Apr 5, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) center Jermaine O

Jermaine O’Neal is interested in returning to the Portland Trail Blazers, 13 years after he was traded for Dale Davis during the 2000 season (a blast from the past, I know). O’Neal has re-established himself as a decent player in Phoenix after fading out of 2 injury riddled seasons with the Boston Celtics. He will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1^st and has formally discussed his interest in the Portland Trail Blazers:

“I’m very open to Portland. They’re definitely a team I’m looking forward to having talks with this summer. LaMarcus and Damian along with Batum are some great pieces to build around. All they need to do is shore up the bench and add a paint presence on defense and they’ll be right there. It’s hard to put that type of stress on your starting five and I know I can help ease some of that stress.”

It would appear he sees himself as help off the bench, which could work well for Portland depending on the direction they choose. If the Blazers pursue a new starting center via trade, or pursue one in free agency, O’Neal’s return becomes more unlikely. However, if Portland decides that current backup center, Meyers Leonard, has improved enough to start, Jermaine O’Neal could be a viable option off the bench. In this scenario, Meyers stands to benefit from Jermaine’s 17 seasons of experiential knowledge; something Jermaine hopes to share with the young center:

“I like Meyers. He’s an athletic talent that is going to get even better in this league. But I think I can help him become a better defender, rebounder, shot blocker. That’s part of the job, veterans helping out the younger players. I did that here in Phoenix and that is something I would do in Portland if signed there.”

If Portland elects to go all in on Meyers’ future, this could be a strong move for them. There has been a lot of buzz focused on Portland’s center situation. When/if J.J. Hickson leaves, will the Blazers hunt for a big man with a big name, like Jefferson or Pekovic, or will they look for a reasonable filler and spend their dollars bolstering the bench? This option splits the difference. Bringing in O’Neal as a bench center would show a lot of confidence in Meyers Leonard, which at this point may be a stretch. But who knows? Perhaps a summer of training with old man O’Neal would be enough to prepare him for the job.

Of course, the downside of O’Neal’s age is not to be overlooked. What good is added depth if it’s too worn to take the court? His clean bill of health has been great to see, but I’m not confident it will be long-lasting, based on his history. Still, if Portland wants him at a low price, the option is intriguing.

Jermaine O’Neal’s unsolicited interest signifies the dawn of a new age for the Blazers. Even if O’Neal ends up somewhere else, his desire to play here demonstrates Portland’s newfound free agent appeal. He said it himself; the Blazers have some great pieces to build around, and he won’t be the only free agent to notice. This could be the first time in a long time that our small market brings in great players without having to send any in return. O’Neal may not fall immediately into this category, but the one time Portland rookie’s eagerness to re-investigate the Blazers is a subtle endorsement that will not go unnoticed.

Source: Chris Haynes, CSNNW

@davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com

Mar 26, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Omer Asik (3) makes shoots a free throw against the Denver Nuggets during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE

From the look of things, there’s a strong possibility that the Portland Trail Blazers utilize their two lottery picks in the 2012 NBA Draft to permanently fix their back-court issues.

While Connecticut center, Andre Drummond, is in the mix for their sixth pick, all the hype has been around Weber State guard, Damian Lillard, whose been amazing thus far in his pre-draft workouts. And with the Blazers eleventh pick, the two popular names flirting around have been Syracuse’s Dion Waiters and one-and-done Duke guard, Austin Rivers.

If Portland does, indeed, fail to address their need for a big man in the draft, how will they fill the gap for next season?

LaMarcus Aldridge isn’t exactly an enforcer like they needed Greg Oden to be, and Joel Przybilla is more prone to injury than a butterfly. Kurt Thomas is approaching senior citizen status, and though the team came out on the winning end of the arbitrator’s Bird Rights decision, J.J. Hickson at 6’9″ isn’t your dominating defensive big man of the future, either.

That leaves free agency for the Blazers to address their biggest need going forward.

Here’s a few viable big men that Portland could pursue this off-season:

Omer Asik: 14.7 MPG, 3.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.0 BLKPG

Asik doesn’t have the monstrous stats we’d want to see a starting center for the Blazers put up, but there’s a reason coach Tom Thibodeau finishes games with him in the lineup.

He plays hard and he gives his all for the entire game.

Asik is a great rim protector and was eighth in the NBA in blocks per 48 minutes (3.36). The New York Daily News reported that the Bulls are trying to keep him and F Taj Gibson around, so the Blazers are going to have to offer, and offer big, if they want to land  the Turkish big man.

Greg Stiemsma: 13.9 MPG, 2.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.5 BLKPG

Stiemsma played great off the bench for Doc Rivers, and was second in the NBA in blocks per 48 minutes with 5.33.  He’d likely come off the bench for Pryzbilla, but could easily become Portland’s starter with a few weeks of great play.

If the Blazers could land Greg Stiemsma, he would become a legitimate starting center in about three years, making him the perfect fit for their big man of the future.

Jermaine O’neal: 22.8 MPG, 5.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 BLKPG

It wouldn’t be too farfetched for J.O. to make one last stand with the team that drafted him, would it?

If the Blazers opt to go with a veteran big, Jermaine O’neal is their guy. He’s a defensive big man that can step out to about 15 feet to knock down a jumper, and he’s got a soft touch around the rim. Portland could snag him for the veteran’s minimum and make him part of a three-center trio.

Whichever route the Portland Trail Blazers decide to jog down, there’s viable answers for them at the end of each trail. Should they decide to pick up Drummond in the first round, they could address their hole at PG with the eleventh pick or choose from a plethora of options in the free agency.

The only thing that’s for certain is that Neil Olshey’s got a lot of work to do, and he’s got to get to it now.