the season, I guess. Just not for defense. While you can never expect a win in Phoenix, it wasn’t too difficult to see the Blazers coming out and playing like this. For starters, the Blazers haven’t established any sort of pattern of extended slumps. If they are crummy one night, they will usually either shoot better or move the ball better the next game or both. This doesn’t mean they haven’t [...]

It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Blazers are a team desperately in need of the All-Star Break and it showed last night. The majority of teams need the All-Star Break. Some enter into it differently; some play the best basketball of the season, some are finally turning the corner and others limp into it. You know how some teams limp into the All-Star Break? Well, Portland is dragging into the All-Star Break. Like a rabid dog just attacked our left leg type dragging. Last night was a tough loss to swallow and the [...]